I was thinking this morning of the blessed life we have living here in the West. However, did you know that while we live in comparative ease and comfort, that 200 million Christians across the world are currently suffering from some form of persecution? And did you know that over 100,000 Christians are murdered each year for their faith?
We dare not forget about these persecuted believers. I believe we have a responsibility to pray for them each day. If we were being persecuted, we would certainly like to know others were praying for us, wouldn't we?
As you gather your family together for Family Devotions each morning and evening, remind one another to pray for the persecuted church. Google "The Persecuted Believers" and find out true stories to share with your children to give them a heart to pray for families who are suffering.
Hebrews 13:3 says, "Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body." To understand it more simply the NLT translates it, "Remember those in prison, AS IF YOU WERE THERE YOURSELF. Remember also those being mistreated, AS IF YOU FELT THEIR PAIN IN YOUR OWN BODIES." That's pretty clear, isn't it?
In our home we use, Praying Through the 100 Gateway Cities of the 10/40 Window at our Family Devotions (you can order this through the Above Rubies website). It gives information of the most needy cities in the world and how to pray for them. It is most enlightening and we find it a wonderful help to us in praying. We pray for one city for a week before we go on to the next one. The children love praying for these cities too, and also learn about countries and cities they have never heard of.
Praying families shake the world.
Love from Nancy
COUNTRIES WHERE CHRISTIANS ARE PERSECUTED
Further to my post, FEEL THEIR PAIN, here are some of the countries where believers are being persecuted. Pray for them.
Afghanistan, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bhutan, Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Chiapas, Mexico, China, Colombia, Comoros, Cuba, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gaza, and the West Bank, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mindanao, Philippines (Colin and I lived in Mindanao when we were first married doing missionary work--there are many Christians in Mindanao, but also Muslim areas where there is persecution), Mauritania (we have just been praying at Family Devotions for Nouakchott in Mauritania with a population of 99.0% Muslim, this poverty stricken desert country with only 0.4% Christian), Morocco, Nepal, Nigeria, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tibet (China), Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Yemen.
Love from Nancy