INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH, 2021

I have collected memes of Scripture verses, but I noticed today one of the precious promises in Scripture is not included. That wonderful promise is 2 Timothy 3:12: "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." Why don't I see that posted all over the internet, or on bumper stickers, T-shirts, and refrigerator magnets?

It's interesting that my favorite holidays fall in October and November. Reformation Day. All Saints Day. My favorite, Thanksgiving. The World Series. My smart aleck side wants to add the politically incorrect holiday of Columbus Day just to irk the liberals. My birthday also falls in that time frame, but I don't know if I'd count it. But I will count the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, which falls on the first Sunday in November.Above I have a quote and photo of Rev. Richard Wurmbrand, Lutheran minister, prisoner in Romania for 14 years, author of several books including Tortured For Christ, and founder of the ministry originally called Jesus To The Communist World and is now known as Voice Of the Martyrs (VOM). He spoke at Southwestern College (now Arizona Christian University) in 1978, and I had the privilege of shaking his hand afterwards. How many handshakes would you consider unforgettable? For me, it's two. Wurmbrand was the first. (The second was Jack Greene, country singer who became a Christian). 

A while back, VOM had given a list of 10 ways to pray for our persecuted brethren. 

1. Pray that persecuted believers will sense God's presence (Hebrews 13:5).
2. Pray that they will feel connected to the greater Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:20, 26).
3. Pray that they will experience God's comfort when their family members are killed, injured or imprisoned for their witness (2 Corinthians 1:3-5).
4. Pray that they will have more opportunities to share the gospel (Colossians 4:3).
5. Pray for their boldness to make Christ known (Philippians 1:14).
6. Pray that they will forgive and love their persecutors (Matthew 5:44).
7. Pray that their ministry activities will remain undetected by authorities or others who wish to silence them (Acts 9:25).
8. Pray that they will rejoice in suffering (Acts 5:41).
9. Pray that they will be refreshed through God's Word and grow in their faith (Ephesians 6:17).
10. Pray that they will be strengthened through the prayers of fellow believers.

We need to remember that our society where we have religious liberty, where it is acceptable to be Christian is not normal. I'm in a men's Bible study where we're going through the book Getting To Know the Church Fathers: An Evangelical Introduction by Bryan Litfin. Most of the individuals suffered persecution, and some of that persecution was post-Constantine by "fellow believers." 

In Live Not By Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents, author Rod Dreher interviewed people who saw their countries turn Communist and each one said the same thing is happening here. Are we prepared for persecution? Is there any reason Christians in the past and present have died for their faith, but we don't have to worry about this?

Let's remember to pray for our persecuted family.