Pray for the Persecuted Church

How do you pray for the persecuted Christians?
Brother Andrew: First, by identifying myself with the Persecuted Church. I want to be part of that; I want to feel their pain and feel their joy. The thing we have forgotten is that there is terrible pain -- the poverty and the discrimination and all the fathers in prison and the people blown up in churches. It happens in all these countries -- China, North Korea, Vietnam, Laos, India, and Pakistan -- and practically all the other countries from Indonesia to Morocco. I identify with them so the Lord can search me to pray for specific needs that come to my desk every day. Sometimes I cry, sometimes I don’t know how to pray. But I’m always saying, “Lord, I’m willing to go there.” source

For the third straight year, the isolated communist nation of North Korea remains atop the annual Open Doors International “World Watch List” of countries where Christians are persecuted.

“Christianity is observed as one of the greatest threats to the regime’s power,” the 2005 World Watch List report states. Exact figures are difficult to obtain, but it is believed that tens of thousands of Christians are currently suffering in North Korean prison camps, and at least 20 Christians were shot or beaten to death in 2004 while in detention.

“North Korea is the most repressive nation in the world…it certainly deserves its shameful ranking on the World Watch List,” says Open Doors USA President Dr. Carl Moeller. “It breaks my heart to hear some of the atrocities against our brothers and sisters there. The government will arrest not only a suspected dissident but also three generations of his family to root out the ‘bad’ influence. North Korea is suspected to detain more political and religious prisoners than any other country in the world.

“Yet we hear reports of how the church in North Korea continues to grow. Let’s continue to lift up the needs of our fellow believers in North Korea and in all the countries on the World Watch List.” Click here to open a Press Release (Word doc) about the current situation in North-Korea.

Join me and thousands of other Christians around the world in praying for the people of North-Korea and other countries where people are persecuted because of their religious beliefs and political convictions. The statues will topple, the walls will come down and peace and justice will come - because I believe that God will answer our prayers!

Soon Ok Lee is a North Korean refugee who was imprisoned and tortured for many years. She now lives in the USA and is the author of Eyes of the Tailless Animals (read more about this book on Soon Ok Lee's website). Not a pleasant read, but if you really want to know more about the plight of North Korean prisoners, this book tells you the horrible truth. You can order this book here. Soon Ok Lee asks Christians to pray for her country - so please set aside ten minutes to pray, preferably each week on a fixed time. Dutch link Open Doors

Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake. Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Before our eyes, make known among the nations that you avenge the outpoured blood of your servants. May the groans of the prisoners come before you; by the strength of your arm preserve those condemned to die. Psalm 79:9-11