“peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to god for him by the...
TRANSCRIPT
“Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant
prayer was offered to God for him by the church.”
Acts 12:5
Then he said to me, ‘Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your
heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words
were heard; and I have come because of your words.’” Daniel 10:12
The Power of Intercession
The Reason for Intercession
“Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is,
because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”
Romans 8:27
Although some Christians think of the Persecuted Church as being in a distant part of the
world, far from their own realm of experience, the truth is,
We Are One.
The Christian Church is not divided into Persecuted and Non-Persecuted. “If one part
suffers, every part suffers with it…” 1 Corinthians 12:26
Many Christians are persecuted in these ways:
Serious social pressure against converting to Christianity
—and persistent discrimination against those who become Christians.
In some countries, new Christians are rejected by their loved ones and are
forced to find new homes and new jobs.
Rejection by family and friends.
Repression from authorities.
Authorities repress Christians through laws restricting religions, arrests and
imprisonment of church leaders.
Violent attacks against Christians.
Sometimes antagonism to Christianity explodes into violence. For instance, in
mid-April this year, four Christians working with a Christian bookstore in
Turkey were brutally tortured and killed.
Opposition and intimidation from other religions.
In parts of the world where Christianity is a minority religion, members of majority religion
groups often put pressure on Christians to convert to their religion, or to keep quiet about
their faith and not evangelize.
Please remember our persecuted sisters and brothers in prayer. Pray for wisdom for Christians in many
countries, as they minister under repressive conditions. Pray that they will rely on the Spirit of God for guidance.
Pray for true religious freedom in all countries of the world, and
government recognition of more churches.
Pray for greater co-operation and unity to replace mistrust
among Christians and denominations in some
countries.
Ask the Lord to raise up bold and godly leaders around the world to
guide the church in His steps. Pray for growth in maturity of indigenous
pastoral leadership, and depth and anointing in the preaching of the
Word.
Pray that those who turn to Christ will stay firm in their faith despite
opposition from family, friends and others. Pray that family and
friends will also encounter Christ in a personal way.
Pray that Christians will be united and courageous in the
face of widespread and localized persecution.