Stories of the Sent: Pray for the Persecuted and Their Persecutors

“We will make sure these conversion activities are stopped.”

Just before leaving for a two-day prayer meeting, I got a call from a local pastor named Kumar. He was disturbed by something and needed my prayers. Rishi, another local pastor and a dear friend of Kumar, had been badly injured.

Pastor Rishi’s church was holding 40 days of prayer and fasting every night through Easter. As the Lord worked among the church, others took notice. Before long, the governmental leader of the city was at their doorstep, warning them to stop gathering.

Despite threats from government officials and radical religious groups, the church continued praying and holding services under the protection of the local police. This continued until one night, a few days after Easter, when the police protection disappeared. Two hundred radicals came, armed with wooden sticks and iron rods, and destroyed everything in the church. They took down the cross and threatened to turn the church into a temple for idol worship.

Local believers called Pastor Rishi, who came running to stop the vandals. Ten minutes later, Rishi lay unconscious—beaten with sticks and rods—as the police looked on, doing nothing.

“Please pray for Rishi, brother,” Pastor Kumar begged. “He has been in the hospital for a few days and still cannot hear out of one ear.”

Heartbroken, I assured him that I would pray and do anything I could to help once I returned. The Uber ride to my meeting was one of the longest hours I had ever experienced, and nothing could take my mind off what I had just heard.

My thoughts turned from compassion for Pastor Rishi to anger at the radicals. Prison, injury, and much worse were on my heart for those men. I had heard these types of events were taking place all across the country—story after story of false accusations against believers who then received threats, brutality, and imprisonment. All the while, the government turned a blind eye—or even encouraged and celebrated these horrors.

This time, persecution had hit closer to home—0.5 miles from home, actually. Vengeance may be the Lord’s, but He had better repay them in the ways I wanted.

I don’t think the leaders of the prayer meeting knew what they were doing when, the very next day, they asked us to pray Matthew 5:43–44. Anguish and anger burned in my heart when they read the words:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.”

Nothing in me wanted to pray those words—not for these radicals, not after what they had done to the church and Pastor Rishi. A day later? Surely, Lord, You would not require love, prayer, and forgiveness like that?

I hope I never forget what the Lord miraculously did in my heart during those few minutes of prayer. The same groups I had been cursing all day became the very ones I begged God to have mercy upon. Grace and salvation became the cry of my heart and the words of my lips. True, pure, costly, genuine love—like nothing I’ve ever felt.

A few days later, I visited Pastor Rishi. He was lying in bed, unable to walk, and still clearly in pain. I was unsure what to do, but I wanted him to know two things: enduring suffering is worth it, and we must love our enemies.

I came with the only words I knew to bring—the words of God.

“So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard’” (Acts 4:18–20).

We prayed, “Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness” (Acts 4:29).

We thanked God that, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:10), and that, “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matt. 5:11–12).

We rejoiced that he was “counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name” (Acts 5:41).

Pastor Rishi was indeed counted worthy. A few months later, I saw him again, boldly preaching the good news from a rooftop. God had heard our prayers, and He answered them. All the Scriptures that Rishi had claimed to believe were evidenced in his life.

Years later, and thousands of miles away, I still hear of this brother’s boldness. His prayer request to me in that first meeting has been answered a hundredfold: “Pray that the gospel would be proclaimed in power as a result of this, and that many would come to faith as they see this example of someone risking their life to stand for the truth.”

Pray for the Persecuted

Brothers and sisters, I beg you to pray for your persecuted family around the world. They are “being killed all the day long” and “regarded as sheep to be slaughtered” (Rom. 8:36). Pray that they remember their hope. In tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword, they are more than conquerors through Him who loved them.

May they be sure that “neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate them from the love of God in Christ Jesus their Lord” (Rom. 8:35–39).

Organizations like Voice of the Martyrs and Open Doors International offer helpful information and resources to both pray for and support those facing persecution. Reading Foxe’s Book of  Martyrs or Nik Ripken’s The Insanity of God will undoubtedly move you toward compassionate prayer. You can also set an alarm to remind you to pray—perhaps at 4:29 (Acts), 5:44 (Matthew), or after 8:30 (Romans).

Join me in praying every day at 12:12 for our brothers and sisters (and ourselves) to “rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer” (Rom. 12:12).

Pray for Their Persecutors

Pray also for their enemies. Do this as a son of your Father in heaven. Ask God to put His great love in your heart, and beg Him to show mercy. It will change you—and I pray it will change the persecutors.

Father, forgive us for partiality in prayer. Father, our enemies know not what they do; please do not hold this sin against them. May Your kindness lead them to repentance and faith.

May our enemies today be our brothers tomorrow.