On Sunday, my local church gathered for a special Sunday school hour dedicated to praying for the persecuted church around the world. We watched a brief video about the plight of Christians in hostile areas, heard an exhortation from one of our elders to “remember. . . those who are mistreated” (Heb. 13:3), and spent time praying for our suffering brothers and sisters.

We do this every year, and every year I think, I’m going to be more faithful to pray for the persecuted church. I make some attempts—we use Operation World in our family worship and pray for a different country every day, our church prayer meeting regularly lifts up the needs of the persecuted, and my own personal prayer times sometimes include Christians imperiled because of the gospel. But, by and large, I have to confess that I often fail to do what the writer to the Hebrews commanded, “remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them” (13:3). 

I tend to pray for the persecuted when it’s convenient. When I have time. When the mood strikes me. Far too often, I pray more like a vacationer than a prisoner.

This year, I’m recommitting myself—by the help of the Spirit—to remember my hurting brothers and sisters in prayer as if chained with them. Christians in more than 70 countries throughout the world risk their lives and livelihoods for the sake of Christ. We cannot forget them. 

Voice of the Martyrs radio host, Tom Nettleton, wrote a recent article for TGC that provides us with a valuable incentive: “There’s power in prayer, not because of the words we say but because of who hears our prayers.”

Brothers and sisters, let’s pray.