Prayers for Persecuted Christians
God’s Way Bible Study
Tuesday, November 4, 2025
In this teaching, we have first the lesson notes. These notes are followed by a list of prayer points.
Persecution of Christians: The Reason, The Goal and The Methods.
The Reason:
The enemy hates Christians because we represent light in the world.
John 1:4-9 ESV In him was life, and the life was the light of men. [5] The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. [6] There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. [7] He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. [8] He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. [9] The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
The enemy hates the light.
John 3:19-20 ESV And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. [20] For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.
The hatred of Christians by the enemy is coupled with fear. Christians need to know that we pose a threat to the kingdom of darkness.
Psalm 18:43-50 KJ21 Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and Thou hast made me the head of the heathen; a people whom I have not known shall serve me. [44] As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me; the strangers shall submit themselves unto me. [45] The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places. [46] The LORD liveth, and blessed be my Rock! And let the God of my salvation be exalted! [47] It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me; [48] He delivereth me from mine enemies. Yea, Thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me; Thou hast delivered me from violent men. [49] Therefore will I give thanks unto Thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto Thy name. [50] Great deliverance giveth He to His king and showeth mercy to His anointed, to David and to his seed for evermore.
Christians are too often ignorant of their position and authority. The enemy capitalizes on that ignorance. He uses temptation and threats (carrots and sticks) against the ignorant.
Daniel 11:32 KJ21 And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries; but the people who do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.
Nehemiah 6:11-12 ESV But I said, "Should such a man as I run away? And what man such as I could go into the temple and live? I will not go in." [12] And I understood and saw that God had not sent him, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
Nehemiah 6:11-12 NLT But I replied, "Should someone in my position run from danger? Should someone in my position enter the Temple to save his life? No, I won't do it!" [12] I realized that God had not spoken to him, but that he had uttered this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
The Goal:
To eradicate true Christianity.
If he can get his way, the enemy wants to wipe out the Christian faith.
He hasn’t succeeded, but not from a lack of trying. Failing that, the enemy allows Nominal Christianity… Christian on in name.
2 Timothy 3:5 KJ21
having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof. From such turn away.
The devil has no problem with nominal Christianity. He actually likes to promote it because he can co-opt it into his agenda. Nominal Christianity works like vaccination… give the person enough religion that he becomes immune to the real thing.
The Methods:
A three-pronged approach… kill off, turn off, and turn away.
Killing Off of the true followers of the Way.
When the enemy kills Christians, he hopes not only to kill to quench their light, but by so doing prevent the lost world from accessing the light.
This method has been tried from the beginning m but it has never worked.
2. Turning off people from truly following the way.
The enemy hopes that when the yet-be-saved world sees that being a Christian is mortally dangerous, they will be turned off from Christ and His gospel.
This method has also always ended in disappointment. All through church history, persecution has always made the church stronger, numerically and in vibrancy.
3. Turning away of Christians from the truth.
When the enemy kills Christians, the enemy hopes that Christians who are left will either turn away from following the Lord, denying him, and hiding their faith, (backsliding).
If that fails, he hopes that they become so angry that they will turn away from His teachings and start to practice a militant form of Christianity, one which Christ decried.
John 18:36 ESV Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world."
Matthew 6:22-23 ESV "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, [23] but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
We must respond to darkness in accordance with the light. We shine the light when we employ a method that is opposite to darkness.
If we respond in a manner that is similar to the world, if we employ their methods, we run the risk of allowing our lights to become darkness.
For our eyes to be good, we must walk by faith and not by sight. To walk by faith, we must believe God. We must be fully persuaded that His methods work. We must believe that His wisdom is superior.
Galatians 3:1-6 ESV O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. [2] Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? [3] Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? [4] Did you suffer so many things in vain-if indeed it was in vain? [5] Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith- [6] just as Abraham "believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"?
We must never allow ourselves to be so triggered by the enemy that we respond in the flesh. In difficult times, we must recognize and resist our natural tendency to react in the flesh, to react emotionally, in fear, in anger, instead of responding by faith.
Isaiah 30:15-16 ESV For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, "In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength." But you were unwilling, [16] and you said, "No! We will flee upon horses"; therefore you shall flee away; and, "We will ride upon swift steeds"; therefore your pursuers shall be swift.
We must trust so completely in the Lord that we are willing to go all the way and even lose our lives for His cause, if He deems it necessary.
Matthew 16:24-27 ESV Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. [25] For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. [26] For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? [27] For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.
PRAYERS
Prayers for Persecuted Christians
Prayer of Thanksgiving that God heard our prayers.
2. Thank God for moving the heart of President Trump to declare Nigeria “a country of particular concern.”
3. However one may view President Trump, let’s thank God for using a man he created.
Isaiah 45:1-6 ESV Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed: [2] "I will go before you and level the exalted places, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron, [3] I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places, that you may know that it is I, the LORD, the God of Israel, who call you by your name. [4] For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name, I name you, though you do not know me. [5] I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, [6] that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the LORD, and there is no other.
