Prayer
Lord, open our eyes to see that you are with us in everything that we do and say, and in every experience, both good and bad. Help us to have an eternal perspective, and to live each day focused on building your kingdom and sharing your good news, whatever the cost.
Scripture
11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Devotional
As Jesus spoke about persecution during the Sermon on the Mount, I can’t help but wonder if he thought about Paul, who in a few short years would become practically synonymous with the experience of Christian persecution. Through the centuries, how many Christians experiencing insult and injury for their faith have leaned upon Paul’s writings?
35Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?...37No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. (Romans 8)
Today, as we go about our comfortable, modern American lives, we may not often experience what might be considered persecution. We are able to listen to Christian music, watch Christian television, go to Christian church services and shop at Christian bookstores. While there are ongoing debates about matters of faith, such as the definition of marriage and allowing prayer in schools, we live in a nation where our religious freedom is protected in our constitution, and we are able to live out our Christian faith in relative peace. And while many of us have undoubtedly experienced challenges for the Christian way of life we have chosen, we don’t often fear for our own safety in living it out.
But even in the 21st century, there are Christians around the world being persecuted for their faith. To gain a better understanding of the current plight of many of our fellow believers, I encourage you to visit www.persecution.com, the website of Voice of the Martyrs (the world headquarters of which is right up the road in Bartlesville, by the way).
Did you know that, according to VOM, North Korea is the worst perpetrator of persecution against Christians in the world? From as close as southern Mexico and Cuba, to as far away as Uzbekistan and Belarus, there are hostile and restricted nations around the globe. And in all of those countries, there are faithful Christians who are spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and worshipping him as their Lord and Savior, even in the face of the very things Jesus spoke about 2,000 years ago: insult, persecution and false accusations of wrongdoing.
What an example of revolutionary love this is, for Christians who love their God so much that they are willing to sacrifice everything, including their own safety, to follow Him. Perhaps God is calling you to pray for these modern martyrs, to support their work, or even to join them in a mission field.
Prayer
Lord, we thank you that we can worship you freely and without fear. We remember your people all over the world who are experiencing persecution for their Christian faith and praise you for their faithfulness. We pray that you will protect them, bless their work, and help them to rejoice and be glad, knowing that their reward in heaven is great.
