Sunday, November 8, 2015

DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH - NOVEMBER 8 & EVERYDAY

Indonesian church torched by extremists (Open Doors photo)
Two days have been set aside recently for as International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church in 2015 - November 1 and November 8. As mentioned last Sunday, the main request of persecuted Christians is to "please pray for us". Most western Christians completely ignore their own lost neighbors and friends, to begin with, and therefore, have no thought for those who are under the gun or the desert sword of another religion.  

It is imperative that we go to the Scriptures for them in prayer and supplication today and for the rest of this week....not to mention everyday or as much as we can. Please read these short devotionals, at your convenience as to the importance. One in particular should be read above all (halfway down the web-page) called "DON'T STAND IN SILENCE". God will hold us accountable for our actions one day, one of this is the sin of omission, when the cost was just a prayer in the comfort of our homes.

To that effect, here are some more prayer points to add on to those supplied last week to consider and prayer for our persecuted brethren, around the world. 

CLICK HERE FOR THE VOICE OF THE MARTYRS PERSECUTION PRAYER ACTION POINTS.

1. That God would give them the right words and that they would fearlessly make Christ known. Here Paul tells how to pray for him when he was suffering for Christ in jail -- notice his prayer was not for release. Ephesians 6:19-20 "Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should." Colossians 4:2-4 "Devote yourselves to prayer... praying at the same time for us as well, that God may open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; in order that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak." 

2. That they will see God's grace as sufficient and God's power perfected in their weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) Many of the pastors, evangelists and workers who are beaten and imprisoned for their bold witness leave behind sons, daughters and spouses to fend for themselves. Pray for wives of those imprisoned. With the absence of the breadwinner, the responsibility for caring and feeding of the family falls on the wife. Sometimes the wife is also forced to provide for her husband in prison (often the case in Vietnam). If she is also arrested, then together they have to bear the anguish of leaving often quite young children to fend for themselves. Pray for them. 

3. That they would love Christ's appearing all the more. 2 Timothy 4:5-8 "I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing." Hebrews 11:35 "...others were tortured, not accepting their release, in order that they might obtain a better resurrection". 

4. That they will rejoice in sharing the sufferings of Jesus so that they will rejoice even more when Christ is revealed. Hebrews 10:34 "...accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and an abiding one." Matthew 5:12 "Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." I Peter 4:13 "but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation." 

5. That they will endure. Hebrews 10:36 "For you have need of endurance". Hebrews 5:8 "Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered." Pray for Christian work among refugees. Pray that as the refugees are led to Christ, they will be willing to return to their countries to take the Gospel back with them. 

6. That they will love Christ far more than life itself. Revelation 12:10-11 "they overcame (Satan) because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death." Philippians 1:21 "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." 
(Prayer points supplied by Voice of the Martyrs. Visit for more information)

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