










Short highlights from Christians around the world

Pastor Paul was doing gospel outreach in Northern India when he was arrested by police and accused of "forcing" Hindus to convert to Christianity. He wasn't forcing anyone but only sharing with people who expressed a hunger to hear the truth. When police arrived, Paul and his coworkers weren't having a service or studying the Bible; they were eating a meal. Still, it was considered a crime.
"Which god are you praying to?" police asked. Little did Pastor Paul know that his faith would be tested as he heard that question repeatedly over the coming weeks.
Pastor Paul and his three gospel coworkers suffered tremendously in police custody. Police threatened them constantly, putting fear in their hearts. They were repeatedly offered freedom if they would only renounce their faith in Jesus Christ. Police put the four Christians in a filthy prison cell that also served as the police station latrine. They allowed a mob of radical Hindus to beat them.
Paul prayed that God would strengthen him. "Lord, please help me not to fear their words because You are in charge of every situation," Pastor Paul prayed, "You controlled the lion's mouth when Daniel went inside."
As Pastor Paul fervently prayed, the Lord provided him many opportunities to share his faith in Christ and the strength to stand firm against the enemy's schemes. Listen as he shares his prayer for a forgiving heart when police threatened to beat him, stories of times the Lord gave him moments of relief, and how God sustained him even when his coworkers renounced Christ and turned their backs on him.
The Lord opened fellow prisoners' hearts to hear more about his faith as they watched Pastor Paul. Living out 1 Peter 3:15, he made the most of every opportunity to share the hope of Jesus Christ.
Mistreatment and terrible prison conditions impacted Paul's health; he thought he was going to die. When his wife was finally allowed to visit, he assumed it would be the last time he saw her on earth. He encouraged her to continue forward with Christ and not turn back, even if he died in prison.
Paul had two final requests as he cried out to the Lord: to see revival in Uttar Pradesh state, and for the Lord to allow another pastor to be arrested and come and encourage him in prison. Tune in next week to hear the rest of Pastor Paul's story and whether God answered his request. Pray this week for the Lord to give our brothers and sisters in India strength and courage to withstand Christian persecution and hold fast to their faith in spite of anti-conversion laws and unjust treatment by the Hindu nationalist government.
The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily in 2026 for persecuted Christians in nations like North Korea, Nigeria, Iran and Colombia, as well as provide free access to e-books, audiobooks, video content, and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.
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Serving as the Regional Leader for VOM's work in Latin America, Isaac Santiago tells what it's like to be a Christian today in countries like Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Colombia. He has witnessed the shift since 2018 in Nicaragua—listed as a Restricted Nation in VOM's 2026 Global Prayer Guide—through more laws that directly affect the church and severe restrictions and government pressure similar to what Christians face in Communist nations like Cuba and China.
While some Christians in Nicaragua are weary and struggling to adjust to the new persecution reality, Christians in Cuba have dealt with such restrictions for more than 60 years. Isaac says pastors and leaders in the church there continue to be obedient to the Lord despite threats from their government.
Isaac will also share thoughts on what the change in leadership in Venezuela means for the church there. In the last two years, he has seen a revival break out in the country and the gospel advance in many parts of the country.
In Colombia, people in the cities are often oblivious to what is happening in the "red zones" where Christians are being persecuted by Marxist guerillas and other armed groups. With the current president of Colombia being a former guerrilla, persecution of the church has increased as guerrilla forces have become more powerful. Even though pastors are afraid, they are choosing to be faithful where the Lord has called them.
Isaac will also share the miraculous story of a woman held at gunpoint for reaching out to youth in her area and bringing them to Jesus.
To learn more about each of these nations and how you can pray, request your free copy of VOM's 2026 Global Prayer Guide. Also, check out the new Spanish language podcast called VOM Radio: La Voz de los Mártires on Spotify, Amazon Music, Spreaker, and more!
