Worship Arts

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

Posted Tuesday, January 17,2012

By Pastor Glen Eickmeyer, Missions & Seniors
The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church is next Sunday November 6, 2011. The Scriptures say that in the body of Christ, if one suffers, we all suffer (1 Cor. 12:25, 26). The question we should ask ourselves is, “Are believers suffering today?”
 
To understand the bigger picture about suffering, persecution, and martyrdom, I contacted Michael Jaffarian, one of our FBC supported missionaries from Eugene and part of the team that produces OPERATION WORLD, a prayer guide for world evangelism. Michael accessed a website that tracks statistics related to persecution. He found that the number of believers being killed annually—because of their testimony for Jesus—is estimated to be 100,000.
 
How can this be true? One would think we would hear about such a large number! In answer to that question, we have to understand how this statistic is achieved. It is true that the media periodically highlights a hero who is martyred. From this media coverage, we might logically guess that a few hundred, or a thousand, Christians are martyred annually. But the reality is that many of those martyred are never mentioned in the media. Consider those who are killed as part of:
·       Ethnic cleansing (Example: the Karen People in Burma),
·       Ethnic wars (such as Sudan)
·       The many unheralded killings by family members of those who have converted to Christ. (Remember, in many places it is culturally, religiously, and/or legally impossible to convert to Christianity.)
 
If this many believers pay the ultimate price, contemplate how many more need our prayers as they suffer. Watch in the media this week for recognition of the persecution of believers. (For Example: In recent weeks, attacks against Christians in Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt have been reported in the R-G.) Search the internet for the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Let God sensitize your heart so you will be aware of the pain of our brothers and sisters in Christ. And most of all, pray for the believers that are persecuted.
 
Almighty God,
 
You have taught us through your Son,
Jesus Christ, that those who follow Him may be persecuted.
 
We pray for strength, comfort and encouragement for all those who suffer harassment, violence, imprisonment and even death for being followers of Jesus.
 
We pray for those who persecute Your people; may their hearts be turned towards You through the faithful witness of those they persecute.
 
Protect the members of the families and church communities of those who are persecuted.
 
Lord God, heavenly Father, give us the courage of the martyrs to bear witness, without flinching, to Your great love for us. Give us their confidence in the resurrection of Your Son, Jesus, and give us that same power and reassurance of the Holy Spirit as You give them, so that we too may fearlessly with them bring Your good news to a needy world.
 
In Jesus’ name—Amen