Pray for the Suffering Parts of the Body of Christ
Part of our calling as Christians is to intercede for this world in prayer. We lift up those who suffer to the Almighty and ask for His help. But how do we know who to pray for?
Of course, we pray for our family, friends, and other people whose needs we know about firsthand. Many of us also pray for the victims of faraway catastrophes – wars, famines, natural disasters – that we learn about in the secular media.
Unfortunately, if our prayers are informed only by what we hear about in the news, we risk neglecting to pray for those who should be closest to us – the thousands around the world who are killed, beaten, raped, imprisoned, and discriminated against because of their identification with our Christian faith.
The Bible tells us that these victims of religious persecution are brothers and sisters in Christ. They are parts of the worldwide Body of Christ to which we belong. “When one part suffers” the Apostle Paul tells us, “all parts suffer with it”. (I Cor. 12-26)
You can make a difference – by encouraging prayer for the world’s persecuted Christians in your weekly worship services and prayer meetings.
CSI can help. Every month we publish the names and details of Christians who suffer for their faith. These cases are intended to be used in prayers of intercession. They can help direct our hearts and minds to specific individuals and many others that suffer similarly for their faith.
We will also share the good news of the liberation of Christian prisoners, slaves, bonded labor, and victims of human trafficking, so that you can life up prayers of praise and thanksgiving as well as intercession.
The monthly prayer calendar can be found on the “Prayer Initiative” page of the CSI website.
Wishing you the Almighty’s blessing,
Dr. John Eibner
International President
