Bahrain - PTAP

Christians in Bahrain are asking us to pray for:

Pray for the royal family (Al Khalifa family), opposition leaders, and government officials, that political and economic differences could be worked out for the good of the people, resulting in less unrest, increased stability, and improved employment opportunities and business.
Pray for the handful of Bahraini believers to be filled with the Holy Spirit, that they would put the fear of God above the fear of man, fellowship and grow together, and tell others of the grace and love of God in Christ. Pray that the Lord would build a strong, vibrant, mature, local, Bahraini church. God has promised that the gates of hell will not prevail against it! (Matthew 16:18)
Pray for the expatriate churches (Indian, Filipino, Western, Arabic, etc.) to see why the Lord of the Harvest has brought expatriate believers to Bahrain, namely, to expand the kingdom of Christ without fear. Pray that they would reach out to their Bahraini neighbors and co-workers.
Pray for ways and means to bring additional expatriate believers to Bahrain who would pray for and facilitate the coming harvest of faith in Bahrain, that Bahrain may be a light to the rest of the Gulf.
Pray for institutions to be founded in Bahrain that would show how Christians work together while drawing unbelievers into fellowship with the Lord.
Thank the Lord for the freedom of Christian worship and ministry in Bahrain. May this freedom and vision spread over the causeways into neighboring countries like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
Bahrain grants citizenship to expats which is uncommon in the Arabian Peninsula. Many of these new citizens are from a Christian background (e.g. Egyptian Christians). Pray that the Lord would use these Christian citizens to impact the entire country for Christ and his kingdom.

Join us and thousands of other believers from around the world December 16th praying for Bahrain National Day.

Bahrain Country Information

Population: 1,200,000 (50% expatriates)

Religion: (2/3 Shi'ite, 1/3 Sunni among locals)

Language: Most locals speak Arabic, but 10-20% percent speak Farsi as their first language. Some locals prefer English, having attended Western-style schools and universities.

Believers from a Muslim Background: There are a number of local believers, some meeting with expatriate churches, but most are not in fellowship. Most are secret believers; many are in mixed marriages.

Bahrain means "two bodies of water": the salt water ocean surrounding the 30 plus islands is one body of water, and the other is the fresh water from underground rivers from Saudi Arabia that used to spring up in the various oases in Bahrain and even in the ocean offshore. Because of its location in the center of Gulf shipping, Bahrain has been cosmopolitan and free-thinking for centuries.

Bahrain was a British protectorate for 100 plus years before regaining its independence in 1971. In the 1890s, Samuel Zwemer and the Arabian/American Mission entered Bahrain building the first hospital and school in the Gulf.

Oil was first discovered in the Arabian Gulf in Bahrain, and Bahrain will be the first to run out of oil. Along with Oman, Bahrain is one of the relatively poorer Gulf countries with problems providing enough good jobs for its people. However, Bahrain has diversified from oil into banking, aluminum, and tourism. Bahrain has also been connected by a causeway to Eastern Saudi Arabia since 1986. Great numbers of Saudis along with Kuwaitis drive to Bahrain on weekends and holidays because of greater personal freedom.

Political unrest in Bahrain has re-emerged as a part of the “Arab Spring” in 2011. Many Bahrainis (including the majority Shi’ites) are frustrated by unemployment and the lack of political development over the last decade by the Sunni royal family and want the Prime Minister to step down.

Bahrain is an oasis of freedom compared to the other Gulf countries which are much more restrictive. As a Muslim country, open evangelism is not allowed, but Christians can worship and have a significant degree of freedom to serve God and the people in Bahrain.