President Obama to Seek Congressional Approval for Military Intervention in Syria

Syrian Christians brace for strike, ask for prayer

By Jeremy Reynalds
Senior Correspondent for ASSIST News Service

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (ANS) -- President Obama said Saturday morning the U.S. is ready to strike, but he will seek congressional approval for military intervention in Syria.

Screen shot of a child who was seriously injured during the chemical weapons attack in Syria.

However, as Syrians brace for that possible U.S. attack, many of the county's Christians are praying for divine intervention.

According to a story by Gary Lane, CBN News senior international reporter, they say military action against the Assad regime will only bring them greater hardship and suffering and they're asking Christians worldwide to pray that God intervenes to bring peace to their nation. They believe the collective prayers of Christians around the world could reverse an escalating conflict.

CBN News talked by phone with a Syrian pastor who lives in the United States and travels regularly to Syria. He said he is in constant contact with Christians inside the country.

For security reasons, he asked CBN News not to give his name or show his face, not only to protect him, but other Syrian Christians from retribution by militant Islamists.

"The Christians are living in fear right now in Syria," he said. "We know what might happen and we see the consequence of such an action by the U.S. and NATO tha t will be the destruction for the Christians in the Middle East and specifically in Syria."

That's because they say any U.S. military attack will only strengthen Islamists who have already targeted Christians.

"Once NATO hits Syria, that means they're going to weaken the structure and the rule of the system of Syria is going to be destroyed and that means what's going to come next is the Sharia (Islamic) law, and the Sharia law is very much against the existence of Christianity in that part of the world," CBN News reported he said.

Islamists have already forced many Christians out of the country. Others have been murdered or kidnaped, and churches have been destroyed.

While many Syrian Christians feel President Obama has abandoned them, they know God has not.

"Obama, he could care less for the Christians in Syria and the Christians around the world," the pastor said. "We know God has given promises, that God is going to protect the Christian community in Syria and our trust is not in any powers -- not in the regime, not in the U.S. -- no one else. We are trusting God himself that He sees and He hears the cries of the Christians."

And that's why it's crucial, he says, that Christians pray for their Syrian brothers and sisters in Christ because it's more than a battle for the survival of the Syrian Church.

"This is a battle between Jesus Christ and the enemy himself, and what's happening to the Christians in the Middle East will happen eventually to many Christians around the world and specifically in the West," CBN News reported he said.

So Syrian Christians say pray, but they know the outcome is not in the hands of Bashar al-Assad or those who oppose him.

"God is not going to work for anyone's agenda," the pastor said. "God is going to work for His own agenda and the purpose of the growing of the Kingdom of God."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFXGo49Ae8o