No matter where the The Voice of the Martyrs ministers, the first request of Persecuted Christians is always the same:
"Pray for us"
You may be thinking how can I pray for people that I know so little about.
God's Word to us remains our best guide.
As you come to the Throne of Grace on behalf of the Persecuted Church, pray:
-That persecuted believers will stand firm in their faith. (1Peter 5:8-10)
-That they will not be fearful but trust God. (Rev. 2:10)
-That they will not seek to retaliate, but entrust themselves to Him who judges justly & seek to live in peace with everyone. (Rom 12:17-21, 1 Peter 2:23)
-That they will be enabled to rejoice, even in suffering. (1 Peter 4:12-13)
-That they will be able to love & forgive those who persecute them. (Matt. 5:43&44; Luke 23:34; Col. 3:13)
-That they will bless those who have persecuted them. (Romans 12:14,21)
-That they will keep their eyes on Jesus, persevere in their faith, & not grow weary or loose heart. (Heb. 10:32-39; Heb.12:1-3)
-That they will trust God to enable them to proclaim the Gospel even while suffering. (2 Tim.4:16-18)
-That they will rely on the Lord's strength & not on their own. (2 Cor. 1:8-9)
-That those who oppress Christians may experience repentance & salvation, just as Paul did. (Acts 9)
-For the provision of Bibles & other Christian literature to reach the most remote & needy areas where they are in the shortest supply. (Ps. 119-42-43)
-That those who suffer tremendous physical pain & trials will be delivered by the Lord from their agony. (2 Cor. 1:9-11)
-That the local leaders of the Persecuted Churches around the world would continue to faithfully fulfill their God given responsibilities. (1 Peter 5:1-4)
-That those of us who have religious freedom will understand what it means to suffer with other members of the worldwide church. (1Cor. 12:26)
-That we who have religious freedom would have the boldness & courage to speak out & seek to make changes in the name of the Lord, on behalf of persecuted believers. (Prov. 31:8-9)
-That we who have religious freedom would faithfully remember to pray for our Christian family worldwide who are in prison & suffering for their faith. (Heb. 13:3)
I hope that this will help you as you remember these brothers & sisters in the Lord who need much encouragement & prayer.
*the prayer list was taken from a VOM handout
Thanks for compiling this list. It is so good to be reminded of how the Word of God tells us to deal with persecution. I think that sometimes we would rather not think about those who are persecuted for their faith because we feel guilty and helpless. But we must never forget that God hears the cries of all of His people, when we pray.
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