Watchman Wire

Watchman Wire

Dispatches for the persecuted church

SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 2026
Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Colossians 4:2
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Daily prayer with the global church:

Daily Prayer · June 19, 2026

Day 19 — Deliver Us From Evil Mighty Deliverer God, today we intercede for “Demas” in Conakry, Guinea, and the prayer minister he leads. You have placed him in a position of leadership to establish Your Kingdom, and we ask that You would preserve him from the attacks of the evil one. Let him not be overcome or diverted from what You have assigned. Form in him a pattern of standing firm so that others can see and follow. Let his life produce disciples who remain steady under pressure, and let this extend into multiple house church networks You are establishing in his region. According to Matthew 6:13, “But deliver us from the evil one.” God, rescue Demas from the evil one and from every force that opposes Your purposes. Preserve him in alignment with Your will. Guard him from deception, from fear, and from compromise. Establish in him endurance so that he continues in what You have assigned without turning aside. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Latest dispatches

Lebanon accuses Israel of 'brutal attacks,' preventing reestablishment of stability

At least five people were killed in an Israeli air strike on the southern Lebanese town of Arabsalim on Saturday morning, Lebanon's state news agency NNA reported.

Pray →Sovereign Lord, we lift up the town of Arabsalim and the broader region of southern Lebanon in this time of turmoil. In a land where lives are shattered by airstrikes and violence, establish Your peace that surpasses human understanding. Guard the families mourning their lost ones, and pour comfort upon their grief. Let Your presence be a refuge and strength for the vulnerable and weary. Reveal Jesus to those who hold power and authority, that they might seek justice and peace over strife. Turn the hearts of those who perpetuate violence, and let healing begin where destruction has been sown. Sustain the believers in Lebanon, that their lives may shine with hope and reconciliation. To You belong wisdom, mercy, justice, and everlasting peace through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Jerusalem Post·Prayer·

India: Ethnic Bengalis Unlawfully Expelled

Click to expand Image Border Guard Bangladesh personnel stand guard in the Sadipur border area in Benapole, Jessore district, Bangladesh, June 3, 2026. © 2026 Kazi Salahuddin Razu/NurPhoto via AP Photo (London) – Indian authorities are forcibly expelling ethnic Bengali…

Human Rights Watch··

Lebanon says 47 killed in strikes, Israel reports deaths of 4 soldiers

Fighting flared anew in Lebanon on Friday, with authorities reporting 47 killed in Israeli airstrikes and Israel announcing the deaths of four of its soldiers. The violence is the worst since the sealing of a US-Iran deal to halt the wider Middle East war, which was supposed to…

Al-Monitor··

Videos Show Damage to Historic Iraqi Assyrian Church

Videos circulating on social media this week appear to show extensive damage inside Mar Kiryakos Church in the village of Sharanish in Iraq’s Dohuk Governorate, prompting concern among Assyrians and other Christians over the fate of one of the area’s historic churches.

International Christian Concern (Persecution.org)··

Egyptian Christian Imprisoned for Social Media Posts

On Jan. 3, Egyptian Christian Augustinos Samaan was sentenced to five years of hard labor after he was convicted of “contempt of religion” and “misuse of social media.” Samaan has a YouTube channel on which he posts apologetics videos comparing Christianity and Islam.

International Christian Concern (Persecution.org)··

Israel steps up Lebanon attacks with strikes that kill 15

DUBAI, June 19 (Reuters) - Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon killed at least 15 people on Friday, state news agency NNA said, while Israel said the attacks launched overnight were aimed at what it described as Hezbollah targets in several areas.

Al-Monitor··

Central African Religious Leaders Concerned about US Deportees

Religious leaders in the Central African Republic say they were stunned the United States deported migrants without cultural or familiar ties to the landlocked African country last Friday. They questioned why people who fled religious and political persecution were sent to a…

Christianity Today··

Christians Help Battle Measles Outbreak in Bangladesh

Pastor Anwar Hossain often travels an hour’s drive from his home in Dhaka, the Bangladesh capital, to his native village to catch up with family and friends. When he last visited in April, his trip had a more pressing purpose: to comfort families devastated by the loss of their…

Christianity Today··

Missing Christian Girl in Pakistan Feared To Be Trafficked

LAHORE, Pakistan (Christian Daily International–Morning Star News) – Christian relatives of a 13-year-old girl in Pakistan allegedly abducted, forcibly converted to Islam and married to an older Muslim man fear she could be trafficked, as they continue efforts to recover her.

Morning Star News··

The Syrian Network for Human Rights Calls for Disclosing the Fate of Thousands of Syrian Detainees Transferred from Northeast Syria to Iraq and for Guaranteeing Their Legal and Human Rights

The Syrian Democratic Forces transferred no fewer than 6,547 detainees to Iraq, among them 4,743 Syrians, including dozens of children and adolescents, and 1,804 foreigners from nearly 61 nationalities Available in: English العربية Damascus – In a brief report, the Syrian…

Syrian Network for Human Rights··

Christians Kidnapped in NE Nigeria, Slain in Plateau State

ABUJA, Nigeria (Christian Daily International–Morning Star News) – Fulani herdsmen on Tuesday (June 16) killed five Christians in a mining site Plateau state, central Nigeria, sources said. The five Christians were working at a mining site in the Gero area of Gyel village, in…

Morning Star News··
Daily prayer with the global church:

Daily Prayer · June 19, 2026

Day 19 — Deliver Us From Evil Mighty Deliverer God, today we intercede for “Demas” in Conakry, Guinea, and the prayer minister he leads. You have placed him in a position of leadership to establish Your Kingdom, and we ask that You would preserve him from the attacks of the evil one. Let him not be overcome or diverted from what You have assigned. Form in him a pattern of standing firm so that others can see and follow. Let his life produce disciples who remain steady under pressure, and let this extend into multiple house church networks You are establishing in his region. According to Matthew 6:13, “But deliver us from the evil one.” God, rescue Demas from the evil one and from every force that opposes Your purposes. Preserve him in alignment with Your will. Guard him from deception, from fear, and from compromise. Establish in him endurance so that he continues in what You have assigned without turning aside. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

African leaders back $518 million plan to fight Ebola outbreak

African leaders convened a high-level virtual summit on Tuesday to rally support for the continent’s $518 million response plan to curb the Ebola outbreak in East Africa.

