As borders close and the heated
rhetoric increases from North Korea, Christians there are sending a desperate
plea to fellow Christians around the world to PRAY!
Revelation 3:2 calls to us in
Australia to “Wake up and strengthen what remains
and is about to die,” bearing in mind that
for 11 years North Korea has been the No.1 persecutor of Christians in the
world.
North Korean Church leaders call on
us to earnestly pray for their country. Underground Christians describe the
current atmosphere as warlike, with many cars on the road concealed under
camouflage nets and helmeted soldiers carrying guns. Greatly fearing war and its consequences,
many people are hastily purchasing emergency food supplies and daily goods,
just in case, and the prices of goods, including food, are skyrocketing.
Prayer for North Korea is now more
important than ever before and underground Christians are grateful for the
strength received from believers around the world, and urge them to continue
upholding them in their prayers.
A recent letter smuggled from North
Korea said “I would like to thank the many brothers and sisters around the
world for their continuous love and support. We know that our journey will not
be an easy one, but we are sure that our faith, desperate hope and passionate
desire will someday bear many fruits. No
matter how difficult life is for us, we never blame or complain about our
circumstances. God has promised us in
the Bible that if we seek His Kingdom first, all other things will be given to
us.
As Christians, we realize “our
struggle is not against flesh and blood,
but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this
darkness, against the spiritual forces
of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
(Ephesians 6:12) As the Body of
Christ we can take authority over these demonic spiritual rulers and influence
change in the nation of North Korea.
Prayer Points:
- Thank God for the bravery of all Christians in North Korea, to stand boldly for Him in a country where discovery of their faith can mean death. PRAY for the protection of Christians, especially those imprisoned in labour camps, and all those assisting believers who have escaped into surrounding countries.
- Pray for a calm resolution to the current crisis - that it will result in the peaceful release and restoration of the North Korean people, rather than war.
- Pray for the leadership of North Korea, that Kim Jong-Un and those around him will come to know Jesus as their Saviour.
Bulletin 14th April 2013 here.