Prayer for those persecuted for their faith in Christ

As Christians, we can expect to be persecuted for our faith in Christ. We should not be surprised.

2 Timothy 3:12 (KJV)
Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

Today, many will die for their faith in Christ. Around the world, believers are daily giving their lives for their Savior Christ.

Please pray with me.

Father in heaven,


(From Psalm 18)
Lord, many are persecuted for their faith in Christ. Today, many will lose their lives. Children will watch as their parents are murdered. Parents will watch as their children are taken from them, or are killed on the spot.

Terror is the weapon of choice. Lord, help us pray diligently!

May the Body of Christ love Thee with all our strength. As terror closes in, may each heart be established with Christ as the Rock, the Fortress, as the Deliverer. May each persecuted person be strengthened, and find peace in putting their trust in You.

You are their Buckler, the Horn of their Salvation. Lord, You are their High Tower. Lift up each heart in the joy that You promise. Holy Spirit, fill them with promises from the riches in Your Word:

1 Peter 4:12-14 (KJV)
12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

May they truly rejoice in their heart as they offer their testimony of the saving grace of Jesus Christ. May their faithfulness be a sweet aroma before You. Holy Spirit, grant them presence of mind, and Christ-likeness to forgive their persecutors. May Your presence be their mainstay.

For their steadfastness:
Father, the sorrows of death compass about these people. Protect their hearts from fear. Ungodly men flood their minds and torture their bodies—hell envelopes them from every side. Focus their minds to call upon You and cry out knowing that You will hear their voice.

Fight their battles Father. All of heaven and earth beckon to Your voice. Did not the earth itself become formed at Your Word? Draw these treasured believers out of the waters. Deliver them from the enemy, from the day of their calamity. Be their stay.

Father, delight in these, Your servants who are steadfast for the cause of Christ. Shine brightly through them in this darkness of their life. Your way is perfect. You are a buckler to those who trust in You. You are their Rock. Save them Lord. Gird them with strength.

Teach them to war not against the powers of flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Eph. 6;12).

Give them the shield of thy salvation and uphold them by Thy right hand. Enlarge their steps that their feet not slip. Gird them with strength unto the battle and subdue those whom the enemy uses.

For their persecutors:
May the joy of those who are persecuted be so evident that their persecutors take pause. May Christ speak boldly and directly into the hearts and minds of those who kill, steal, and destroy as they serve the purposes of the enemy. And may they search and find Christ because of the testimony of those who die daily for Christ’s sake.

For those of us who know:
Father, we know these things are happening and yet we get so busy that we do not even stop and pray. Show us how to do our part and diligently pray for these, our honored brothers and sisters in Christ.

Help Lord…that we may be found faithful in the day of Your coming! You are the only Hope. Encourage us. Help us to prioritize our lives and align with Your will.

North Korea Publicly Executes 80 for Possessing Bibles Read more.

Prayer for Christian Churches in the U.S.

We know that Jesus is coming. The Bible tells us:

You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. (Luke 12:40 ESV)

Are we ready? Are churches ready? Are we as individuals ready? Each day, we are closer. Have we done our part?

Please pray with me:
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Father in heaven, You are the Great Designer, and You have created and ordained the earth. By contrast, we bring sin with us everywhere we go and we taint the beauty of Your Handiwork. Truly, we have spoiled Your stunning Creation. Our sin has such great cost.

And how did You respond? You sent Your Son. You came to us. You paid the price—which was so great. How can we understand such love? We don’t know how. We are humbled. We are grateful.

Praise and acclamation belong to You alone for Your patience and Your compassion. You have made us a new creature to those who believe in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17).

It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. (Lam 3:22-23).

Bring this to our understanding that our commitment to Your will and Your work in us can be complete. Let us not forget Hebrews 12:2:

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

May Your Word bring us great consolation, peace, gratitude and joy. May Your Word incite commitment and resolve to do Your will moment by moment.

We choose to be bound by our sin. Forgive us. Yet, this need not be! Hope is complete through Jesus Christ, who came to

“… preach good tidings unto the meek …bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

“… to comfort all that mourn; …to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.” (Isaiah 61:1, and Luke 4:18)

Where we have fallen short, where we have not been a message of hope to our communities, guide our churches to repent before You. We ask You to forgive us and open our eyes to see opportunity.

Surely we are Your body – Your outreach into the world to proclaim the Living Christ! But we fall short. We have not accepted the beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Therefore, we are not a “tree of righteousness” that glorifies You!

Help Lord! You can turn all this around! Have mercy on us! Oh Holy Spirit convict the hearts of whole churches to repent, to receive Your joy, Your beauty, and to exalt You with praise. May we eagerly cast off the spirit of heaviness! Establish churches as “trees of righteousness” —both individually and through their outreach. Let us cry out to You and may You clothe us in commitment!

Through the power of Your Holy Spirit, establish the root systems—roots that go deep and solid and are founded in Your Word. Water each church—the Holy Spirit leading and guiding the leadership and members. Cause each tree to grow into a balanced, stalwart foundation within each community.

