How should I pray for persecuted Christians?

Ask God for their courage, comfort, safety, and provision; for wisdom in danger and strength to forgive; and for an end to their suffering. You can pray by name for people you know, or simply for 'all who suffer for your name.'

Does the Bible tell us to pray for the persecuted?

Yes. Hebrews 13:3 says to remember those in bonds as if bound with them, and 1 Corinthians 12:26 says when one member suffers, all suffer. To pray is to refuse to forget the suffering family of faith.

Is there anything I should avoid when helping persecuted believers?

Yes. Never name, map, locate, or publicize vulnerable believers or their gatherings, because attention can put them in danger. The safest help is quiet and prayerful. Support trustworthy, established relief work rather than drawing attention.

Remember them

Prayer for Persecuted Christians

Across the world and through history, some believers have followed Jesus at real cost. Scripture calls the rest of the family to remember them as if we ourselves were suffering alongside them. You cannot always reach them, and you should never do anything that could expose or endanger them, but you can always pray, and prayer is never wasted.

The Bible calls us to remember

“Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.”

Hebrews 13:3

“And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.”

1 Corinthians 12:26

To pray for those who suffer is to refuse to forget them. It is one of the most real things you can do, and it costs the sufferer nothing and risks nothing.

How you might pray

You do not need special words. You might ask God for their courage and comfort; for their safety and provision; for wisdom in danger; for the strength to forgive; and for the day when pressure gives way to peace. You can pray by name for people you know, or simply for 'all who suffer for your name' when you know no names, which is often the safest way.

“Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.”

Matthew 5:44

A word of care

Love that remembers the suffering never wants to expose them. Please do not name, map, publicize, or seek out the locations of vulnerable believers or their gatherings; attention can be dangerous. The safest and most faithful help is quiet, prayerful, and unpublicized. God knows every name you cannot, and every place you must not speak.

One step further: How have Christians faced persecution through history? →

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A prayer, and a friend to turn to

Father, I lift up all who suffer for their faith in you, those I could never name and those I will never meet. Be their shield and their comfort. Give them courage, provision, and peace. Soften hearts set against them, and hasten the day when fear gives way to your love. In Jesus' name, amen.

You do not have to carry this alone, and you do not have to prove anything to anyone. Jesus knew rejection from the inside, and he draws near to the frightened and the weary. If your heart is heavy, you can quietly bring it to him, and you can ask for prayer here, privately, in your own words.

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Jesus Christ is Lord.

Frequently asked questions

How should I pray for persecuted Christians?: Ask God for their courage, comfort, safety, and provision; for wisdom in danger and strength to forgive; and for an end to their suffering. You can pray by name for people you know, or simply for 'all who suffer for your name.'
Does the Bible tell us to pray for the persecuted?: Yes. Hebrews 13:3 says to remember those in bonds as if bound with them, and 1 Corinthians 12:26 says when one member suffers, all suffer. To pray is to refuse to forget the suffering family of faith.
Is there anything I should avoid when helping persecuted believers?: Yes. Never name, map, locate, or publicize vulnerable believers or their gatherings, because attention can put them in danger. The safest help is quiet and prayerful. Support trustworthy, established relief work rather than drawing attention.

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