Romans 15:30-32 NIV,
[30] I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. [31] Pray that I may be kept safe from the unbelievers in Judea and that the contribution I take to Jerusalem may be favorably received by the Lord’s people there, [32] so that I may come to you with joy, by God’s will, and in your company be refreshed.
There’s one thing the Church continuously struggles with, prayer. There’s an entire underground church that doesn’t ask for financial help, food, clothing, or even Bibles. What does it ask for? Only prayer, yet rarely do we pray for them. Rarely do we even mention them.
We have national burger day. Ice cream day. Water day. We have so many different random unofficial holidays in the US, but we don’t have a day we come together as a Church, and pray for the underground Church. Those being persecuted simply for believing in Christ and refusing to deny Him. They’re beaten. Tortured. Land and homes taken away. They’re taken to concentration camps. Why? For their belief Christ. For refusing to deny Him. For refusing to stop speaking about Him.
We are the most financially steady Church in generations, but we are the most lukewarm. We are financially rich, but spiritually poor. We don’t have the spiritual growth it takes to get on our knees and pray for one hour a day, but we can binge a show for 8 to 10 hours straight. When the Church didn’t pray, James was beheaded. When the Church prayed, Peter was saved and delivered from prison by an angel. There are countless Christians suffering right now. Their only request is prayer. How will you answer?