Prayer for the persecuted church united in the name of Jesus, in observance of the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church – Sunday, November 3, 2019, as requested by a SCUWPG member. Our prayer here is offered in support of the spiritual unity of all repentant, mutually loving and forgiving members of all persecuted Christian faith groups whether Catholic, Orthodox, or Protestant.

We're all sanctified and set apart from the world for God's purposes together, in the world and never of it, so it's about time we learn to pray together in His name so the world will know who sent Jesus to gather us all as one in His one Spirit of holiness and selfless love for all who will receive repentance and forgiveness of sins through our faith we all share in common together in the name of Jesus.


Our Father in Heaven,

We thank you and join in love and praise to you this day and every day, praying in fervent love together with all our persecuted sisters and brothers in Christ, all over the world, who like all believers, are repentant, mutually loving and forgiving children of yours, Father, by simply believing in the name of your Son, Jesus of Nazareth, as our one Christ, Messiah, and Savior who shed His blood to give us all the same opportunity for repentance and forgiveness of sins as much as we forgive all those who sin against us, so your Holy Spirit could be given to live in our hearts and clothe us all with power from on high.
“44 He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." 45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." 50 ¶ When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.” (Lu 24:44-52 NIV)

“12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ 14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Mt 6:12-15 NivUS)

“43 ¶ "You have heard that it was said, ’Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Mt 5:43-45 NivUS)

“Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.” (Lu 23:34 NivUS)


Father, we forgive those who persecute us because they do not know what they are doing. They only do this to us because they do not know you yet, and they live their lives not knowing that you are real, and that your love is so great for them that you gave your life in this world in your Son, Jesus, for them. They don't know the good news you really offer them, to repent and live their lives given credit for the perfect holiness and blessed inheritance of Jesus that you give to all your children who have faith in the name of Jesus.

We ask you to bless those who persecute us, and lead them to think of every way possible they can stop persecuting us if they have any choice in the matter. Give them to know in their hearts how wrong it is for them to do these things, and if possible, Father, lead them to see in our words and actions back to them that your Spirit really is alive and in us, and work on their hearts to some day show them that they, too, can live in the joy of being your sons and daughters through faith in the name of Jesus for repentance and forgiveness of sins as much as we forgive all who sin against us.

Because we unite this way in your name, Father, in the name you gave Jesus for the salvation of all who will believe in His name this way, we all realize that Jesus is now in you in heaven, and we are there in Jesus in you now, and Jesus is in us in our hearts here on earth as we both have and obey His commands as the one King who commands our lives, starting with our obedience to the two most important commands of God as Jesus fulfilled them in His commands to us for how to obey them.
“20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."” (Joh 14:20-21 NivUS)

We join together as one to pray and worship you with great joy in the power of the Holy Spirit you give us all from on high, Father, as we thank you for giving us to know that Jesus joins with us as we pray and will make sure we receive what we pray for because we are accepting and receiving one another as one together in the name of Jesus, including the littlest believer among us, simply because we all believe the same in His name for repentance and forgiveness of sins as much as we forgive all who sin against us, as Jesus said we must all preach, and therefor believe, in order to be in His name together.
“46 He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” (Lu 24:46-47 NivUS)

“5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. 6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and [that] he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” (Mt 18:5-6 AV)

“13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” (Joh 14:13-14 NivUS)


So we pray together to you, Father, knowing we repentant, mutually loving and forgiving believers, the world over, are all praying together in the name of your perfectly loving and holy Son, Jesus, receiving in His name whatever we pray for to help the persecuted church, while at the same time we know Jesus joins together to pray with us and with every member of the persecuted church in whatever country they live in, including China, North Korea, the rest of Asia, the Middle East, Central or South America, and all other places they live, giving us what we pray for in His name.
“24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."” (Mr 11:24-25 NivUS)

“19 "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."” (Mt 18:19-20 NivUS)

Father, thanks for giving us to know as we pray that we are protected in this life from the power of the evil one by always being together spiritually as one in your one Spirit in us, and one in the name you gave Jesus to be salvation for all who believe in your name for repentance and forgiveness of our sins as much as we love and forgive one another.
“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."” (Mt 1:21 NIV)

“I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one.” (Joh 17:11 NIV )

“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.” (Joh 17:15 NIV)

And we thank you, Father, that we and our families are promised to receive all the needful things of this life, such as food, shelter, and clothing, because we seek as first importance in our lives His kingdom of all believers united together in our hearts in God’s one Spirit, in starting with our obedience to the two most important commands of King Jesus, and we also seek first His righteousness He gives us credit for by believing in His name for repentance and forgiveness of sins as much as we forgive all those who sin against us.
“20 ¶ Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, 21 nor will people say, ’Here it is,’ or ’There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you."” (Lu 17:20-21 NivUS)

“21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished — 26 he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” (Ro 3:21-26 NivUS)

“31 So do not worry, saying, ’What shall we eat?’ or ’What shall we drink?’ or ’What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Mt 6:31-34 NivUS)

So we believers who know we pray together in the name of Jesus by receiving as brothers and sisters in our one family in Christ, all other believers in His name for repentance and forgiveness of our sins, throughout the persecuted church are likewise confident together that you, Father, will add to every believer and all their families living in the persecuted church, all the things of this life their families need as they keep their confidence strong in the love that God shows us in giving Himself in Jesus on the cross for all our sins, and as the persecuted believers keep uppermost in their minds their intent to make Jesus the King in their hearts whose commands they obey there in their heart, and to let His Spirit who lives in them to lead them through this life in His kingdom.

Dear Father in Heaven, we pray that you give the highest leaders in every country where your church is persecuted, every President or Prime Minister, Premier, Vice-Premier, and all others in positions of authority, to know that we Christians are more faithful and stable supporters of our own government than all other citizens because we Christians believe that God, Himself, has appointed such government leaders for the good of all the people in the country.
“1 ¶ Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4 For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.” (Ro 13:1-5 NivUS)

Father, we pray that you also give the highest leaders in every country where your church is persecuted, every President or Prime Minister, Premier, Vice-Premier, and all others in positions of authority, to know that we Christians pray for God to bless them in their work every day.
“1 ¶ I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone — 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1Ti 2:1-2 NivUS)

Father, we pray that you also give the highest leaders in every country where your church is persecuted, every President or Prime Minister, Premier, Vice-Premier, and all others in positions of authority, to know that we Christians are among the best workers in our country because we believe that the work we do in our businesses, factories, farms and all our jobs every day to make a living is actually for us to work as if we are working for God, Himself.
“23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Col 3:23-24 NivUS)

And finally Father, we pray that you also give the highest leaders in every country where your church is persecuted, every President or Prime Minister, Premier, Vice-Premier, and all others in positions of authority, to know that we Christians who make up about one third of the world’s population as of 2015, are much more likely to buy goods from countries where Christians are treated well and allowed to worship Jesus as they want, and without persecution or harassment, because we regard all Christians as our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Cause such leaders to ask themselves, Father, if your own brother or sister made shoes, would you buy shoes from just any neighbor, or from your own brother or sister? Or would you want to buy shoes from a country that persecutes, harasses, or abuses your own sisters and brothers who also believe God is their Father who sent Jesus to earth? So let such leaders realize that treating Christians well and letting them worship Jesus as they want is actually good for the financial and general welfare of the country those leaders are in charge of.
“The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.” (Pr 21:1 NivUS)

We pray for all these things, Father, knowing that you and Jesus give us everything we pray for in the name of Jesus, to glorify you, Father, in the name of the Son, amen.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Tim Warlick,