Don’t Forget the Suffering Christians
Haralan Popov’s book Tortured For His Faith really did speak to me, and I hope it has spoken to you through the devotions these two weeks.
The book ends with some challenging words from Popov. He writes: “I have spoken around the world on behalf of the Underground Church and I have often asked, “Who here has prayed for the suffering Christians of the Underground Church?” Always the answer is almost no one!
Remembering Our Persecuted Brothers and Sisters in Christ
It is a shame on the conscience of all free Christians. We from communist lands are your brothers and sisters in Christ. We are one body in Christ.
My people accept the suffering. They understand it is their cross. But they don’t understand why their brothers and sisters in the free world seem to have forgotten them – even in their prayers.
It is our Christian duty before God to help the destitute, suffering families of those imprisoned for their faith…. How can we sleep at night knowing the suffering they pass through? How can we read our Bibles and our hearts not weep for those who have no Bible?
The message I bring you from the Underground Church is “Do not forget us. Pray for us. Give us the Bibles, the tools to work with, and we will use them for Christ.”
“I remember so well one of the dark solitary confinement cells at Persin. On the gray cement cell wall was a faded inscription scratched onto the surface by some unknown Christian who had been there before me. It read ‘HAS EVEN GOD FORGOTTEN ME?”
That anguished cry etched onto the prison wall is the cry coming from our fellow Christians of the Underground Church today. No, God hasn’t forgotten them. And neither must we.”
Praying and Supporting Persecuted Christians Worldwide
Reading this book has led me to prayer. Because I can always pray – even if I can’t contribute, I can always pray for the family in faith that suffers.
Of course, in our time it is believers in China, North Korea, and the Middle East, that get mistreated like this. Can we pray for them friends? Can we commit to a weekly prayer for them at least, if not daily? And if possible, can we commit to sending relief funds and Bibles to them? Have a look at a website called https://globalchristianrelief.org/ if you want to find out more.
Thank God today for the faithful witness of Christians who are suffering for their faith. Thank God too, if you have never had to experience this. How fortunate we are, who live comfortable Christian lives.
And then let’s commit to helping and praying for those who are suffering for their faith. We are one with them, as the global body of Christ. Let it not be said that we never gave them any thought, any help, any prayer, when they needed it the most.
