In church today, we will be focusing our prayers on the plight of persecuted Christians around the world—particularly in Africa.
For those of us in safe, comfortable Sydney, it’s hard for us to imagine what it must be like to face the threat of losing possessions, imprisonment, or death for our faith in Jesus. Yet that is exactly what Christians face in many parts of the world face today.
Archbishop Ben Kwashi from the Diocese of Jos in Nigeria says this about how highly he and our brothers and sisters in Christ in Africa value our prayers:
“Many, many Christians are surviving and not just surviving, they are thriving in their faith, because of the prayers of people like you in Australia. I believe that the churches in the persecuted areas that I lead, are hanging on the wings of your prayers. This is a tremendous encouragement for us. It is worth more than gold.”
May this be an encouragement for us to continue (or begin) praying for our persecuted brothers and sisters and for us to follow their example—to not be ashamed to confess Jesus as our Lord.
Rick Hall
Senior Pastor