Source: www.csw.org.uk
Date: May 18, 2024
This year, six senior Eritrean church leaders will begin their 20th year in arbitrary detention.
They are being held incommunicado – without contact with their loved ones or the outside world.
And they are being held indefinitely – with no charge, no trial, and no indication of when they will be released.
We have not forgotten them, or others who are similarly detained, and we are so grateful that many of you are also faithfully remembering them in prayer. We will continue to pray for sudden, miraculous freedom in Eritrea, placing our confidence in the God of rescue (2 Corinthians 1:10-11).
Will you pray with us this Wednesday?
Christians everywhere are invited to join a day of prayer and fasting on Wednesday 22 May. At this time, we will specifically remember two senior church leaders – Rev Haile Naizge and Dr Kuflu Gebremeskel – as this week marks the anniversary of their 2004 arrests.
This was just the beginning, and other pastors were detained later that year:
Rev Million Gebreselassie (known as Meron); arrested June 2004.
Dr Futsum Gebrenegus; arrested November 2004.
Dr Tekleab Menghisteab; arrested November 2004.
Rev Gebremedhin Gebregiorgis, arrested November 2004.
If you haven’t already, please visit csw.org.uk/FreeEritrea to let us know you’ll be taking part. There is power in unified prayer!
Please pray and fast however you feel led, or use our prayer points below:
- Read Psalm 71:1-4 and ask God to rescue and deliver the prisoners of conscience. ‘In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me; turn your ear to me and save me.’
- Pray for an outpouring of hope for the prisoners and their families: ‘As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.’ (Psalm 71:14)
- Ask God to strengthen and comfort families whose loved ones are detained incommunicado. Pray particularly for the mental health of children forced to grow up without their parents.
- Pray that the pastors and other prisoners of conscience would be suddenly freed by God’s divine power, having miraculously survived often lengthy incarceration.
- Pray Psalm 126 over Eritrea, that the Lord would restore the nation’s fortunes, bringing freedom, justice, healing, and reconciliation.