Call To Prayer For The Persecuted Church
On any given day, even though they may not make the
headlines, there are reports of people facing unfair treatment because they
have made a decision to follow Jesus. The
majority of people being persecuted for their faith live in regions of the
world where their rights and freedom of expression are either limited or not
adequately protected.
The mistreatment of followers of Christ not only subjects
them to mental and physical anguish – and possibly even martyrdom – but also
places them in the midst of a spiritual battlefield. The Tide encourages those who enjoy a greater
degree of freedom to identify with and support our brothers and sisters in
Christ around the globe who are being subjected to harsh, demeaning, and
violent actions.
In the physical realm we can advocate for our fellow
believers around the globe by petitioning the governing authorities to legislate
and enforce freedom of religion, provide unbiased protection for all people,
and to deal swiftly and justly with those who take the law into their own hands
and discriminate against Christians.
It is also crucial that we engage in this warfare on a
spiritual level through prayer. For this
reason November has been set aside as a month to pray specifically for the
persecuted church. The Tide is calling
on all Christians to make a commitment to actively and passionately pray for
Christians who are being persecuted for their faith. Ideally, spend the month of November
developing a habit of praying for those who do not have freedom of religion,
and then maintain that habit on an ongoing basis. You are also encouraged to promote the plight
of suffering believers by calling your church to a time of corporate prayer for
the persecuted Church. The Tide has made
available a short video that may be screened during a worship service and followed
by a time of prayer. Please pass this
information along to your pastor, worship leader, or prayer coordinator. Include in your prayer times ministries like
The Tide who are reaching out to people around the globe with the hope of
Jesus. Many who listen to the Gospel
through one of the Tide heart language radio programs write in to express how
hearing God’s word has given them the strength and encouragement they need to
stand firm in their faith under pressure.
The following are various issues you can prayerfully take before God’s
throne of grace;
- Pray that believers who are being persecuted will experience God’s hand of protection.
- Ask God to manifest His presence in the lives of those who are suffering because of their faith.
- Petition God to incline the hearts of secular leaders to legislate and mandate freedom of religion and protection for believers within their jurisdiction.
- Plead for the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of anti-Christian radicals and to turn their unbelief in to life transforming faith.
- Uphold The Tide ministry partners who live and minister in regions of the world where there lives are endangered because of their faith and active witness.
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