Sudan: Kordofan in Crisis
Sudan’s oil-rich Kordofan region has become a fierce battleground as the national army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) vie for control. The conflict, now entering its third year, has already cost around 150,000 lives and forced more than 12 million people from their homes.
Strategically located and vital for the nation’s oil supply, Kordofan is made up of three states and home to nearly eight million people. Whoever secures the region gains not only territory but influence over Sudan’s future. Yet, amid the struggle for power, civilians face the harshest consequences.
Earlier this month, airstrikes hit West Kordofan’s capital, el-Fula, and the town of Abu Zabad, killing more than 20 people, including families sheltering in a school. The RSF has been accused of brutal attacks in North Kordofan, where more than 450 civilians, including children and pregnant women, reportedly lost their lives. Satellite images suggest some villages were deliberately burned, and many victims were trapped in their homes.
Fighting has intensified around el-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, as the RSF seeks to advance and the army attempts to secure supply lines. Towns such as Umm Sumaima have changed hands repeatedly, leaving residents uncertain and fearful of what comes next. Aid groups warn that each day of combat increases the toll on ordinary families who have already endured displacement, loss, and trauma.
As the battle for Kordofan stretches on, the human cost is staggering. Communities grieve, homes lie in ashes, and many live with the constant fear of violence. Yet, stories of neighbours helping one another and families clinging to hope remind us that even in the darkest valleys, light can endure.
Prayer Pointers
- Pray: for protection over Kordofan’s civilians that God would shield families from violence and deliver the oppressed.
- Pray: and ask the Lord to bring peace to Sudan for God to soften hardened hearts, ending cycles of revenge and hatred.
- Pray: for the Church in Sudan for the to remain steadfast, bringing hope and comfort to those in despair.
Prayer – for the innocent and defenceless
Lord, we lift up the people of Kordofan. Protect the innocent, comfort the grieving, and bring an end to bloodshed. Raise Your Church to shine as a beacon of hope, and let Your peace touch this broken land. Amen
“The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble." Psalm 9:9
India: Faith Under Fire
Twenty pastors and local Christians were brutally attacked in Kotamateru village, Odisha, while holding a Christian seed-blessing ceremony. The tradition in the region calls for a ritual chicken sacrifice to bless crops, but the eleven Christian families chose a Christ-centered approach instead. Pastors from neighbouring villages were invited to bless the seeds and share fellowship.
The group received verbal assurance from police that their gathering would be safe. After completing worship, prayer, and fellowship, the pastors departed together. As they travelled past a large neem tree, villagers ambushed them with sticks, axes, spades, and knives. Ten Christians were hospitalized with serious injuries, including deep head wounds. One elderly victim, Sukra Madi, was so severely beaten that he collapsed, bleeding heavily, and now requires surgery he cannot afford.
Despite repeated calls to local authorities during the assault, the attackers ignored orders to disperse, demonstrating the Christians’ vulnerability in a remote area. The pastors did not retaliate with violence, trusting in God’s call to love and endure. This reflects the teaching of Christ, who instructed His followers to turn the other cheek and leave vengeance to Him.
After the attack, police pressured the victims into a “compromise” settlement, a tactic repeated in previous assaults on Christians in this village since 2014. The settlement has left the victims discouraged and seeking God’s intervention. Local Christian groups organized peaceful protests, drawing thousands, yet legal justice remains delayed.
The attack highlights the ongoing spiritual and physical challenges faced by believers in regions where the gospel meets opposition. Amid fear, suffering, and uncertainty, these Christians remain steadfast, praying for healing, protection, and courage to continue serving God in their communities. Their faith demonstrates the enduring power of Christ to comfort and strengthen even in the face of persecution.
This story reminds believers worldwide that following Jesus may involve suffering, but God’s presence offers peace, healing, and hope beyond immediate circumstances. Christians are called to intercede for those in danger, support fellow believers, and trust in God’s justice and providence.
Prayer Pointers
- Pray: for healing and restoration for the injured pastors that God would restore their health and strengthen their faith.
- Pray: for protection and courage for Christians facing hostility for them to trust God to shield them from harm and fear.
- Pray: for God’s justice and peace that authorities will act rightly and victims find hope in His timing.
Prayer – For the church in Odisha
Lord, protect and heal Your children who suffer for Your name. Strengthen their hearts, grant peace, and bring justice according to Your will. May Your presence comfort them and renew hope amidst trials. Amen.
"The Lord is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." Psalm 91:2
More: https://christiannews.net/2025/07/29/pastors-and-other-christians-brutalized-in-odisha-state-india/
Uzbekistan: Hope on the Silk Road
In Uzbekistan, where Christians make up less than 0.3% of the population, a quiet revival is taking shape. Along the ancient Silk Road city of Bukhara, once a hub of Islamic scholarship, house churches are emerging, led by young believers unashamed to follow Jesus.
