When our Field Minister Aseel spends time with believers in Libya, we rarely gather in visible places. Most of our conversations happen behind closed doors, in quiet rooms where trust has been built carefully over time. These are not public expressions of faith. They are deeply personal, often costly, and shaped by the reality of living in a place where following Jesus carries risk.
Many of the Christians we serve in Libya did not grow up there. They arrived after leaving their home countries under pressure—some fleeing violence, others escaping rejection or threats after coming to faith. Libya became a place of transition, a stop along the way. For many, it has also become a place where their faith is tested again in new and difficult ways.
Living as a Believer Without Protection or Stability
In Libya, the believers we meet are often living without the kind of structure or protection that provides stability. Many are refugees, and their daily lives already carry uncertainty. Work is inconsistent. Housing can be temporary. Legal status is often unclear or unresolved.
When someone in that position chooses to follow Jesus, the pressure increases. A person who is already vulnerable becomes even more exposed. We have seen how quickly relationships can shift when faith is revealed. Conversations change. Trust erodes.
Persecution here is not always visible or organized in obvious ways. It often happens in personal spaces, where a person’s faith becomes known and is met with rejection, threats, or interrogation. In many cases, believers are reported, isolated, or harassed simply because they have chosen to follow Jesus.
For those who have already left their home country, this creates a deep sense of isolation. There is often no safe place to return to, and very few places to turn for help.
Beaten, Displaced, and Waiting for a Way Home
When we met Fatai, he was living with his wife and young son in our safe house after months of violence and displacement. He had come to Libya to provide for his family, and they had settled among other Christian families.
Early one morning, militants raided their building. They took valuables and arrested those inside. Fatai was detained for two weeks, accused falsely, and beaten nearly to death after identifying himself as a Christian. He suffered injuries to his head, hand, and leg, and was threatened at gunpoint before being forced to flee. Unable to run, he had to be carried as others escaped.
After reuniting with his wife, they moved from place to place, trying to survive. Work was inconsistent, and even when Fatai found short-term construction jobs, he was denied his wages and driven away. When they could no longer pay rent, they were evicted and forced to live in unfinished buildings with their baby.
A later construction job allowed them to stay on-site for a time, but that also ended when the employer refused to pay him and forced them to leave. After that, Field Minister Aseel was able to make contact with them and began to minister to them.
Today, Fatai, his wife, and their son are living in our safe house. They are expecting another child, and the family is fully dependent on support for daily needs. They are hoping to return to Nigeria, but the process requires documentation, travel arrangements, and provision—especially with a child on the way.
As we walk with them, we see both the weight of what they have endured and a steady reliance on God in the middle of it. They are waiting, trusting, and looking for a way forward.
Arrested, Beaten, and Pressured to Deny Christ
We met Yasir, a believer from Nigeria, after he had already endured more than most should ever face. He left behind his family and came to Libya searching for work and stability—like many others who cross into the country hoping for a better future. Instead, his faith became the reason he was targeted.
Yasir had come to know Jesus before arriving in Libya, and he held onto his faith quietly as he tried to build a life there. That changed when he was arrested by a militia group. They detained him, beat him, and forced him into labor. During his imprisonment, he was taken to a mosque and pressured to renounce Christ. Scared and isolated, he followed the Muslim prayer practices. This was a moment of survival in a situation where he had very little control.
That same day, he found a way to escape the mosque. A Libyan man helped drive him to a neighboring city, where he was able to reconnect with his Christian prayer group. When he returned, the leader of the group prayed with him and rededicated him to Christ.
When we connected with Yasir, he was trying to survive day by day. He had found work at a car wash, but the income was unstable and not enough to provide any real security. Like many believers we serve in Libya, he was free—but still vulnerable, still trying to find a way forward.
Our team stepped in to support his basic needs until he can regain consistent income, stability and ultimately independence.
For many persecuted Christians like Yasir, their story stops and starts, twists and turns. Though Yasir did what he needed to do to stay alive, he came back to faith and discovered the amazing grace of Jesus Christ.
Pressure That Comes From Within the Family
Not all persecution in Libya comes from authorities or outside groups. In many cases, the most immediate pressure comes from within the family.
We are walking with Heba, a young woman from Egypt who made the decision to follow Christ at great personal cost. She grew up in a strict Muslim family, where her life was shaped by deep religious commitment, including fasting, prayer, and wearing a niqab (a veil that covers most of the face in addition to the hijab, the head scarf). Her family expected her to remain fully devoted to Islam, and for most of her life, that is exactly how she lived.
After completing her studies abroad, Heba returned to Egypt and became engaged to a Christian convert. Through their relationship, she began asking questions she had never considered before. Their conversations led her to explore Christianity more deeply, and she spent time researching, reading, and listening to teachings as she tried to understand what she was discovering.
Soon, she made the decision to accept Christ as her Savior.
Her family quickly became aware of the change. They broke off her engagement, confined her to their home, and tried to force her back into Islamic practice. At one point, they took her to Mecca for Umrah, hoping it would bring her back to Islam. Instead, the experience strengthened her faith. She returned more certain than ever in her decision to follow Jesus.
As the pressure increased, her family attempted to arrange a marriage for her and sever her connection with her fiancé completely. When those efforts failed, Heba made the difficult decision to leave. She fled Egypt and traveled to Libya, where she was able to reunite with him.
Her family continues to search for her and has reported her to national authorities, not for protection, but to punish her for leaving her faith.
Now in Libya, Heba is beginning a new chapter. She is safe, but her situation remains fragile. She has limited income and is in need of consistent support for rent and daily living expenses. Even so, she is moving forward with a clear sense of conviction, holding onto her faith as she builds a future that is no longer defined by fear.
We are staying connected with her as she settles into this new season, helping ensure she has what she needs while she continues to walk in the decision she has made to follow Christ.
Why We Stay and Continue This Work
The believers we serve in Libya remind us that faith can grow even in unstable and uncertain places. Their lives are marked by displacement, pressure, and loss, yet they continue to follow Jesus with courage and persistence.
Our role is to come alongside them in practical and personal ways. Sometimes that means helping someone reach safety.
Sometimes it means walking with them as they rebuild their lives. Other times, it means providing the support they need to remain steady in their faith when the pressure around them intensifies.
This work requires patience, discretion, and a deep reliance on God’s guidance. Each situation is different, but the need is consistent. There are believers in Libya who are holding onto their faith quietly, often without recognition, and they need to know they are not alone.
How You Can Pray
- Pray for believers in Libya who are living without stability, that God would provide safe housing, consistent work, and daily provision.
- Pray for those who have fled persecution and are facing it again, that they would experience God's protection and peace.
- Pray for believers like Yasir, who are living carefully and quietly, that God would guard their steps and surround them with His presence.
- Pray for those facing pressure from family members, like Heba, that they would have wisdom, strength, and courage to remain faithful.
- Pray for families as they rebuild, that God would establish their work and provide for every need.
Believers in Libya are not asking to be seen. They are asking to be remembered.
When you join our Prayer Network, you stand with them in a real and meaningful way. You bring their needs before the Lord and become part of the support that sustains them.