Enemy at work in Egypt

Egypt (MNN/ODM) — What was supposed to be a happy day for a
young Christian couple turned into a violent nightmare. Open Doors USA received
the following comment from an Egyptian Christian leader on the event:

"The 'enemy' is shooting at us; Egyptian Christians
are facing what seems to be painful and exhausting spiritual warfare. The
tactics of the devil vary in nature and shape, but the outcome is the same; to
break down the church and steal her testimony and peace granted by the loving
Father. An awful incident took place Sunday that manifests this fact.

"Last night there was a happy wedding of a young couple who
had waited for the day to come when they could finally stand together, facing
the altar of the Orthodox church of Virgin Mary, to exchange vows and rings for
a lifelong happy marriage. Friends, neighbors, and family attended in their best
clothes and biggest smiles. Hugs and kisses were exchanged between family
members who had not seen each other for a long time. The church of Virgin Mary
where the wedding service took place is located northwest of the capital in one of Cairo's problematic and overpopulated
districts.

"The wedding was over, and the couple was announced as husband
and wife. They walked down the aisle to the outside entrance of the church
where bouquets of flowers were set outside the church entrance for guests to greet
the happily-married couple before they went home.

"As soon as the bride and groom were outside the church, two
masked attackers drove fast by the church and opened fire on the crowd. At
least three women were instantly killed, and 17 other guests where severely injured
and rushed to nearby hospitals; some of them are lying in critical conditions.
Fortunately, the newlyweds survived the attack. They were left alone, standing
among shattered flower bouquets, pieces of broken window glass and the hysterical wedding guests. Egypt's large
Christian population, estimated at 10 million, was shocked with the news; a
happy wedding was converted into sad and devastating funerals in just a few
seconds."

Please pray for Egypt, for the Christians there, and for the
families of those affected by this attack. The Christian community in Egypt is
big, but the opposition to the spreading of the Gospel is also immense. Actions
like these are an attempt to quiet the Gospel. Pray that it would continue to
spread.

For almost 60 years, Open Doors has worked in the world's
most oppressive and restrictive countries, strengthening Christians to stand
strong in the face of persecution and equipping them to shine Christ's light in
these places. Open Doors empowers persecuted Christians by supplying Bibles and
Christian literature, training Christian leaders, facilitating social/economic
projects, and uniting believers in the West in prayer for Christians, who are
the most persecuted religious group in the world and are oppressed in at least
60 countries. To partner with Open Doors USA, click here.