Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution, or famine or nakedness, or danger or sword? —Romans 8:35
Millions of Christians are persecuted for their faith every day. According to Christianity Today magazine, there are at least 51 countries in which Christianity is illegal. Several other countries are considered “closed” to various degrees—that is, Christianity is legal or tolerated, but Christians cannot speak freely of their faith, meet in public or do other activities Western Christians take for granted.
With the rise of brutal terrorist groups and publication of books such as I Am N, Westerners’ awareness of Christian persecution around the world has improved. Increasingly, churches are speaking out about this issue, and Christians are forming groups to pray for and otherwise reach out to the persecuted. The efforts are wonderful, but they might leave the individual Christian wondering what he or she can do to help.
If you want to help persecuted Christians, you are not alone. Your desire shows you are ready to help, and you can do so on your own or in a group. A few ways to help persecuted Christians around the world include:
Prayer. This is probably the easiest yet most effective thing you can do. You can do it anywhere, at any time of day. If you desire, you can go to a website like Voice of the Martyrs to learn the prayer needs of specific countries or groups.
S p e a k i n g . Ask your pastor for the opportunity to share stories of persecuted Christians with your church. Share news stories through social media or create a private Facebook group to discuss these stories.
Missions. If you’ve never been to a closed country, make sure you have proper training first. Pray diligently before, during and after your trip.
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