The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily in 2026 for persecuted Christians in nations like North Korea, Nigeria, Iran and Bangladesh, as well as provide free access to e-books, audiobooks, video content, and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.
Protests have been going on for weeks across the nation of Iran. The Islamic government has cut off communication networks and attacked protestors; thousands have been killed.
Dr. Mike Ansari, a board member of the World Iranian Christian Alliance and the outgoing CEO of Heart4Iran, joins VOM Radio this week with an update on the current situation in Iran and how persecuted Christians are still demonstrating Christ's light and loving their neighbors even as the entire country is in turmoil.
As happened during previous protests in Iran, Christians were among the first to be targeted by authorities. The Revolutionary Guard and Iranian government leaders see followers of Christ—especially those from a Muslim background—as apostate traitors to their nation and the Islamic Revolution.
Dr. Ansari says despite being targeted for Christian persecution followers of Jesus are boldly serving and spreading the light of Christ. Some Christians are even risking arrest to bring injured protestors into their own homes to care for them. Learn what life is like for Christians in Iran right now, and how the government is using this organic uprising to target and persecute Christian believers.
Dr. Ansari will also introduce listeners to the World Iranian Christian Alliance, and share how this movement is uniting Iranian Christian leaders to increase unity, cooperation and serve as a voice for Iranian Christians. He'll also give us specific ways to pray for our Iranian brothers and sisters in Christ right now.
You can get a copy of Dr. Mike Ansari's book entitled Heart4Iran: The Forbidden Stories here.
The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily in 2026 for persecuted Christians in nations like North Korea, Nigeria and Bangladesh, as well as provide free access to e-books, audiobooks, video content and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.
John Burrough, CEO of Partners International, is a former mission trip leader and played in the NFL—including playing in a Super Bowl. Listen as he shares how taking a mission trip completely changed his outlook and how that experience could impact and change your perspective in every area of life.
Partners International began in the early 1940s with a missionary to China, Duncan Roberts, and from there continued to support and grow local leaders advancing the gospel in China. Later, the ministry's work expanded into Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. The focus today is on reaching the unreached parts of the world for Christ.
John will share how Partners International invests in local ministries and church networks advancing the gospel in the 10/40 window, and how they come alongside locals to help them go further and faster in achieving the mission God has given them. "All missions begins with prayer," John says, and shares how the Lord is mobilizing prayer for the unreached in restricted nations and hostile areas.
Listen for the amazing story of a former Boko Haram member in West Africa who came to Christ while spying on a Christian leadership training session. The former terrorist is now advancing the gospel among the people he used to work with.
The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily in 2026 for persecuted Christians in nations like North Korea, Nigeria and Bangladesh, as well as provide free access to e-books, audiobooks, video content and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.
In Part 2 of our interview with Pastor Hassan Abduraheem Taour, he shares how his heart remained upbeat, even as the judge pronounced him guilty and sentenced him to 12 years in prison. He'll talk about how reading the Bible is different inside prison than when you're free. Hassan says he experienced persecution as a blessing from God—a blessing that brought him tears of joy. "It is really a privilege to be persecuted," he says.
Pastor Hassan recounted how fellow members of the Body of Christ in Sudan encouraged him in prison with faith that the Lord would release him. His prayer life also grew in prison, as he became a prayer warrior, quoting Bible verses as he prayed with tears. Your faith will be encouraged and you'll be challenged to pray for Sudan, Christians imprisoned for Christ, and their families as you hear Pastor Hassan's amazing testimony this week on VOM Radio.
Hear Part 1 of our conversation here. Pastor Hassan was imprisoned alongside VOM's Africa regional director, Petr Jasek. You can hear Petr's side of the story here. Pastor Hassan's story was also featured in the I Am N virtual event, which you can watch online.
The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily in 2026 for persecuted Christians in nations like North Korea, Nigeria and Bangladesh, as well as provide free access to e-books, audiobooks, video content and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.
Please send me an email when each week’s episode is available.
