Afghan Christians desperately need your prayer as they face imminent persecution. Over the past week, I have read many reports of persecution. USA Today newspaper refutes one of the reports; however, it is not simply one report. Collectively, as American followers of Christ, our hearts are broken for the Christians in Afghanistan. As I worked through the Gospel of Luke this weekend, I noticed how to pray for Afghan Christians as the Taliban take over Afghanistan.
Afghan Persecution
I read this weekend of Christians there who cannot even trust their own family members. When the Taliban go through a neighborhood, the people want protection. They give them money, supplies, and information in exchange for protection for their family. As they do, some of that information includes who the Christians are in the area. As the Taliban finds out these people, they suffer immediate persecution. The Taliban seek to make them recant. When they do not, they are known to do several things to the family – the goal of course is to keep everyone else in fear and loyal to Islam.
One extreme report from a former US Congressman reports that a Christian uncle to a family was skinned alive.
One church leader there reported that the Taliban are likely to take Christian children away to reeducate them, turn them into Islamic fighters, and the girls into sex slaves. Many of the girls will be forced into marriage to a Taliban fighter.
Again, if only part of this is true, our brothers and sisters in Christ face a crisis.
How to Pray for Afghan Christians
Jesus taught His disciples that a time was coming when they would pray for the return of the Son of Man (Luke 17-18). Let me suggest five ways that we can pray for the Afghan Christians who are there as we begin a new week.
Pray for:
- God’s justice on those who persecute Christians (Luke 18:7-8). Pray that God will hear their cries and respond with justice.
- The Son of Man’s return (Luke 17:22; 18:8). We pray and long for the return of Christ.
- Perseverance under the pressure in suffering (Luke 18:1, 8). God does not want us to lose heart. God does not want us to become weary in well doing and lose our faith.
- Continued gratitude for God’s patience (Luke 18:7-8). God delays ultimate justice on the whole world in order to continue to gather His own. We pray for gratitude even in suffering as He does His good work around the world.
- Providential protection of fellow Christians. May God grant the Christians there peace of His presence, joy for eternity, and physical protection.
Friends, we in America can’t even imagine the carnage. But, we can pray. Will you pray this week for the Afghan Christians?
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