God is working in persecuted nations - December 2021

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:10 (ESV)

1 in 8 Christians worldwide experience high levels of persecution.

Praise God!

For the hundreds of JESUS Film teams faithfully serving and sharing the gospel of Jesus around the world, often at great risks and cost.
For the 36,042 precious people who made decisions for Christ in the last month alone!

Perscuted
Nations

December 1-7

Prayer Points

Christians in more than 65 countries suffer interrogation, arrest, and even death for their faith in Jesus Christ.

Pray that God would give persecuted JESUS Film teams and pastors abundant boldness, courage, and joy as they proclaim the gospel and exhort their people to hold fast to Christ, especially as they celebrate the birth of Christ this month.

Pray for teams to have divine wisdom and creativity in getting Bibles and other gospel resources in the hands of persecuted believers.

Pray that believers in persecuted areas can experience the blessing of gathering with other believers for worship, as well as regular fellowship.

“I followed a religion that seeks peace through self-denial and worshipped spirits in our home. I watched the JESUS film, and now believe Jesus is the living God. I have decided to worship Him, but it will be extremely difficult because my family will not allow me to remove the idols from our house. I am willing to suffer oppression from my family because of my faith in Jesus.” — Ma, 38-years-old, living in a persecuted nation

Bangladesh

December 8-14

Prayer Points

Praise: last year, teams in Bangladesh planted 790 Preaching Points! Pray God raises up leaders for these church plants who are committed to authentic discipleship.

Nearly half of Bangladesh’s population is under age 24. Pray for this generation to hear and respond to God’s Word. Pray that they will choose to follow Jesus and stand strong for Him in the midst of persecution.

Pray for the encouragement of Christians, who are often the only believers in their village.

Team report: “Brother Sunil helped us show the JESUS film in his village, where many worship gods and goddesses. Even though we had received permission to show the film, some prohibited us and threatened to break our equipment. Then the village leaders arrived and allowed us to continue the showing. Although some continued to disagree, many villagers enjoyed the film. Most villagers gave their lives to Jesus and wanted to be baptized. We have formed a Preaching Point in this village.”

Persecuted
Nations

December 15-21

Prayer Points

On average, every day, 13 Christians are killed for their faith, 12 churches are attacked, 12 Christians are unjustly arrested or imprisoned, and 5 Christians are abducted.

Pray for the witness of believers to inspire those who seek to harm them.

Pray that whatever their circumstances, God will give persecuted Christians the right words.

Pray that persecuted Christians will understand and find peace in the sufficiency of God’s grace, even in their weaknesses.

Team report: “We met a demon worshipper named Arom. He has been doing black magic for 30 years and has been very successful. Many people come to him with their problems. When we visited Arom’s village to show the film, he was very angry and did some rituals to hurt us. He did not succeed because God’s power was protecting us. He realized Jesus is the one true God, and is more powerful than demons. He asked for a Bible and for us to tell him more about Christ. Now Arom’s life has changed and he is in Christ!”

Pakistan

December 22-31

Prayer Points

Over 99% of Pakistanis remain unreached by the gospel. Pray the 13 JESUS Film teams serving here can experience breakthroughs in reaching the lost.

Per capita, Pakistan is the most heroin-addicted country in the world. Pray for these millions of hopeless, weary people to find freedom in Christ. Pray the power of the gospel leads to incredible testimonies of restored families and healthy homes.

Pray for those in the highly-contested, northernmost region of Pakistan living in fear of violence and natural disaster. Pray they discover the peace and hope found in following Christ.

“My father struggled with diabetes for a very long time. I took him to many hospitals and tried every possible cure, but saw no hope. One day, my family and I watched the JESUS film. We saw Jesus heal many people, even when it seemed impossible. We learned that if we had faith in God, He could heal my father. I began fasting and praying for my father. Now he is totally fine and healthy by the grace of God! Our whole family regularly attends church. We are spiritually strong!” –Asif, 26-years-old