Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 

1 Peter 5:9-10

These verses from 1 Peter have been a source of warning and reminder to the church throughout history. And they remain intensely applicable as we survey the current landscape of the world and the increased persecution Christians are facing at this hour.

In Africa and Asia, there has been a marked uptick of intense persecution unleashed on Christian villages and churches. Fires, mass shootings, beatings, and imprisonment are just a few of the horrific atrocities the body of Jesus is facing at this hour. Our brothers and sisters are crying out for the worldwide church to bring attention to these horrors.  We must also pray for them, not forgetting them in their hour of suffering.

Persecution Around the World

It is essential for us to keep these stories front of mind in prayer. However, we should also look for ways to support and help those in the body who are suffering for the Gospel of Jesus. Here are a few recent stories from the news of persecution of Christians around the world:

• In Nigeria, Christians are seeing their villages burned by Funi herdsman and Boko Haram extremists. The latest numbers say that more than 6,000 Christians, mainly women and children, have been killed since January. The Christian Association of Nigeria called it, “Pure genocide,” and asked the Nigerian government to step in and aid these villages and churches. Open Doors International says that Christians are intentionally targeted and plead for churches and governments to intervene before the situation evolves into full-blown genocide.
• Nepalese Christians are facing increased persecution under Nepal’s mostly Hindu government officials. Due to recently passed anti-conversion laws, there are reports of missionaries being deported for evangelizing Hindus. In mid-July, a pastor was severely beaten for merely being a Christian. His attackers told him they would, “… blast your church and all the churches with bombs and shoot you and all your leaders.” Many pastors and missionaries also face frequent imprisonment for their faith and very little hope for justice in the court system.
• In India, the president and local politicians in Hyderabad attacked the local village church. They hired a bulldozer to raze the church to the ground on July 14, because the church would not adopt Hindu beliefs in Vishnu. The church was attended by more than 100 people weekly, and they are now trying to meet in houses of congregants.

These are only a few of the hundreds of stories highlighting the persecution of the Christian church around the world. As we read these stories, may we be moved by the plight of men and women who boldly and bravely stand firm in their faith. They do not deny Jesus in the darkest moments of life.

Ways To Pray

As our hearts are moved, we cannot forget to pray and support those who are giving up so much for the Gospel. Here are a few ways you can pray for the persecuted church.

• Pray for boldness, endurance, and faithfulness. For many, the threat of jail, beatings, and death hangs over them constantly. Pray that the Holy Spirit would fill them with boldness to speak the truth. We pray for endurance in the midst of their profound suffering and that they would remain faithful to Jesus.
• Pray for governments, jailers, and communities. While whole governments might not convert to Jesus, pray for those whose hearts are soft toward the Gospel. Pray that jailers or those in communities who join mobs to persecute Christians will see the very person of Jesus in the responses of Christians. Pray that their hearts would turn and that they would give their lives to Him.
• Pray that we would not forget them. Often in the Western world, it’s easy to be consumed with our own country’s problems, or our own lives. Pray that the Holy Spirit would keep our brothers and sisters on your heart and minds. Stay updated on what’s happening around the world regarding persecution and educate yourself on how you can support the persecuted church.

Open Eyes hears countless stories of persecution from our Mobile Messengers and pastor friends. As we press into communities where Jesus has called us, we would ask for prayer as well. That Jesus would raise up laborers because, despite intense persecution, churches in Africa and Asia are growing. Jesus is showing up in powerful, beautiful ways and drawing people from all walks of life to Himself. We pray that we would play our part in the acceleration of the Gospel straight into these persecuted areas, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.