Pray →Sovereign Lord, we lift up the nations of East Africa as leaders unite to combat the Ebola outbreak. You are the healer of broken bodies and the sustainer of weary souls. Establish wisdom and cooperation among African leaders and health organizations as they implement the response plan. Guard the lives of those courageously serving on the front lines, and grant success to their efforts as they work to prevent the spread of disease. Comfort families who have lost loved ones, and let the hope of Your presence bring peace to communities in fear. Reveal Jesus to those who seek answers amid crisis and strengthen the believers in East Africa to be beacons of love and service. To You belong healing, guidance, strength, and glory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

AnewZ·Prayer·

East Jerusalem: Israel Escalating Home Demolitions, Evictions

Click to expand Image A Palestinian man looks on as an excavator clears the rubble of homes demolished by Israeli authorities in the Silwan neighborhood of east Jerusalem, May 19, 2026. © 2026 Mahmoud Illean/AP Photo (Beirut) – Israeli authorities are accelerating home…

Human Rights Watch··

Authorities Detain Dozens in Latest Raid of Early Rain Church

Around 11 a.m. on Sunday, June 14, communist authorities raided Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, Sichuan, China, and arrested dozens of believers. Roughly 30 SWAT officers and another 60 police officers reportedly entered the hotel conference room where the church had…

Pray →Sovereign Lord, we lift up the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, where authorities have detained Your people as they gathered to worship. You see every act of oppression and hear the cries of Your children, for You are a refuge to the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Establish Your peace in the hearts of these believers and let their faith not be shaken, that they may continue to stand firm in the grace of Christ. Reveal Jesus to the officials and police officers involved, that their hearts may turn from darkness to light. Let the light of the Gospel shine brightly in Chengdu, and may Your Spirit stir a hunger for truth in all who witness these events. To You belong justice, power, mercy, and glory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

International Christian Concern (Persecution.org)·Prayer·

Residents Protest Planned Church Construction in Central Java

Muslims living near the proposed site of the Javanese Christian Church (GKJ) in Banyuanyar Village, Solo City, Central Java, Indonesia, protested its construction on June 11, citing the church’s lack of a building permit.

International Christian Concern (Persecution.org)··

Eastern Chad an Emerging Frontline in Sudan War - Africa Defense Forum

Strife is growing in eastern Chad’s ethnic Zaghawa communities amid allegations of support for Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia. Suspicions of Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby’s support for the paramilitary RSF can be traced to the beginning of…

Africa Defense Forum··

Blasphemy Inc.: Accusations for Profit in Pakistan

Using blasphemy accusations as a weapon is nothing new in Pakistan. The situation now goes beyond that. Members of a growing organized blasphemy business network are actively trying to trap people into committing “blasphemy” on social media.

International Christian Concern (Persecution.org)··

Magnitude 6.7 earthquake strikes near Indonesia's Palu

A strong 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia's Sulawesi island early Tuesday, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

Pray →Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, we lift up the people of Palu, Indonesia, shaken by the recent earthquake. You are our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble. Establish Your peace in the hearts of those affected, calming the fears that arise in the aftermath of natural disaster. Sustain the rescuers and volunteers as they bring aid and comfort. Reveal Jesus to the communities as the Cornerstone upon which they can rebuild their lives and hopes. Let the church in Indonesia be a beacon of Your love and compassion, standing firm in unity and service. To You belong safety, healing, mercy, and everlasting dominion through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

AnewZ·Prayer·

Indian Governor Calls for ‘Conversion Prevention Cells’ in Colleges

The governor of the North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has directed all higher education universities in the state to establish “dharmantaran roktham cells,” or conversion-prevention cells, to address alleged unlawful religious conversion activities on campuses.

International Christian Concern (Persecution.org)··

Muslims Assault Sudanese Christian in Refugee Camp Church

A group of Muslims recently entered Drake Haron’s church inside the Gorom Refugee Camp in South Sudan and assaulted him. Haron has expected such violence since he left Islam to follow Jesus. The attack, which occurred on May 28, violated the sense of peace within the small…

International Christian Concern (Persecution.org)··

China: Detention of church leaders signals intensifying attacks on religious freedom

Responding to the detention of two Chinese Protestant church leaders and the interrogation by police of multiple members of the congregation during a service on Sunday, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director Sarah Brooks said: “The detention of church leaders from the…

Pray →Sovereign Lord, we lift up the detained church leaders and their congregations in China, where Your name is proclaimed under increasing scrutiny and pressure. You are the One who watches over Your people, and no scheme of man can thwart Your purposes. Strengthen these leaders in their resolve and faith, making them steadfast and immovable in the face of intimidation. Reveal Jesus to those who interrogate and detain, and let the light of Your truth shine into places of power and oppression. Guard the hearts of the believers in China, that they may be filled with courage and peace. Let the Gospel continue to spread across the land, breaking through every barrier. To You belong authority, righteousness, compassion, and glory forever through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Amnesty International·Prayer·