May Your Holy Spirit have free reign that the fruit grow soundly and without blight. As fruit, may we be mature, firm; inviting and tasteful. May the Word of hope in Jesus Christ follow every member through every interaction of their week. And may Jesus Christ be glorified! Hallelujah!

May each church member gather in anticipation of glorious worship each Sunday, amazed at Your work to grow them both individually and collectively. May we be so excited to share what You have accomplished, that we can’t wait to encourage others and worship You in one accord.

May our worship rise up and may it be a savory perfume to You. May You be pleased with us daily—both individually and collectively. And may we find Your joy and peace as we enthusiastically demonstrate the Gospel of Jesus Christ as a habit of living in our lives.

In the Name of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!

Prayer for those held captive by pornography:

According to the Institute for the Study of Labor, a private, global, independent economic research institute, in their article on the impact of pornography on marriage, they indicate that in 2010, 13% of all Internet traffic is for “erotic content.” Essentially, pornography is replacing marriage. To hear an 11-minute podcast on this topic, from World News Group, please click here.

Please pray with me:

Adoration:
“Father, You know us (Rom 8:27). You know our hearts and minds, and You are a God of compassion (Psalm 145:8). You are gracious. You care diligently about our well being (I Peter 5:7).

You are holy and worthy of our praise and worship. Your love for us is without bounds, and You consistently beckon us to seek You, to seek Your help, and to receive Your grace and mercy.

You are the ultimate care and love for us. Your compassion is at the ready to embrace us and lift us from the muck and mire of our daily existence and bring us to a place of peace, security, and sufficiency.

Confession:
“We have not prayed as we should to save the institute of marriage, as You define it. We have not been diligent to find ways to preserve and mentor new marriages to increase their success rates—especially when they faced challenges. Forgive us.

“We have allowed marriage to become a temporary arrangement for a tax credit, rather than the covenant that You designed. We have forgotten that You are the Author of marriage and we have re-purposed and modified Your gift to accommodate our sin. Forgive us.

“We have allowed the media to pour out erotic messages and flood the public places with alluring sexual content. We have not been diligent in prayer against these messages or in prayer for those behind it, or the victims in front of it. Forgive us.

“We seek to satisfy our bodies without respecting them, or acknowledging them as a gift from you. We have not been good stewards. Forgive us.

“We have forgotten Your directive to populate the earth and we devised and elevated our own thinking to gratify ourselves without commitment or responsibility. Forgive us.

“We have followed this path of destruction for so long, that nations are now on the path to extinction. We know about this and we haven’t taken heed or corrective action. Forgive us and have mercy on us.

Thanksgiving:
Thank You that You care about each of us, and every part of our being (Luke 12:7). Thank You for Your commandments and instructions that You have given us— that we might be kept safe; that we can be protected against the harm of our enemy (John 10:10).

Thank You that You are a God of hope. Romans 15:13. Thank You that You have not left us without help, and You encourage and even command us to ask for Your assistance in all things. (Matthew 7:7)

Thank You that nothing is beyond Your ability. We come to You with thanksgiving that You are for us (Romans 8:31). We are grateful that nothing can separate us from Your love (Romans 8:38). We are grateful for the ultimate strength of Your love for us.

We thank You that You came to set the captives free (Isaiah 61:1).

Supplication:
O Father, many are held captive by pornography—at so many levels. Some are held captive to seek it, find it, and indulge in it. Some are captive to produce and distribute it. Some are caught and held against their will, forced to participate for the financial gain, and heinous indulgence of others. We appeal to You to help them.

You have commanded us in Psalm 119:37 to turn away our eyes from this sin. And you have shown us in Psalm 101:3 that we are not to set any wicked thing before our eyes. So we know that this is dangerous, that it is sin, and that it is possible to avoid it. We need Your help to be diligent and pleasing before You.

Send witnesses that will speak meaningfully to these individuals. Sharpen the mind and bring the words of life to these who are caught in this trap. Strengthen their minds to hear and protect the hearts of those who would listen.

Surely, O God, send Your Holy Spirit. May He comfort those who are ripped apart by addiction. May Your hope infiltrate their very being and not let go. May it give them resolve to flee from temptation through the strength that Christ bought on the cross to secure their freedom.

May those involved with this industry come to the realization that Your care is personal and it is for them. May they come to the humbling knowledge that Christ’s care includes dying for them—because of Your great love for them. May they realize that as their Creator, You made them with specific purpose and value…and may they cling to You to help.

Raise up an army of people who have been caught in the pornography trap. Save them! You are a merciful God! Save them from this destruction! Set them on a path to turn on their captors and lead the way to freedom. You, O God, can bring repentance to those who would hear. Yes, repentance and salvation and freedom for the captives.

So who are those who would hear and follow the path to freedom? You know. Raise up an army of prayer warriors to seek You diligently on behalf of those who suffer. May we be unrelenting before You day and night and not rest while this path of death torments its victims.

Encourage those who pray against pornography. Drive us to seek You and praise You for the release, the victory for each captive that is set free. Grant us vision on the support system needed that those who are free may remain so. Bring to life the ministers of Your Word to find and receive those who can hear.

Grant us prayers. Grant us undying hope. Establish in Your Word that we may be found faithful at the Day of His coming.

In Jesus’ Name.