We have been commanded to pray continually, and especially for each other. We usually pray for those nearest us, people we know and are familiar with, including their problems and heart aches. When it comes to people in faraway countries with their different cultures and customs it is not so easy. But it is true that persecution of Christians is increasing, and there are now more Christian Martyrs than at any time in history, and is increasing.
The 2016 World watch list on Christian Persecution is out: https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/ and it lists the 50 countries with the strongest persecution of Christians. There are 57 countries participating in the Organization of Islamic Corporation (OIC), and makes for interesting reading, since a few of the countries have Christian majorities
What follows is a list of 70 countries to pray for: It consists of the 50 countries on the persecution watch list, and the 57 countries in OIC.
The list contains the name of the country, total population in millions (2014 estimate), Christian population in millions (estimate from Operation World with updates when known), GDP per capita (CIA 2014) and persecution index (from opendoorsusa.org).
First the 37 countries in OIC in order of persecution:
Republic of IRAQ 37 0.3 15,300 92 ISIS Sharia
Islamic Republic of AFGHANISTAN 33 0.001 1,900 88 ISIS Taliban Sharia
SYRIAN Arab Republic 18 0.5 5,100 87 ISIS
Islamic Republic of PAKISTAN 192 4 4,700 87 ISIS Taliban
Republic of SOMALIA 11 0.005 500 87 Failed state
Republic of The SUDAN 41 3 4,300 84 Sharia
Libya 6.3 0.15 15,900 79 ISIS
Republic of YEMEN 27 0.01 3,800 78 ISIS Sharia
Federal Republic of NIGERIA 186 90 6,100 78 ISIS Sharia(north)
Republic of MALDIVES 0.37 0.0003 13,300 76 Sharia
Kingdom of SAUDI ARABIA 32 1 52,300 76 ISIS Sharia
Republic of UZBEKISTAN 30 0.4 5,600 70
Turkmenistan 5 0.1 14,200 65
State of QATAR 2.3 0.2 137,200 65 Sharia
Arab Republic of EGYPT 93 10 10,900 64 ISIS
(State of ) PALESTINE (authority) 5 0.07 4,900 62 HAMAS
BRUNEI-DARUSSALAM 0.5 0.05 79,900 61
Hashemite Kingdom of JORDAN 9 0.2 12,000 59
Republic of DJIBOUTI 0.9 0.04 3,100 58
MALAYSIA 30 2.2 25,100 58
Republic of TAJIKISTAN 9 0.08 2,700 58
Republic of TUNISIA 11 0.02 11,300 58
Republic of AZERBAIJAN 10 0.4 17,800 57
People’s Rep. of BANGLADESH 163 1 3,400 57
People’s Dem. Rep. of ALGERIA 40 0.1 13,900 56 ISIS
Union of The COMOROS 0.8 0.005 1,500 56
State of KUWAIT 4 0.2 70,700 56
Republic of KAZAKHSTAN 18 3.8 24,100 55
Republic of INDONESIA 260 40 10,700 55 ISIS Sharia
Republic of MALI 18 0.25 1,700 55 ISIS
Republic of TURKEY 80 0.25 19,700 55
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 9 0.5 66,300 55 Sharia
Kingdom of BAHRAIN 1.4 0.08 49,000 54
Republic of NIGER 21 0.05 1,100 53
Sultanate of OMAN 4.7 0.08 43,800 53
Then the 20 Islamic Countries not in the top 50 on the persecution index
Republic of ALBANIA 3 1.3 11,400
Republic of BENIN 11 2.5 1,900
BURKINA-FASO (Upper Volta) 19 2.9 1,700
Republic of CAMEROON 24 13 3,000
Republic of CHAD 14 3.2 2,600
Republic of COTE D’IVOIRE 23 7.5 3,100
Republic of GABON 1.8 1.1 20,800
The Islamic Rep. of The Gambia 2 0.06 1,600
Republic of GUINEA 13 0.5 1,300
Republic of GUINEA-BISSAU 1.9 0.2 1,500
Republic of GUYANA 0.8 0.35 6,900
KYRGYZ Republic 6 0.3 3,300
Republic of LEBANON 6 1.3 18,100 ISIS Hezbollah
Kingdom of MOROCCO 34 0.03 7,800 ISIS
Islamic Rep. of MAURITANIA 4 0.004 4,300 Sharia
Republic of MOZAMBIQUE 28 12 1,200
Republic of SENEGAL 15 0.5 2,400
Republic of SIERRA LEONE 6.5 0.6 2,100
Republic of SURINAME 0.5 0.25 16,300
Republic of TOGO 7.5 3 1,500
Republic of UGANDA 40 35 1,900
And finally 13 Non Islamic Countries on the Christian persecution index
North Korea 25 0.5 1,800 92
Eritrea 5 2 1,200 89
Kenya 48 36 3,100 68
India 1326 30 5,800 68
Ethiopia 102 63 1,600 67
Myanmar 54 5 4,800 62
Central African Republic 5 3.5 600 59
Laos 7 0.14 5,000 58
China 1382 105 13,300 57
Tanzania 50 27 2,700 57
Bhutan 3 0.01 7,700 56
Mexico 129 120 18,000 55
Colombia 49 50 13,500 55
Len Bilén's blog, a blog about faith, politics and the environment. 