Pray for the Persecuted

Elim Prayer Team

Imagine beginning the New Year enslaved in a brick factory or fearing violence or forced conversion because of your faith. Elim missionaries support persecuted Christians worldwide in situations like these – often facing huge threats themselves. Here, we share four of their stories.

“Around the globe there are people in situations where it’s extremely difficult to follow Jesus. We want to stand with them,” says Elim Prayer’s Sarah Whittleston. She was speaking on the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church as Elim gathered at Cardiff City Church to pray for the nations. First-hand testimonies shared there show what God is doing in countries where Christians face severe persecution. Here are four powerful stories.

ASIA

In this Asian country*, strict blasphemy laws severely restrict Christians. “When people express their faith,” says Elim’s international missions director Marty Davison, “there can be violence and threats against them. Many are so oppressed they end up in brick factories working in slavery. So when we pray, we’re praying that shackles will be broken not just spiritually but physically.”

Our leader in Asia’s story

“People accused of blasphemy are vulnerable to attack or murder by mobs. In 2023, as many as 200 houses and 20 churches were burnt. Christian girls are abducted, abused and forcefully converted to Islam. They are forced to marry Muslims. We see many such incidents each year.

“Occupations that are deemed low, dirty and degrading, such as cleaning sewers or making bricks, are reserved for Christians.

“I had to flee the country to save my life. Our churches are forced to close.

“Our people face injustice – a woman was refused an ambulance and lost her baby because she was a Christian. Christians are also vulnerable to being trapped in bonded labour because they don’t have national identity cards – they are soft targets for the masters of brick factories.

“Please pray for us; that the Holy Spirit would stir many hearts to see the truth of Jesus; for our protection, our churches, our schools, our safe homes and our clinic that serves not only Christians but Muslims as well.

“Also pray we could reach more Christian families who are trapped in slavery in brick factories, and that Christian people would find joy in their daily lives knowing they are loved by God and people around the world.”

Please pray:

• for safety, wisdom and boldness to keep shining in the darkest times
• that God will change the hearts of decision-makers regarding blasphemy laws
• that many will come to faith in Christ

WEST AFRICA

The Elim missionary who shared about West Africa is a prolific church planter who trains new Christians to share their faith. He shares Jesus’ love with his community through education, medical care and feeding programmes. “But his ultimate ambition is to share Jesus in a nation that’s extremely difficult to be a Christian in,” says Cardiff City Church’s Linda Murray.

Our missionary’s story

“I would like to ask you to pray for our brothers and sisters who are suffering because of their faith in Christ.

“Many are facing violence. Some are beaten up. Some have their assets seized. Some have been killed because they remain faithful to Christ.

“There are laws and regulations in place to squeeze our brothers and sisters. Please pray for them, that God may give them grace and resilience so they may carry on fully living their faith.

“Pray too, please, for our brothers and sisters who are persecuted, that God may give them the capacity to be a blessing to their persecutors, and that by the grace of God they may forgive them like Christ did on the cross.

“There are so many needs around people who are persecuted and denied basic rights like food and shelter. Please pray these needs may be met in the name of Jesus.”

Please pray:

• for the physical needs of our persecuted brothers and sisters
• for resilience and strength to continue living for Christ
• that God will give them the capacity to be a blessing to their persecutors

EAST AFRICA

Elim missionary “D” has been serving in East Africa since 2012 and for the past 11 years has been living in an oasis, deep in the heart of the Sahara Desert. “She’s got a vision to establish a house of prayer,” says Sarah, “but being a Christian in the oasis is not only dangerous, it’s inconvenient. Simply having a Christian name is enough to make the local bureaucracy slow down any application process.”

D’s story

“The Oasis is a totally unreached people group. It’s 100% Salafi Muslim and they’re very devout in their faith. They have their own language, traditions and culture that’s very different from the rest of the nation. There is no church here and no believers that we know of among the tribal people. There’s some native, nominal Christians who come to the oasis to work, but very few believers from the nation or foreign missionaries.

“Many have never seen a true Christian or follower of Jesus, so my heart is to have a house of prayer to intercede for these precious souls.

“The people here really don’t like Christians. They think we are unclean, that we don’t fast or pray and are immoral. There’s so much prejudice against us. Even within the local government office things that would take a week to complete can take a year or even years to finalise – just because you have a Christian name or they know you’re a believer.

“For me, it’s a massive privilege to live among them, to be immersed in the culture, accepted, to hear the struggles the women face and to do life with them – to be salt and light in this very dark place.

“But I can’t openly preach the gospel. It’s just more or less being one-to-one with people, building relationships, praying with them.

“I’ve had the privilege of praying for and sharing my testimony with many ladies. Many have been healed.

“My desire is to share God’s love and for them to receive it. But if they knew I wanted to build a house of prayer they would probably kill me or even burn the place down, they’re so passionate about their faith.

“Please pray for the salvation of the oasis – we long to see people saved and become followers of Jesus – and also for the house of prayer to be finished.”

Please pray:

• for the salvation of the oasis
• for the house of prayer to be finished
• for favour with the local authorities

MIDDLE EAST

Usama is from Qamishli in Syria and pastors the Good Shepherd Evangelical Church in Lebanon and Syria, whose three congregations include families from Muslim, Druze, Alawite, Kurdish, Arab, Syrian and Armenian backgrounds.

“Persecution in Syria is not just against Christians, but also the Druze and Alawite peoples,” says Sarah, who explains much of the violence, while not officially sanctioned, stems from the government since the fall of the Assad regime.

“Earlier this year, reality brutally hit home when we found out a church leader, pastor Khaled, was killed for his faith, along with eleven others.”

Usama’s story

“When I came to faith in Christ in 2004 I faced severe persecution from my family. They even kidnapped my wife, and in 2010 I was forced to flee with my family to Lebanon.

“What I went through is now being experienced by many in our church today.

“One of our staff, who’s Kurdish, has been a faithful believer for seven years, yet her unbelieving husband prevents her from attending services and pressures her either to renounce her faith or lose her children.

“This is the road we walk as we follow Christ; a road of suffering but also of hope and light. We hold firmly to God’s Word and declare He is alive among us.”

Please pray:

• for Druze, Alawite and Christian people fleeing persecution
• that believers will be able to hold firmly to God’s Word
• that the church will be a light to this area

This article first appeared in Direction Magazine. For further details, please click here.