Day 5

Persecuted Christians

Scripture

¹⁸ “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.²⁰ Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.

John 15:18-20

Have you or anyone you know ever been mistreated for your Christian belief? In many parts of the world Christians are persecuted and treated as second class citizens. Recently in China there has been an upsurge of state sponsored hatred towards Christian minorities. That’s just one example. We are called to pray and do whatever we can for our brothers and sisters facing persecution including the risk of death for being followers of Jesus.

Prayer Points

• Praise God for the decimation of ISIS the Islamic terror group
  
• Pray for strength and God’s comfort and deliverance for persecuted believers in Cambodia, Sri Lanka, China, Nigeria and any other country that comes to mind. Make your own long list.
  
• Pray for oppressed Christian minorities in Muslim majority nations like Pakistan and Afghanistan (add as many nations as come to mind)

Sample Prayer

Lord of Heaven and Earth,

I thank you for the privilege of being able to worship freely in a country without the risk of being arrested or thrown in jail for being a follower of Jesus. Even though there are difficulties here and there for Christians it pales in comparison to what those in many other countries where your name is hated are going through.

Today I pray for strength and perseverance for persecuted believers who have and are being harassed for their faith all over the world. I pray for the nation of _____________________ I pray for comfort for those who are currently jailed on false charges. I pray for your peace for all those living in fear. I ask for divine wisdom, the wisdom that supersedes the wickedness of the oppressor for the leadership of the church in China, Iran, Saudi Arabia ______________________. Let your heavens open over these nations Christian community.

I thank You, Lord, for the grace to pray today as I ask all these things through Jesus’ mighty name.

Feel free if you have the time to substitute different nations where the name of Christ is persecuted in the gap

Please don’t forget to repeat at or before bedtime