4. Thanksgiving that the Nigerian government is responding positively.
Isaiah 45:1-6 ESV Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed.
5. Pray that the leaders in both countries will be surrounded with godly counsel.
Proverbs 25:5 ESV take away the wicked from the presence of the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness.
6. Pray that American intervention will not lead to an increase in killings.
Instead of military action, may the American and Nigerian governments receive divine wisdom to reach an agreeable solution that will end the killings either by Islamists or by Fulani herdsmen.
7. Pray that the demonic princes and powers ruling over the air in Nigeria will be rebuked, overthrown, and rendered powerless.
Colossians 2:10 KJ21 And ye are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power,
Ephesians 1:19-23 KJ21 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, [20] which He wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, [21] far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. [22] And God hath put all things under His feet, and hath given Him to be the head over all things to the church, [23] which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all.
Colossians 2:15 KJ21 and having despoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
8. Pray that the church will not embrace a vindictive heart, that the church will not rejoice in the destruction of Islamists.
Proverbs 24:29 ESV Do not say, "I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for what he has done."
Proverbs 24:17-18 ESV Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, [18] lest the LORD see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him.
9. Pray that the church will surrender to God’s will, to not seek their destruction but rather to pray for the salvation of Islamists all over the world.
Ezekiel 33:11 ESV Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?
2 Peter 3:9 KJ21 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
1 Corinthians 15:45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam become a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
10. Pray that for every martyr who has been killed, many more Christians will be raised to take their place.
Acts 8:4-8 ESV Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. [5] Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. [6] And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. [7] For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. [8] So there was much joy in that city.
11. Pray that the blood of the martyrs will cry for better things than the blood of Abel.
Genesis 4:10-11 ESV And the LORD said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground. [11] And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.
Hebrews 12:24 NLT You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.
12. Pray that the Lord will cleanse the land.
Numbers 35:33 ESV You shall not pollute the land in which you live, for blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it.
Psalm 106:38 NLT They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters. By sacrificing them to the idols of Canaan, they polluted the land with murder.
13. Pray there will be a godly outcome of salvation and righteousness in Nigeria.
Isaiah 45:8 ESV "Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit; let the earth cause them both to sprout; I the LORD have created it.
14. Pray that we, the body of Christ will not celebrate too soon, but will receive grace to persist in prayers. Even when this issue is resolved, believers will be encouraged to continue praying for every nation, including America, Jamaica, Ukraine, Russia, Israel, Gaza, Venezuela, Columbia, Iran, Pakistan.
1 Timothy 2:1-4 ESV First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, [2] for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. [3] This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, [4] who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
15. Pray that Jesus will make His church glorious, having no spot more wrinkle or any such thing.
The church seems to be living in alternate parallel multiverses.
The seven churches of Revelation seem to be alive all the same time.
In some parts of Nigeria and other places, Christians are paying the ultimate price for their faith. Like the persecuted church in Smyrna.
Pray that the Lord will both strengthen and protect His church. The gates of Hell will never prevail.
Meanwhile, the church in the western world is catering to, and in some cases has ultimately surrendered to the ungodly agenda of the LGBTQ movement. This has led to major church splits within the Methodist Church, and more recently the Anglican Church. Like the corrupt church in Thyatira.
Pray that the Holy Spirit will reveal to the leaders of these churches their errors and move them to quick repentance.
In other parts of Europe, the church is basically dead. Cathedrals are being turned into mosques, museums, night clubs and grocery stores. The few that are holding on see only about 20 elderly worshippers in buildings that can hold a thousand people. Like the dead church in Sardis.
Pray that new fire will be fanned from the embers of these dying and dead churches. Ask the Lord to raise intercessors like John Knox who will not accept this unacceptable condition of the church in their land.
In some other places, in Africa, the Americas, the church has just become a greed-driven pyramid business in which the top leaders are competing over who has the best private jets, other tiers beneath them also fleecing the flock as much as they can get away with. Like the blind, naked and miserable church in Laodicea.
Pray that the mercy of the will reach these churches, and that the fire of revival will burn in these churches.
At the same time, there is a steady spiritual growth in unlikely places like Iran, China and even North Korea. Like the small but faithful church in Philadelphia.
Pray that these churches will grow stronger in faith, greater in power and farther in influence.
Pray for yourself. Ask the Lord to reveal to you what role you are to play in His kingdom in your generation. Ask make you Him to empower you
Pray for grace to pray.
When God is ready to do a new thing, He invites His people to pray.
Zechariah 10:1 KJ21
Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.
2 Chronicles 7:13-15 ESV
When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, [14] if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. [15] Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.
May God give you a willingness to pray.
Psalm 110:3-4 ESV
Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours. [4] The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, "You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek."
May God increase your capacity to pray.
Luke 6:12-16 NLT
One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. [13] At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles. Here are their names: [14] Simon (whom he named Peter), Andrew (Peter's brother), James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, [15] Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (who was called the zealot), [16] Judas (son of James), Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).
Hebrews 5:7 ESV
In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.
May God give you victory over all resistance and opposition and make time for you to pray.
Daniel 6:10 NLT
But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.
