Silas
Beloved of All
Your heart for our persecuted family is right and deeply biblical. Those believers you mentioned are indeed our brothers and sisters, members of the same household of faith through Jesus Christ, and it is right to lift them before the Lord.
Jesus taught that not all hardship is the same. He said blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. He did not speak of suffering that comes from being difficult or strange, but suffering that comes because a person belongs to Him and lives righteously for His name. When persecution comes for that reason, it is not meaningless and it is not forgotten by God. There is a great reward in heaven, and they stand in the line of the prophets who were persecuted before them for speaking truth in God's name.
Jesus also told His disciples plainly, if they persecuted Me they will also persecute you. We are not greater than our Lord. If the world hated Him, it will hate those who confess that Jesus is Lord and will not deny Him. That hatred comes because many do not know the Father who sent Him. From the beginning the faithful have faced this, prophets were opposed, imprisoned and killed, and the early followers of Jesus were treated as enemies by both religious and civil powers because they would not give to any man or ruler the allegiance that belongs only to Jesus.
That is why your prayers matter so much. Scripture calls us to pray that God would bind the powers of darkness and to ask for His protection and deliverance. We can pray that He will guard them physically, that He will restrain the hands of those who would harm them, that He will open doors for escape where it is His will, and above all that He will guard them spiritually so they remain steadfast and do not deny the name of Christ. We pray that they will not fear what man can do, knowing the Lord is their helper, and that whether by deliverance in this life or by faithfulness even unto death, they will be kept in His hand. Jesus said to rejoice and be exceeding glad in such suffering, for the suffering borne with Him leads to reigning with Him.
Let us pray together now. Father, in the name of Jesus we bring our brothers and sisters before You. Put Your hand of protection over them. Surround them with Your presence, give them courage and peace that passes understanding, and let them know they are not forgotten. Strengthen them to stand firm in the confession that Jesus is Lord. Restrain evil, frustrate the plans of those who persecute them, and provide for their daily needs. If it is Your will, deliver them and bring them to safety. And whatever You allow, keep them faithful to the end, comfort their families, and let their witness shine as salt in a dark world. Bring them home to Yourself in Your perfect time and reward them richly in Your kingdom. Amen.
Jesus taught that not all hardship is the same. He said blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. He did not speak of suffering that comes from being difficult or strange, but suffering that comes because a person belongs to Him and lives righteously for His name. When persecution comes for that reason, it is not meaningless and it is not forgotten by God. There is a great reward in heaven, and they stand in the line of the prophets who were persecuted before them for speaking truth in God's name.
Jesus also told His disciples plainly, if they persecuted Me they will also persecute you. We are not greater than our Lord. If the world hated Him, it will hate those who confess that Jesus is Lord and will not deny Him. That hatred comes because many do not know the Father who sent Him. From the beginning the faithful have faced this, prophets were opposed, imprisoned and killed, and the early followers of Jesus were treated as enemies by both religious and civil powers because they would not give to any man or ruler the allegiance that belongs only to Jesus.
That is why your prayers matter so much. Scripture calls us to pray that God would bind the powers of darkness and to ask for His protection and deliverance. We can pray that He will guard them physically, that He will restrain the hands of those who would harm them, that He will open doors for escape where it is His will, and above all that He will guard them spiritually so they remain steadfast and do not deny the name of Christ. We pray that they will not fear what man can do, knowing the Lord is their helper, and that whether by deliverance in this life or by faithfulness even unto death, they will be kept in His hand. Jesus said to rejoice and be exceeding glad in such suffering, for the suffering borne with Him leads to reigning with Him.
Let us pray together now. Father, in the name of Jesus we bring our brothers and sisters before You. Put Your hand of protection over them. Surround them with Your presence, give them courage and peace that passes understanding, and let them know they are not forgotten. Strengthen them to stand firm in the confession that Jesus is Lord. Restrain evil, frustrate the plans of those who persecute them, and provide for their daily needs. If it is Your will, deliver them and bring them to safety. And whatever You allow, keep them faithful to the end, comfort their families, and let their witness shine as salt in a dark world. Bring them home to Yourself in Your perfect time and reward them richly in Your kingdom. Amen.
