Intro

This week we pray for our persecuted brothers, sisters, and the children greatly impacted by these hardships across the world. These are requests that come directly from the partners of Voice of the Martyrs Korea (VOMK) across many different nations. A big thank you to Pastor Tim Dillmuth and VOMK for sharing this with our church family.

Each day there will be a Scripture to meditate on and specific prayer request from Christians experiencing persecution right now. Please take both the Scripture truth and the specific request into your time of fasting and prayer.

For those of you who are interested in fasting this week, we would love for you to join us. There is no special requirement to participate. It is a simple heart response to what God is doing in your life and in His Body. Practically speaking, Biblical fasting is purposefully abstaining from food for a spiritual purpose. This does not necessarily mean abstaining from every meal all week long. In fact, if you do not fast regularly then it’s recommended that you start by skipping one meal and use that time normally spent on eating food to instead read through the daily prayer notes, meditate on God’s Word, and hunger after God in prayer and communion with Him. Feel free to adjust your fasting amount from there. Do not compare your fasting amount with anyone else and make this into a competition. This is YOUR heart response to God. During this time learn how to follow His leading and how to feast on His spiritual provisions. Each time you feel physical hunger, may you believe and experience what Jesus declared in the wilderness as He was fasting and praying, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” (Matthew 4:4; see also Deuteronomy 8:3).

Day 1

Today we experienced the blessing of worshipping, connecting, and hearing God’s Word through our livestream service. However, there are many Christians in the world right now who are unable to do even that during this ongoing pandemic. Today’s prayer note focuses on this reality and calls us to pray God’s truth and for our brothers and sisters in China banned from worshipping online.

Today’s Scripture:

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! 2 Timothy 2:8-9

내가 전한 복음대로 다윗의 씨로 죽은 자 가운데서 다시 살아나신 예수 그리스도를 기억하라 복음으로 말미암아 내가 죄인과 같이 매이는 데까지 고난을 받았으나 하나님의 말씀은 매이지 아니하니라 디모데후서 2:8-9

CHINA — Online Preaching Banned

The two official church bodies in Shandong province announced in a joint statement that authorities have banned all online preaching. The Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) and China Christian Council (CCC) sent a joint statement to all member churches on Feb. 23, 2020, stating that “leaders of supervision departments” ordered all livestreamed preaching should cease and that churches that gather should be sought out and stopped. Both the TSPM and the CCC are state-run religious organizations, meaning that they report to the Chinese Communist Party. As the government has systematically moved to close churches (both official and unapproved), many congregations have moved online. However, it looks like the government wishes to clamp down on this religious activity as well. Continue to pray for Christians in China and remember that God’s word is never bound.

중국 – 온라인 설교 금지

중국 산둥성 국영 교회 조직 두 곳이 공동 성명을 발표하여 중국 당국이 온라인 설교를 전면 금지했다고 밝혔습니다. 2020년 2월 23일, ‘삼자 애국운동’과 ‘중국 기독교협의회’는 모든 교회 교인에게 공동 성명서를 발송했습니다. “국영 교회를 감독하는 정부 부처 지도자들이” 예배 실황 중계를 전면 중단시킬 것과 오프라인에서 모이는 교회를 색출하여 모임을 중단시킬 것을 명령했다는 내용이었습니다. ‘삼자애국운동’과 ‘중국 기독교 협의회’는 정부에서 운영하는 종교 조직으로 공산당 정부에 활동 사항을 보고해야 합니다. 공산당 정부가 국영 교회와 비인가 교회 둘 다 폐쇄하는 쪽으로 조직적으로 정책을 바꾸자 많은 교회가 온라인으로 이동했습니다. 하지만 중국 정부는 이러한 종교 활동까지 엄중히 단속하려는 것 같습니다. 중국의 기독교인들을 위해 계속 기도해주시기 바랍니다. 그리고 하나님의 말씀은 한정되지 않는 것을 기억 하시길 바랍니다. (디모데후서2:9)