Those who are persecuted for righteousness are blessed, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. - Matthew 5:10

“Those who are persecuted for righteousness are blessed, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.” (Matthew 5:10 HCSB)

Each day millions of American Christians wake up in a land that affords them more liberties than any other country in the world. You are one of them, if you are a Christian. You are free to worship according to the dictates of your conscience, to read the Bible and carry it with you wherever you go, to financially support any ministry you choose, and to listen to any kind of Christian music you want. And you don’t have to fear imprisonment when you give an answer to others of the hope you have in Christ.

So many of our Christian brothers and sisters in other parts of the world can scarcely begin to imagine all the freedoms we take for granted. Consider North Korea, for example. In his book, Counter Culture, David Platt writes:

North Korea has a heinous human rights record. Food deprivation, forced labor, sexual violence, systematic torture, and public executions all characterize this communist country. Specifically, North Korea is known for putting people of any faith in prison camps called kwan-li-so, where some are eventually killed for their beliefs. For years, North Korea has been at the top of the World Watch List, a ranking of fifty countries that exposes the places where Christians are most persecuted in the world. If a North Korean is caught with a Bible or is suspected of having any contact with South Korean or Chinese Christians, he or she may be shot. North Korean police are trained to travel to China, posing as refugees and infiltrating churches there to discover contacts in the North Korean church. They create mock prayer meetings to catch and eventually murder North Korean Christians.[1]

As we celebrate another year of American liberty we have so much for which to give thanks. But if you would, join me in prayer for the persecuted church in North Korea, a church that faces so many hardships from which God has graciously spared us.

Father, encourage and strengthen the persecuted Christians in North Korea. Give them the power they need to persevere and to continue to witness for Christ, no matter the consequences.