Recent reforms under President Shavkat Mirziyoyev have introduced a measure of religious openness, making it possible for churches to register and for Christians to gather with less fear. This shift is providing fertile soil for the Gospel, as more people encounter Christ in deeply personal ways.
Mission Eurasia’s School Without Walls is helping to fuel this movement. Rather than traditional classrooms, it’s a network of discipleship, training young believers in evangelism, family life, and practical Christian living. These leaders gather in homes, share meals, and testify of Christ’s work in their lives. Music, hospitality, and shared tea often open the first door to the Gospel for their Muslim neighbours.
Stories of miraculous encounters with Jesus are spreading. Many Muslims report dreams where they see Christ, His pierced hands extended in invitation. Physical healings are also drawing hearts to faith, as believers pray boldly for the sick and witness God’s power.
In mountain villages, believers trek miles over rough terrain to worship in small, multi-ethnic gatherings of Uzbeks, Tajiks, Kazakhs, Russians, and South Koreans, a living picture of the global Body of Christ. Slowly but steadily, the Gospel is advancing along the Silk Road, once known for trade and scholarship, now becoming a path for spiritual renewal.
The rise of the church in Uzbekistan is a quiet yet profound testimony - in a land long marked by Islamic tradition and Soviet repression, the light of Christ cannot be hidden.
Prayer Pointers
- Pray: for boldness among new believers. Ask God to strengthen young Christians in Uzbekistan to share the Gospel courageously, even when facing misunderstanding, opposition, or rejection.
- Pray: for dreams and visions of Jesus. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus through dreams and visions, especially to Muslims seeking truth, leading many into salvation and discipleship
- Pray: or spiritual growth and discipleship. Pray for godly mentors and biblical teaching to help new believers mature in Christ and rise as courageous leaders in their communities.
Prayer – For the Rising church
Lord Jesus, bless the rising church in Uzbekistan. Strengthen young believers with courage and wisdom. Open more hearts through dreams, healings, and hospitality. Protect house churches and let Your light spread along the ancient Silk Road, drawing many to salvation.
"After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly." Acts 4:31
More: https://cbn.com/video/shows/christian-world-news-church-growing-islamic-stronghold-august-1
Rome: Hearts Awakened
Under the fading light of a Roman sunset, the sprawling space of Tor Vergata filled with hundreds of thousands of young pilgrims. They gathered for the Jubilee of Youth’s pre-vigil, an evening rich with prayer, music, and testimonies—voices from many nations and languages joining together in hope and faith.
Among this vast crowd were three young believers whose stories of rediscovery and transformation offered a glimpse of God’s quiet, powerful work in human hearts.
Antoine Saint-Claire, 18, from France, grew up in a faithful Christian family where Mass and sacraments were familiar, though his faith felt routine. Watching peers who prayed with passion and intimacy stirred a yearning within him. On a pilgrimage to Lourdes, during a moment of adoration before the Eucharist, he experienced a profound encounter with Christ’s love. “I now know I am loved,” Antoine shared, “and I want to love in return with all I am.”
Gustavo Eterno, from Brazil’s Shalom Catholic Community, recounted a journey from emptiness to renewed joy. Music, once a personal refuge, lost its meaning as he drifted away from God, leaving him disoriented. Then, in Eucharistic adoration, he found the love he had been seeking. Now a seminarian, Gustavo dedicates his life to praising the Lord and guiding others toward that same joy.
Olimpia Iacono, a young Italian physician, described how her vocation deepened beyond her medical calling. A mission trip to Argentina and her care for a terminally ill patient revealed the universal Christian call to love. In the patient’s hospital room, she witnessed suffering transformed into grace, demonstrating how simple acts of compassion reflect God’s love.
Though different in culture and experience, these stories converge in a shared truth: when hearts open to God, routine transforms into encounter, sorrow becomes song, and love flows outward, touching a world in need of hope.
Their testimonies remind us that faith is not a distant ideal but a living reality of God’s love stirring in everyday lives, calling each person to respond. In a world often marked by uncertainty, their hope shines as a quiet but persistent light. See the Festival of Unity and Hope livestream here
Prayer Pointers:
- Pray: for young believers to personally encounter Christ and live boldly in their faith amid today’s challenges.
- Pray: and ask God to use music, testimonies, and acts of love to draw many into His presence and joy.
- Pray: that Christ’s love overflows through simple acts of kindness, bringing hope and healing to hurting hearts.
Prayer for the Pilgrims of Hope
Lord God, thank You for awakening faith in young hearts. Let their lives radiate Your love, comfort the broken, and inspire a world in need of hope. Draw many to know and follow You through their witness. Amen
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” — Jeremiah 29:13
More: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2025-08/pre-vigil-jubilee-youth-testimonies-young-pilgrims-tor-vergata.html
A key highlight was the vibrant presence of 650 Papuan children, joyfully leading worship with ukuleles before a stadium crowd of 10,000.