persecuted christians
05 - 11/18 /12:32
Sunday 11/4 was the international day of prayer for the persecuted church. Sunday at Hope Community was a prayer service. No sermon. Lots of prayers—spoken and whispered. Concluding with Communion.
Video clips focused our prayers on a few of the many countries in which Christians face persecution. Pakistan—Christians are second-class citizens relegated to demeaning work. Nigeria—Boko Haram attacks Christians (remember #BringBackOurGirls). China—President Xi deems Christianity to be un-patriotic. North Korea—possessing a Bible gets you 15years in a labor camp.
Video clips focused our prayers on a few of the many countries in which Christians face persecution. Pakistan—Christians are second-class citizens relegated to demeaning work. Nigeria—Boko Haram attacks Christians (remember #BringBackOurGirls). China—President Xi deems Christianity to be un-patriotic. North Korea—possessing a Bible gets you 15years in a labor camp.
Prayer often seems like a little thing. We tend to pray only when real action is beyond us.
But according to Jesus, prayer is the big thing. Jesus did amazing things. Yet the twelve disciples asked Him to teach them only one thing: “Lord, teach us to pray.” Although crowds clamored to see Jesus, He often got away alone to pray. E.M. Bounds explained that prayer invites God in, giving Him space and time to work in one’s life and situation. Persecuted Christians repeatedly claim prayer is their life-source.
So we pray, because the least we can do is in reality the most we can do.
We seek to pray with an eternal perspective, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We struggle to trust our heavenly Father over our personal desires. Then, when possible, we put feet under our prayers, taking action to compliment our prayers. Sunday’s prayer service included an invitation: write a personal letter to a persecuted Christians. You can do this, learn how at www.opendoorsusa.org/letters.
And pray. ~
Blessings,
Dan Nygaard
But according to Jesus, prayer is the big thing. Jesus did amazing things. Yet the twelve disciples asked Him to teach them only one thing: “Lord, teach us to pray.” Although crowds clamored to see Jesus, He often got away alone to pray. E.M. Bounds explained that prayer invites God in, giving Him space and time to work in one’s life and situation. Persecuted Christians repeatedly claim prayer is their life-source.
So we pray, because the least we can do is in reality the most we can do.
We seek to pray with an eternal perspective, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We struggle to trust our heavenly Father over our personal desires. Then, when possible, we put feet under our prayers, taking action to compliment our prayers. Sunday’s prayer service included an invitation: write a personal letter to a persecuted Christians. You can do this, learn how at www.opendoorsusa.org/letters.
And pray. ~
Blessings,
Dan Nygaard