Our Obligation to Pray for Persecuted Christians

Christians around the world are suffering for their belief in Jesus Christ as militant Islamists have declared a Global War on Christians. Over 100,000 are martyred annually and this militant movement is making dangerous inroads in the great democracies of Europe and U.S.

Franklin Graham, Director of Samaritan’s Purse, in a special issue of Decision Magazine, “Radical Islam’s Global War on Christians” says “the Arab Spring has become the Christian’s winter.”

In Iraq, at least 14 youths were recently stoned to death for wearing western-style clothes and haircuts. Little attention has been given to the fact that dozens of churches have been bombed and many of Iraqi’s Christians have fled to Syria to escape persecution only to be caught in the middle of another bloodbath.

In the Sudan a Bible School was bombed on the first day of school and Christians have been killed or driven from their homes and towns.

In Pakistan radical Muslim youth opened fire upon a Salvation Army open air prayer meeting killing two and injuring two more. Also, the only Christian cabinet member of Pakistan was martyred last year.

In Nigeria churches have been bombed, including an attack on several churches on Christmas Day, and again in February, and radicals have been successful to impose Sharia law in 12 northern Nigerian states.

In Iran hundreds of Christians are now imprisoned for their faith and many have been executed. Since 2009,Youcef Nadarkhani, pastor of a church of about 400 people, a 34 yr. old father of 2 children, has been imprisoned and sentenced to die because he will not renounce Christ. The only reason he has not been hanged is because his case has drawn world-wide attention.

In the United States of America the scheduled speaker for West Point National Prayer Breakfast in February 2012, Gen. William G. Boykin, 36 year Army veteran who commanded the rescue efforts of American hostages in Iran in 1980 and a committed Christian who was critical of Islam, withdrew as speaker due to pressure from the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Two years ago the same pressure was used to cause Franklin Graham to be disinvited from speaking at the Pentagon on the National Day of Prayer. We’re in a battle! Where are the prayer-warriors?