This article was written for Light A Candle by Burn USA Coordinator, Michael Coons. Burn is a global movement of 24/7 prayer and worship. To learn more or find a Burn furnace near you, visit Burn24-7.com

HOW TO PRAY FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH

In the Bible, persecution is guaranteed for believers. In many parts of the world, the Church is being persecuted for their faith. They are imprisoned, beaten, and sometimes killed for their faith in Christ. For many in the western world, it is hard to comprehend the idea that this type of persecution happens. We are blessed to live in nations that allow us to exercise our faith freely.

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”


Matthew 5:11-12

The Temptation to Ignore

When we hear about the persecution of believers it is easy to respond by burying our heads in the sand to the issue altogether. Our culture has become a “scrolling culture.” When an issue comes up we may respond for a short time but we quickly scroll to the next post. For the persecuted church, there is no scrolling, there is no ignoring the issue. For the persecuted church, this is their day to day life and their honor to bring the gospel to the darkest and hardest places.

How Can I Respond?

So what do we do? Some consider it a daunting task to even begin to pray for those who are being persecuted. We can respond by being paralyzed with shock, ignore and scroll past, or we can respond through prayer and action. 

Teach Us To Pray, Lord

Prayer is more than saying pretty words that go up, hit the ceiling, and fall back down. Prayer has the power to change circumstances, and to bring the light to the darkness. It can be daunting to even begin to pray for our brothers and sisters who are being persecuted. So how do we respond in prayer?

  1. Pray for protection for the underground church in countries where persecution happens. “Lord close the eyes of those who wish to harm your children. Send people of peace to them, who can offer protection from those who are persecuting your church."
  2. Pray for wisdom, favor, and open doors. “Lord open doors that no one can close. Thank you, God, that if we lack wisdom we can ask for it and You give it to us. Provide the wisdom to move when you say move, to stay when you say stay, to speak when you say speak."
  3. Pray for endurance. “Lord give your church clear vision and endurance to continue their call!”
  4. Pray for boldness. "Thank you, Jesus. for the boldness it takes to bring your Gospel of peace to the world. We ask that you would give your church abroad and here at home the boldness to continue the Great Commission in the face of persecution."
  5. Pray Scripture! There is nothing more powerful than praying the words of God Himself. Speak and declare the Living Word of God!

Is Prayer Effective?

Yes! We know our prayers create change. We know our prayers are to God in Heaven who knows our name (Ps 91:14). We know that Jesus intercedes for us (Romans 8:34). We know we are told to approach His throne with boldness (Hebrews 4:16) and that God hears our prayers (Ps 34:17). Prayer is not a ritual. Prayer is a weapon. 


If you are like me, prayer is a HUGE part of your life. We love to sit at the feet of Jesus and worship. We love to minister to His heart. We love to behold the Father. And if you are like me, these types of prayers always create in me a call to action. We love to sit at the feet of Jesus, but we are called to BE the hands and feet of Jesus to the world. We love to behold Jesus, but we need to also become LIKE the One we behold. So this brings up a question of “how do we respond with action?”

PRAYER + ACTION


  1. Support organizations like Light A Candle. You can support financially by donating or raising money for projects that are directly helping the Persecuted Church. You can support missionaries who are ministering to and are part of the persecuted Church.
  2. You can go! Pray about where and how the Lord will send you to the nations.
  3. Do not bury your head in the sand. Stay informed with the needs of our brothers and sisters. Spread the word. Share informational posts and blogs to make others aware of the plight our brothers and sisters face around the world.


Prayers can and will change situations, maybe the Lord is calling you to be the answer to your prayers. Let's stay in constant prayer for our brothers and sisters in the persecuted Church, be ready to act when needed, and bring the light of Jesus to the darkest places!

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