A Test of Love
“Love is patient, love is kind. It
does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It
does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily
angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love
does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always
hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails…” *
Sunday, November 1st
is the designated “International Day of Prayer” for Christians around the world
who have been or who are being persecuted for their faith in Christ. Last year,
our church opened its doors on two campuses for people to pray during a twelve-hour
period, from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. During the night hours, people prayed at
home individually or in small groups and then met together at 8:00 a.m. the
next morning to conclude twenty-four hours of prayer.
The focus of that
vigil was on the plight of Christians in North Korea, revealing the severe
consequences that result from people taking a stand for Christ in that country.
Participating in the vigil was a moving experience, convincing many of us to commit
to praying regularly for the persecuted church around the world. When it ended,
we hoped to hold another 24 hours of prayer in November of 2020.
No one could have
predicted a pandemic that would impact people around the globe, disrupting our
lives and putting many of our plans on hold. While the prayer vigil this year
has been changed to online and at home prayer meetings, it is still crucial for
us to pray, maybe even more crucial due to increased suffering caused by the
pandemic. In fact, the most common request of persecuted Christians is to “Pray
for us.” (www.persecution.com/idop/)
The focus of the International
Day of Prayer for 2020 is the Central African Republic, where Christians have
suffered from attacks by Islamic extremists for the past eight years. Over
30,000 Christians in that country have been displaced due to their “faithful
witness for Christ,” according to a video on the IDOP website that features a
woman named Janette, a citizen of the Central African Republic.
In the video,
Janette tells how she loves Jesus, her children and her country with all of her
heart. Her hope for a peaceful life was shattered one day when truckloads of
Islamic attackers invaded her village. She and her children fled for their
lives in the bush, without time to even grab their clothes or shoes.
All of the
Christians in Janette’s village were either killed or driven into hiding. Since
that time, she and her children have been living in a remote camp with other
displaced people. Supplies are hard to get to them as well as to others living
in makeshift camps due to poor, nearly inaccessible roads.
Churches, missionary stations and homes have
been burned to the ground as the violence continues in that country, but
Janette as well as other believers in Jesus have shown courage as well as God’s
love and forgiveness to those who have persecuted them.
They are trusting God to meet their
needs and for strength to continue to be faithful to Him.
May we commit
ourselves to: 1) pray for the advancement of “God’s eternal kingdom” in spite
of persecution 2) pray for their strength as they face the prospect of losing
everything by taking a stand for Christ 3) pray for Christians around the world
to be inspired by believers in the Central African Republic and to serve God
faithfully.
Help us, Lord, to
love!
The website to
view this video and find out more information is: https://www.persecution.com/idop/
“Prayer of St Francis”
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me bring love.
Where there is offence, let me bring pardon.
Where there is discord, let me bring union.
Where there is error, let me bring truth.
Where there is doubt, let me bring faith.
Where there is despair, let me bring hope.
Where there is darkness, let me bring your light.
Where there is sadness, let me bring joy.
O Master, let me not seek as much
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love,
for it is in giving that one receives,
it is in self-forgetting that one finds,
it is in pardoning that one is pardoned,
it is in dying that one is raised to eternal life.
*1Corinthians 13:4-8a NIV
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