Devotional Helps - The Persecuted Church
Faith Church of the Nazarene
Our Church Can Be Your Home
Did you know...
In 2005, there were 1,958 Christians arrested in China.
The Communicator, Sept. 2006

Praying for the Persecuted Church

1.  Pray for a country in which Christians are persecuted.  Learn more about the country.  Ask for God to change the hearts of the leaders!  See www.persecution.com for more information on countries where Christians are persecuted.

2.  Encourage your church or prayer group to adopt a country, praying for the persecuted Christians of that country.

3.  Pray for Christians suffering persecution at the hands of their own family.

4.  Imagine that you are in that country.  What would you be facing:  starvation, watching your children starve, fleeing as refugees or victims of war?  How would you want someone to pray for you in that situation?

5.  Pray for the church in that country, which may be "underground."  Pray for its leaders and pastors (usually the first ones arrested and tortured).  Pray for each believer to grow spiritually.  Ask God to provide Bibles for them and ask the Holy Spirit to help them understand God's truth.

6.  Pray for the physical needs of the persecuted Christians.  By the way, persecuted Christian do not ask for relief, they ask for strength to be faithful!  What a challenge that is to us who are living in freedom and comfort!


Adapted from Mission Connection, Oct-Dec 2003, pp 1,3. Used by permission.
Prayers of the Persecuted

How do those who are being persecuted pray?

1.  They thank God for their persecution.  They know God is working and that their enemies know it!

2.  They thank God for the growth of the church.  As Tertullian said, "The blood of martyrs is the seed of the church."

3.  They ask for God to be with them, giving them strength in persecution.

4.  They pray for fellow believers and family members to be strong also and for God to provide for their needs if they are taken from their families.

5.  They pray for their persecutors to be saved!

6.  They pray for you to be strong in your faith when you aren't being persecuted and that you would remember to pray for them.