This Sunday at Church I want to encourage you to do the following: Remember Persecuted Christians who are Imprisoned.
Here’s a passage that stood out to me that led to this application. Hear Colossians 4:18: “Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my imprisonment. Grace be with you.”
Here the Apostle Paul was writing a letter to the church in Colossae which is located in what is now modern day Turkey. Paul here makes it clear the readers that he’s now personally greeting them; he tells them that he wrote his greeting in his own hand. Yet in greeting them Paul said “Remember my imprisonment.” The verb “Remember” is an imperative. That is, it is a command. Who is the command for? The verb is second person plural in form. That means it is a command upon those Paul was addressing. Note though the plural form which here reminds us that there’s more than one individual should remember Paul. They are the church in Colossae. But we today as a church must remember those who are imprisoned for the sake of the Gospel.
There’s application for us today. I have 10 listed, do you have anymore you can think of? Do comment!
First off when you go to church be intent on talking with someone for the purpose of remembering the believers who are persecuted around the world.
Second pray before you get to church that God might give yo an opportunity to remember the persecuted church who are imprisoned.
Third if you are in a church prayer meeting bring up the need for the persecuted church. Bring up the brothers and sisters who are imprisoned as people you and others should pray for.
Fourth if you make small talk with others why not make it more meaningful? Tell them what’s on your heart has been this verse, that we are to remember the persecuted believers. Ask them if they know anyone who are imprisoned for the Gospel; sometimes you might be surprised that they know a name, or even know someone personally! What better way to remember than if individuals are stirred to recall names to pray for! Consider that God is using you to motivate and stir others to pray for the persecuted church!
Fifth if you know the pastors or the elders for the church ask them if they can perhaps encourage the believers to remember those detained for the Gospel.
Sixth if you do any teaching you can call attention to those who are in chains for the Gospel. You could work it into your message, if appropriate. If you can’t do so still consider even opening and closing prayer to pray for the persecuted church. Or you can even have someone else pray for this prayer request and that way others realize this isn’t your ordinary program when we are remembering the persecuted church.
Seventh print out a news story about a believer in prison for the Gospel. Give it to someone at church to read and encourage them to remember them. Or when you see someone say “hey can I text you something? It’s about believers being detained for the sake of the Gospel.” Then text them the appropriate link. Ask them if they have heard about it and/or if they know more about it than you do (humbleness helps people share and plus you might be surprised).
Eighth ask your church leaders if you can have your print outs about believers imprisoned for their faith be tacked on a bulletin board or available on a table that have other things like tracts and brochures. Consider even the possibility of you writing up hand-written index cards of news and updates of persecuted believers from various ministries reporting about persecution and believers detained.
Ninth if your church has prayer cards write prayer requests about those in prison. Even if your church does not have prayer cards but have donation envelope when you submit your offering consider even writing on the envelope “Let us remember the believers in jail for the Gospel” as an encouragement.
Tenth if there’s other like minded believers who have the same concern for imprisoned believers have a sign up sheet with people’s email so you can send news, updates, prayer requests and maybe even ministries that you guys can support.
Really awesome reminder tips about how to support those persecuted churches, a very important reminder that there are people out there just like us who need help because they do not have the privileges we do. Thank you for sharing! God Bless 🙂
You’re welcome! How was your Lord’s Day?
Was amazing! Thanks for asking! 🙂
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Thanks for the great message on remembering the persecuted. This is a huge problem and seems to be getting worse.
Blessings.
Reblogged this on a simple man of God and commented:
November 3, 2019, is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. This is your two week notice!
Daniel
Very important message. Thank you for posting. We must pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ. Sometimes when I don’t know exactly what to pray I ask the Holy Spirit for guidance .
Blessings !
Asking the Spirit to guide our prayers is a good practice in our prayers, thank you for that reminder. How was your Lord’s Day today sister?
Great Lord’s Day . We also celebrated 25 year anniversary of our church . How was your Lord’s day?
Thank you for this good reminder and exhortation to pray for our persecuted family members in Christ!
You’re welcome! I imagine after my trip I’ll be hearing more stories from persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ. Did you go over 15 K in your steps yesterday?
Just missed 15K yesterday, had 14.7K. Accumulated 29K total between Friday and Saturday so resting today. Glad I’m not counting “Hail Mary”s! How’s your steps totals doing? Hope you have a blessed Lord’s day!
Reblogged this on Guam Christian Blog and commented:
Reblogged again, thank you
[…] Read more here […]
After the internet showed pictures of 22 Egyptian Christians being executed on a beach in Lybia, some people began wearing ribbons on their lapels that were orange (the color of the jumpsuits the Christians were wearing when they were martyred). When someone asks what the ribbon is for, it’s an opportunity to spread awareness about Christians who are suffering, even dying for the gospel.
Wow that is a wonderful idea thank you for sharing that sister! I remember those 22 Egyptians and what happened. Tragic. ISIS is such an evil. Did you have a blessed Lord’s Day?
Unrelated question: I see you and another blogger “liked” my comment, but I see no “like” button when I read your blog. Is there a way I can “like” something said without necessarily adding my own comment?
Yes, I did! I hope you did, too.
After blogging and praying about the release of Pastor Brunson and a few posts on the burdened Iranian and African branches of the church, I will have to confess that I have been silent on the matter.
Thanks for reminding me to pray and speak out.
markone1blog, I think Pastor Brunson’s story is a beautiful example of what can happen when many, many people are praying for one brother.
It also seems to be an example of what happens in the life of a Christian who determines to drink the cup handed him or her by God (down to the dregs).
We will continue to pray. I just read another blogger’s post who remind us to do the same. Thank you for reminding us.
Thank you dear Pastor, this is truly my church grief. I am so weary of the ‘help me’ and ‘give me’ ‘improve my life’ prayer meeting requests. Aren’t Christian’s at all concerned about Jesus’ exhortation in Matthew 25? Reaching out to His suffering Body is a high call of God. I’d love an all night prayer meeting for our persecuted brethren.
Thanks again brother, God bless you.
Reading your comment makes me appreciate individuals in our church who every week bring up prayers for specific persecuted churches and countries. Thank you for that encouragement Lisa, especially in citing Matthew 25. I hope our church folks who read my blog will be encouraged by your comment; may we all remember God’s body who are persecuted
Call me old fashioned, really, but I believe in the all night prayer meeting. When my heart was so burdened in the past and I couldn’t find one, I had an online all night prayer meeting ( https://theburninglamp.com/2015/04/21/remember-april-24th-and-fight-through-the-night/) and called friends to join in. But if the Lord leads, one only needs the Holy Spirit and a powerful union for prayer comes to life.
Thank you Pastor Slimjim, will be praying for you too.
I think of the church in Syria, Turkey and China
For Jesus says,
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).
[…] the past I have written a similar post titled “Remember Persecuted Christians who are Imprisoned.” In that post I quoted a passage from Colossians 4:18: “Paul, write this greeting […]
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Thanks for your write-up. Persecution is increasing as evil reign