Praying for the Persecuted Church - North Korea

"Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit,
with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty.
To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance,
interceding in behalf of all the saints"
From Ephesians 6:18 (The Amplified Bible)

OK, so I would like to say that I do this all the time....pray for the persecuted church around the world, but I don't do it all the time. I do try to do it though when I am reminded or receive an email from Voice of the Martyrs.

Anyway, tonight it is on my heart...so I think we need to do a monthly praying for the persecuted church. A country a month for the year. So we will start with North Korea...


Print out this pic, or make a note of your own...something to help you remember to pray for North Korea, something that will be a reminder for you, that every time you look at it, you will remember to lift up our brothers and sisters in North Korea.

Need help on what to pray for? I'll be listing things through the month...but let us begin with some country info from Persecution.com:

"North Korea is one of the most repressive and isolated regimes in the world. Government officials deny the country’s citizens even the most basic human rights. The country’s previous leader, Kim Il Sung, founded an ideology called “Juche,” which centers on the worship of the country’s leaders. Government-organized religious activities exist solely to provide the illusion of religious freedom.

Category: Restricted Nation
Religion: Non-Religious 64.31%, Traditional ethnic 16.00%, Chondogyo 13.50%, Christian 1.69%
Ideology: One-man dictatorship/Communism
Head of State: Chairman Kim Jong Il

North Korea is the worst perpetrator of persecution against Christians in the world. Christians must practice their faith in deep secrecy and are in constant danger, but many continue to stand strong under relentless persecution. The government considers Christians to be a stability threat, and they are hunted all over the country. Being a Christian carries a more severe punishment than espionage. The largest number of Christian worshipers in North Korea exists in concentration camps. In addition, one out of four Christian prisoners are sent to political prison camps where prisoners almost never leave. Experts estimate that of the 200,000 people incarcerated in political prison camps, at least 40,000 are Christians. Many North Korean Christians have fled to China, where there are an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 North Koreans. The Chinese government offers a bounty for North Korean refugees equal to one year’s salary. When refugees are caught, they are returned to North Korea, where they face torture, imprisonment and often death. This year the UN’s Human Rights Council passed a resolution expressing concern at “ongoing grave, widespread and systematic human rights violations” in North Korea. Despite this horrific oppression, some Christians have returned to North Korea to share the gospel. As many as 100,000 are thought to worship secretly. In 2009, the authorities are said to have stepped up their surveillance of Christians, and house searches are said to be more rigorous than in the past. Across North Korea, Christians continue to pray privately for evangelism and unity."

Here are some things to pray for from Operation World:

• Praise God for the faith of Christians in North Korea. Pray that they will be able to share the good news with trusted friends and family. Pray for grace, mercy and perseverance for persecuted Christians.
• Pray that NGOs will feel burdened to serve in North Korea and help to improve the health system. Pray for the safety and effective witness of Christian NGOs in the country.
• Pray for all those in prison camps in North Korea. Prison staff are taught to regard prisoners as unworthy of respect, mercy or kindness. Pray that God would convict the hearts of prison guards and pour down his grace and mercy on those suffering in unbelievably harsh conditions.
• Pray that non-Christian prisoners would be struck by the faith of Christian prisoners and hunger to know more.
• Pray that Kim Jong-Il would discover the reality of the true God. Pray that he will care and work for the good of the North Korean citizens.
• Pray that it would become a country that the international community can trust. Pray that ongoing mistrust regarding nuclear issues may be resolved.
• Pray for North Koreans who have gone to South Korea via other countries, that they will be treated with mercy and kindness. Pray for people who help those Koreans.
• Pray for a just government that honors God and relates well to those in the South.