How To Help The Persecuted Church

A list of ways for us to faithfully pray and act to help the persecuted church.

Christian Persecution?

What comes to mind when you hear the word “persecution”? For many of us our thoughts immediately drift back to a tragic event in history such as the Jewish Holocaust or even further back to Emperor Nero’s persecution of the Christians in ancient Rome.

Whether we realize it or not we have been immensely blessed as a nation to live and worship freely. Very rarely do we hear of such tragedies occurring today. However, the sad reality is that just because we aren’t made aware of persecution doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist. Would it surprise you if I told you that in 2019 there were 245 million Christians persecuted throughout the world?

Christian persecution is at an all-time high.

The Statistic

Last year alone there were 4,136 Christians killed for their faith. This statistic equals 11 people every single day who were martyred for their simple decision to follow Christ. Believers throughout dozens of countries are repeatedly beaten, imprisoned, kid-napped, mocked, isolated, forced into unwanted marriages and sold into human trafficking. These are our brothers and sisters and they need our help. These men, women, and yes, even children are courageously living out their faith and boldly standing up for truth at the risk of their own lives. They are joyfully sharing the gospel with a lost and dying world as each of us is called to do.

What Can We Do To Help The Persecuted Church?

Pray

So what exactly can we do to help those in need? First and foremost we can pray. We often look to prayer as a last resort when it should be our first line of defense. We serve a mighty and gracious God who hears our prayers and is faithful to answer each and every one according to His will and in His perfect timing.

We can pray for protection and provision of these believers.

We can pray for their continued boldness and ability to forgive their oppressors. I have heard numerous stories of how persecutors themselves have come to Christ as a result of the undeserved kindness and forgiveness of their victims. It is astounding to read that where the persecution numbers are highest and the treatment is harshest is exactly where the truth and power of the gospel is flourishing. In these countries people are coming to Christ like at no other time in history.

We can pray for strength and comfort as they endure rejection from loved ones.

We can also pray that they will have joy and be encouraged to persevere until the end knowing that their reward in Heaven will be great.

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Act

I am so grateful for the ministries of Open Doors USA and The Voice Of The Martyrs who are the hands and feet of Christ in reaching out and ministering to our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. Through these organizations we can help those in need in multiple ways:

Send Bibles- Send a donation for Bibles to be delivered to believers without a copy of God’s Word, specifically into those countries where Christianity and Bibles are illegal.

Adopt  A Frontline Worker– VOM supports men and women who smuggle Bibles into hostile countries. You can sign up to be sent the name of a man or woman to pray for for the next 12 months.

Action Packs– Fill a bag with daily necessities such as clothes, hygiene items, bed sheets, towels etc. and a Bible. You can request an empty bag to fill yourself (a great way to get your children involved) and add a family photo or hand written note or send in a donation for VOM to fill.

Family Medical Packs– These packs are specifically for those affected by ISIS or Islamic extremists. Again you may fill your own medical pack (gauze, medical tape, bandages etc.) or sponsor one.

Write to a persecuted believer to offer them hope- Open Doors typically has several writing campaigns going on at any given time where you can write a letter to a brother or sister in chains or in need of encouragement.

Subscribe to VOM’s FREE monthly print magazine where you can learn more about these courageous believers and how to better pray for them. This publication has had a tremendous impact on me and challenged me numerous times in my faith. Reading about their lives, and pure Christ-like love and faithfulness, has had a way of opening my eyes to my own selfishness and neglect of sharing the gospel.

We Can Bring Hope

We are living in some dark days, and it is so easy to grow discouraged with the state of the world around us. However, it is in the darkness that our lights can shine brightest and bring hope to those who need it most. People are hungry for truth. May we do what we can to encourage, support, and lift up in prayer our persecuted family and faithfully go out and share the hope of Jesus with those around us before it’s too late.