A Prayer for the Persecuted Church - GOD AT WORK IN THE WORLD

In our last podcast-post, Why Pray for Persecuted Christians? 7 Reasons Our Prayers Make A Powerful, Global Impact, we explored: 1. God’s Word Commands Us To Pray 2. Prayer Strengthens our Brothers & Sisters in Faith 3. Intercession Invites God's Power & Presence in the Midst of Any Battle 4. Prayer Unites Us with the Global Body of Christ in Love 5. Prayer for the Persecuted Awakens Us to the Cost of Discipleship 6. Those Risking It All to Follow Christ Simply Seek Prayer 7. Prayer Builds the Kingdom and Glorifies GodI prayed that God would powerfully use this podcast-post to inspire you to pray and cultivate a rich prayer life with the Lord. If you’re interested in listening in or exploring the potent, global impact of our prayers, click one of the links below for the post, Apple podcast, or Spotify, whatever you prefer. Apple podcasts link: Spotify link: Now it’s time to intercede for our persecuted family in faith! I won’t say aloud all the Scripture references below in my spoken prayer, nevertheless, the Biblical inspiration for this prayer is listed throughout the prayer below. Feel free to explore these Scriptures further and use them in your faith-filled prayers!Intercession for the Persecuted ChurchFather in Heaven,You are the Sovereign Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth, the Defender of the weak. You are the Strength of all who trust in You. We come before You with reverence and awe, to intercede for our brothers and sisters around the world who are suffering for the sake of Your Son, Jesus. Thank You for these beloved ones who have been counted worthy to suffer for Christ’s sake (Acts 5:41).Lord, may we remember those in prison as if we were in prison with them, and those who are mistreated as if we ourselves were suffering (Hebrews 13:3).Strengthen the hearts of Your children who are enduring trials, persecution, and tribulation for the sake of the Gospel. Uphold them with Your righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10). Clothe them in Your peace that surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:7) and pour out upon them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ (Ephesians 1:17–18).Grant them boldness to proclaim Your Word as Paul prayed in chains, that they may fearlessly make known the mystery of the Gospel (Ephesians 6:19–20). Let Your Word speed ahead and be honored through and among Your sons and daughters (2 Thessalonians 3:1).Father, remind them to stay equipped with the full armor of God that You have given them so they may be able to stand firm in the face of opposition and evil—the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, as for shoes the readiness given by the Gospel of peace, the shield of faith to extinguish all the fiery arrows of the evil one, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is Your Word (Ephesians 6:10–17). May they stand firm, having done all to stand firm by the power of Your abiding Spirit.Let them not grow weary in doing good (Galatians 6:9), for in due season, in time, they will reap if they do not give up. Thank You for that promise, Lord.Empower them to run the race set before them with endurance, fixing their eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:1–2). May they consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that they will not grow weary or lose heart.May Your joy be their strength (Nehemiah 8:10), and by Your life-giving Spirit of truth, may they count it all joy when they face various trials, knowing that the testing of their faith produces endurance, and endurance must have it’s full effect so that they may be mature and complete, lacking nothing (James 1:2–4).Almighty King of kings, guard them from the evil one (2 Thessalonians 3:3). Lead them away from temptation and deliver them from evil (Matthew 6:13). Lord Jesus, as You prayed for Peter and sustained him despite the enemy’s schemes (Luke 22:31–32), do not allow the defeated deceiver to sift them like wheat—strengthen the faith and bold resilience of Your beloved ones facing adversity. Set Your angels around them to minister and protect them, for You command Your angels concerning them to guard them in all their ways (Psalm 91:11).Help them abide in Christ, the True Vine (John 15:4–5). May they bear much fruit that brings You glory and shows what Your like to the world living in darkness, including their persecutors. May they feast daily from the Bread of Life (John 6:35) and drink deeply from the Living Water that only Christ gives (John 4:14). Be their portion, their sustainer, and their satisfaction.Lamb of God, Good Shepherd, may Your sheep be faithful even unto death, knowing You will give them the crown of life (Revelation 2:10). Fill their hearts with hope as they overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony (Revelation 12:11).Caring Comforter, comfort those who mourn, strengthen those whose families have been torn apart, and bring healing where there is trauma and deep pain. Lord, we remember Your promise to be near to the brokenhearted and to save those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). May our persecuted brothers and sisters experience the fellowship of Your sufferings and the power of Your resurrection (Philippians 3:10).Lord of the Harvest, raise up laborers to work the harvest fields and multiply the Church under persecution. As it was in the book of Acts, may persecution lead to the bold and international spread of the Gospel (Acts 8:1–4). By Your grace, add to their number those who are being saved day after day (Acts 2:47). Raise up faithful shepherds who will shepherd Your flock in truth, and raise up disciples who will go and make more disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19–20).We pray for entire households to come to Christ through the testimony of the persecuted. Giver of every good and every perfect gift, we ask for visions, dreams, and signs pointing to Jesus Christ our Savior and confirming the Word of the Lord (Acts 2:17–21, Mark 16:20). Turn the hearts of enemies into brothers, just as You did with Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9:1–22). May prisons become places of praise, just as Paul and Silas sung Your praises while in chains (Acts 16:25–26).Lord, awaken us who are living comfortably or seeking comfort in the things of this world. May the courage of our afflicted family in Christ inspire our faith-filled obedience and response. May their sacrifice prompt us to pray and praise You for who You are and what You have done. May their testimonies ignite our faith and hunger to know Jesus intimately and make Him known. May we not forget the persecuted risking it all to follow Christ but bear their burdens in prayer, in giving, and in love.Jesus, You are worthy of it all—every sacrifice, every tear, every risk, every loss. Let Your name be exalted above all names. May Your Kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).Lord Jesus, do what only You can do, in and through us, Your Bride. Until You come again, keep Your persecuted children faithful, fruitful, and full of joy and satisfaction in You. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, our Savior, our coming King, we pray. Amen.I pray that God would powerfully use this post to inspire you to keep praying and cultivating a rich prayer life with the Lord. Thank you for being apart of this LIFE ON MISSION community. I am so glad you’re here and trust you are continuing to cultivate a faith-filled, God-fearing, Christ-centered perspective and lifestyle with Jesus.If you were blessed by this LIFE ON MISSION with TANNER KLEIN post and encouraged to pray, please share it with a friend. Spread the word. We need to pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters and we get to partner with GOD AT WORK IN THE WORLD through prayer! As a reminder, this LIFE ON MISSION with TANNER KLEIN podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Click these links listed above to listen or copy them to share with a friend, family member, neighbor, or colleague. May our great God bless you and inspire you to ask, seek, knock, and keep praying! Get full access to LIFE ON MISSION with TANNER KLEIN at lifeonmissiontannerklein.substack.com/subscribe