A Call to Pray for Persecuted Christians
Every year on the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, millions of Christians join their voices worldwide in prayer for those persecuted for the sake of the Good News. Across the globe, brothers and sisters live each day courageously for Christ at great personal cost.
One particular group facing persecution today is Bible translators who live and work in areas where Christianity is violently opposed and Bibles are illegal.
Take a moment to pause and reflect on the sacrifices made by the heroes of Bible translation.
3 Steps toward Gratitude and Prayer
1. Reflect on God’s goodness in your life.
Most likely you’ve experienced your share of hardship, but for a moment, lay that aside to meditate on all that God has given you. Perhaps you can thank him for:
- health
- provision
- religious freedom
- community
- skills and talents
- strength for today
The list goes on. Praise him through worship, or consider writing a gratitude list.
2. Thank God for access to Scripture.
Where would we be without the hope of Scripture? In our abundance of biblical resources, we can forget how precious this gift is. It’s not a chore; it’s a privilege. Scripture gives us hope, peace, and strength.
Spend some time reading your Bible today. Try posting notes of Scripture in areas of your home to develop a practice of seeing and finding joy in the hope of God’s Word.
3. Pray for the persecuted and the Bibleless.
A billion people don’t have the Bible in their language. Of those, 125 million don’t have a single verse of Scripture.
Christian brothers and sisters around the world face persecution because of their faith in Jesus. Would you take a moment to pray for them now?
Pray for:
- protection
- provision for the work of the local church
- open hearts to the gospel
- open doors for discipleship and building up of leaders
- community transformation through the work of the Holy Spirit
