Global prayer event to focus on young persecuted Christians

Christian youth across 50 nations are to join in praying for millions of young Christians being persecuted worldwide for their faith.

Shockwave, an Open Doors initiative, will see thousands of Christians pray over the weekend of 6 to 8 March 2009.

Shockwave aims to stimulate prayer worldwide, unite people in seeing God act for his suffering church, raise awareness of the persecuted church, and challenge peoples’ faith.

Hundreds of young believers are expected to gather over the three days at prayer centres being specially set up in Aberdeen, Oxford and Manchester or Bradford, although Christians are welcome to pray individually or in smaller groups.

Prayers will focus on young persecuted believers such as 16-year-old Iraqi Asya Ahmed Muhammad, just one of the estimated 60 million Christians under the age of 18 facing persecution for their faith. Asya has just been released from prison in northern Iraq after two years inside for killing her Muslim uncle in self defence when he, her grandfather and cousin attacked her over her immediate family’s conversion to Christianity.

Shockwave has grown from 30 nations in 2008 to 50 in 2009, and Open Doors is expecting even more young Christians to take part next year.

“We believe that prayer changes things, and we know that God invites us to present to Him our requests and to pray without ceasing,” said Eddie Lyle, head of Open Doors.

“Shockwave will create an army of love to come alongside God’s young family of Persecuted believers, so we urge every young Christian in the UK to join up with their global brothers and sisters and to march alongside their suffering brethren in prayer.”