For twenty years Nigerian Christians have suffered attack after attack, with little to no response from the largely Muslim government. Anti-Christian violence is often swept under the carpet. On 20 March community members had just finished their church worship when armed insurgents arrived with sophisticated weapons, an eyewitness told International Christian Concern. ‘Twenty-five people were killed and over 100 houses burnt down.’ He added that the evening attack occurred from 7 to 10 pm, without any intervention by the Nigerian army. The total number of casualties is yet to be released. ‘We are now hiding, our church and houses burnt; we are sleeping outside tonight’, said another eyewitness. Nigeria is one of the worst countries in the world for persecution. Due to violent terrorist groups and government indifference, tens of thousands have been killed and millions displaced.

Kyrgyzstan, a remote mountainous nation with a nomadic tribal culture, is one of the poorest former Soviet states. Life is hard and many have left to work elsewhere. Most Kyrgyz have returned to their pre-communist Islamic cultural identity. 93% are Sunni Muslims: 4% are Christians, including less than 1% evangelicals. Some churches worship openly, even in small towns, but being a Christian is difficult because of the Islamic culture. Christian converts are commonly beaten, and the small Christian minority is generally oppressed by society. For example, buses will not stop for those known as Christians in small communities, and believers have difficulty getting jobs and even buying goods. In some communities, Muslim leaders have denied the burial of deceased Christians. Bibles are more accessible in Kyrgyzstan than in other Central Asian nations and can be purchased at churches in larger cities, but they are expensive.

A recent survey by the Deseret News reveals a growing trend. Americans are becoming less attached to religious practices and institutions such as daily prayer and attending services. While the state of religion is continually changing, the study found that most Americans still hold core religious beliefs and draw moral guidance from their families and their faith traditions. 7 in 10 Americans believe the country would be better off if we prayed for each other, and most Americans say the Constitution was inspired by God. About 71% consider themselves spiritual, regardless of whether they practise religion or not. 40% attend church at least once or twice a month - a noticeable decline from 2011. Americans over 60 are the most likely to attend church services. 72% believe ‘the nation's moral compass is pointed in the wrong direction’.

For the last six years, Prayer Alert readers have often been asked to pray for Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, held in an Iranian jail on charges of plotting to overthrow the government. She was freed on 16 March, as was retired civil engineer Anoosheh Ashoori, and they have both been reunited with their families in the UK. Mr Ashoori had been detained in 2017 on spying charges and sentenced to ten years in prison. Another prisoner, Morad Tahbaz, has been released but must stay in Iran. As Nazanin walked down the plane's stairs seven-year-old Gabriella Radcliffe asked, ‘Is that Mummy?’ Mr Ashoori's daughter Elika spoke of her happiness at seeing her father, sharing a video of the pair's arrival. Their release came after the UK settled a debt to Iran of almost £400m dating from the 1970s. This news follows last week’s positive report of a landmark decision that nine Christians jailed for their faith should be freed from prison.