Day 4: Persecuted Church

30 Days of Prayer for Global Awakening

Verses for contemplation: Matthew 10:16-42

• 70 Christians were beheaded inside a Protestant church in Kasanga village, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), by Muslim extremists from the Allied Democratic Forces on February 13.
• Hindu mobs barged into two homes in Uttar Pradesh, India, where Christians were praying on Sunday, February 23. Police confiscated Bibles and arrested nine Christians for defaming the Hindu religion and its gods.
• Five leaders from Shengjia house church in Guangdong, China, were sentenced to prison January 17 for the illegal publication of daily Bible readings.
• Islamic extremists stabbed and beat Christians who led an elderly Muslim widow to faith in Christ in Kiwanga village, eastern Uganda, on February 15.
• A Muslim man abducted an 18-year-old Christian girl in Lahore, Pakistan, forcing her to convert to Islam and marry him. She escaped January 16 but is still in danger.

2 Timothy 3:12 promises that all who seek to live a godly life will be persecuted. Above are just a few of this year’s headlines so far. In many countries, even those who have not yet chosen Christ suffer beatings and imprisonment just for asking questions about Jesus.

In fact, last year more than 380,000,000 Christians worldwide faced high levels of persecution and discrimination. That’s one in seven! In addition,

• 4,476 Christians were murdered for their faith.
• 7,679 churches and Christian properties were attacked.
• 4,744 Christians were detained.

In the map below, red indicates countries where Christians face great danger, while the yellow triangles show nations with the highest persecution levels:

Some of the ways Christians are persecuted:

• Religious extremists — usually Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists, but also some indigenous religions — often attack Christians through
  • Terrorism, violence, murder
  • Burning of homes, churches
  • Abduction
  • Rape
  • Forced marriages (especially to Muslims)
  • Forced teaching and conversion of children (usually to Islam)
• Oppressive governments (usually in Communist, Muslim or Hindu countries) often target Christians through
  • Surveillance, arrests, interrogations, harassement
  • Imprisonment, torture, execution
  • Withholding of needed provisions
  • Raiding and destruction of churches
  • Restrictions on Christian materials, gatherings or talking about Christ
• Drug cartels often target Christians for abductions and violent attacks, especially in areas where Christians are speaking out against them.

Prayer starter:

Father God, please have mercy on Your precious children. So many thousands will face persecution and even death this year because of their faith in You. Fight for them. Cover them. Shield them. Guide them. Empower them to speak Your words in the face of opposition. To forgive. To love. To share the gospel. To stand strong in their faith. To show their persecutors who You truly are. Surround them with your angel armies. Stand in the way of enemy attacks. Guard your people so fiercely those who mean them harm will see your angel armies, tremble with fear and repent. Turn every instance of persecution into a Saul-on-the-road-to-Damascus event (Acts 9), where those bent on evil come face-to-face with Truth Himself and are transformed forever. No matter how terrible the circumstances Your faithful followers face, we know You are still in control. You are working something good out of it all, and our eternal rewards far outweigh our suffering. Comfort us with Your love. Strengthen our faith. Remind us of scriptures to help us overcome. Protect family members from any harm, and give us Your instructions for every situation. For those who are trapped, imprisoned or in danger, please rescue them. Make the way for their escape. Be near to us in our time of need, Lord. Hide believers and churches from those who seek to do harm, but expose them to seekers and Christians who long to know You more. Safely place Christians in contact with one another, especially those who are isolated. Awaken persecutors to Your mercy and salvation. May Your kingdom come to all the Earth! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Parallel Prayer: Our 30 Days of Prayer for Global Awakening coincide with Ramadan. March 1-30, Muslims throughout the world will be fasting and seeking God. Let’s pray they find Him!

Lord, today we want to ask You for those Muslims who have converted to Christianity and are in terrible danger, and also Muslim seekers who have been beaten, arrested, or otherwise persecuted just for asking questions about Jesus on social media or in other ways. Please rescue them. Be a Shield around them and keep them and their families from harm. Speak loudly through them as they give a defense for the gospel to those who want to end their lives. Move the hearts of those who hear, and turn them to faith. Get their testimony out to the public, making it run like wildfire, so all will hear of their courage and of Your love and grace. Draw thousands of Muslims to faith this year precisely because Christians have been persecuted. For ever Christian persecuted by Muslims, we ask You, Lord, for 1,000 adherents to Islam to come to faith in Christ. Don’t stop planting the seeds of Truth in Muslim hearts. Don’t stop pursuing them. Flood them with Your kindness that leads to repentance, so they can know the true joy, peace, and purpose they were created for. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Dinner and a Prayer: Each day during these 30 days, we will share with you ideas for special family prayer times, including a suggested menu to go with that day’s prayer theme. Today’s suggestions:

Pick one or more countries where Christians are persecuted, and search out recipes online to cook for dinner. You can also invite your children to do research on these nations and prepare to share at dinner what they found. Talk about barriers to the gospel, and then pray together for persecuted Christians. Menu ideas: Indian chicken curry, gorraasa (Sudanese flatbread), Persian eggplant dip (kashk-e-bademjan), sheer korma (Pakistani pudding)

As you research today’s topic for prayer, try typing a word, such as a country name, “persecuted Christians,” or something else here in our search engine below and see where God leads you.

Search

You can also go to Open Doors and Voice of the Martyrs to see where and how Christians are persecuted.

If you would like to plan ahead for international meals, see the “Dinner and a Prayer” section at the bottom of our 30 Days page or in the back of your 30 Days of Prayer for Global Awakening, Vol 2 book.

For suggestions on how to have an even fuller experience this coming month, check out our 30 Days and So You Think You Can’t Fast pages here at the Prayer Wall.

For A Strong and Courageous Life, Out You Go, Fear!, Dare to Be a Mighty Warrior and other books for all ages on overcoming adversity and living in the love, joy and peace that come from oneness with God, visit MoreThanAConquerorBooks.com

Mikaela Vincent and her husband are missionaries who live by faith, trusting in God to provide for their needs as they pray for and share Christ with the nations. If you would like to help their ministry through giving a donation, shopping at Mikaela’s online bookstore, praying for them or inviting them to speak at your church, retreat or other event, click the buttons below:

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