Pray for persecuted Christians in Orissa, India this Christmas

Purna, one of the believers who was beaten in August 2008

The Catholic Archbishop of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar in India's Orissa state has requested prayer from believers around the world this Christmas season for the victims of anti-Christian violence in the area. Please join him in remembering our brothers and sisters in Orissa. (Source: Christian Solidarity Worldwide)

"Gracious Father, Lord of all the earth, we praise you for the gift of Jesus Christ, sent into the world to break down the dividing walls of hostility. Have mercy upon those in Orissa who suffer for bearing your name. Give them the peace and the justice that they crave, and cause the walls of bitterness and hatred in Orissa to be torn down. Comfort those who have been bereaved, counsel those who have been traumatised, provide for those who have lost everything. Give them the grace to forgive and confidence in your gracious favour. Do not let us forget them, our brothers and sisters in Christ, as we celebrate the coming of the Prince of Peace and look forward to his coming again in glory."

You can add your own prayer for those affected by anti-Christian violence in Orissa by posting on our Persecuted Church Prayer Wall.

Watch the December edition of The Persecution Report for the testimony of Purna, a believer who was badly beaten by militant Hindus when violence swept through Orissa in August 2008. Check it out today.