Lausanne World Pulse – Perspectives Articles – The Persecuted Church Taught Me to Pray
By Al Janssen
October / November 2009
About six years ago I was asked by a friend to intercede for twenty-two men in an Islamic country. These men were among the first Christian converts in an area dominated by Muslim extremists. With a growing number of followers of Jesus in this region, these brothers had been chosen for seminary-level training in preparation for ordination. Since they could not attend a conventional school, they met in secret for one week each month, changing locations frequently to avoid detection.
Within six months of receiving that assignment, two of these men had died a martyr’s death. The loss of these two brothers and the high stakes for those who remained forced me to plead with God like the disciples of Jesus: “Lord, teach me to pray!” In answer to that prayer, God has taught me five lessons that enable me to pray meaningfully for my Muslim background brothers and many others in the persecuted Church.
1. Wait upon the Lord
The first lesson I had to learn emerged out of Jesus’ agony on the night he was betrayed. Knowing he was going to the cross, Christ asked his three closest companions to “keep watch with me.” Instead, they slept. Jesus pleaded with Peter: “Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?” (Matthew 26:40). “Watch and pray” he urged them. But what were they watching for? Jesus said Peter should pray he would not fall into temptation. Somehow, by watching Jesus, Peter would see and learn from our Lord’s struggle.
In If Ye Shall Ask, Oswald Chambers wrote of Gethsemane, saying:
“Tarry ye here, and watch with me.” Is my idea of prayer based on the keen watching that Jesus Christ asked of his disciples? These three men were taken and appointed by our Lord for one purpose—to see his agony. … He did not put them there to go to sleep; he put them there to wait and watch. … He took these three with him to see the unveiling of his heart—and they slept for their own sorrow.
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As I have traveled to the persecuted Church, particularly in the Muslim world, I have frequently prayed this prayer: “Lord, may I see what you see, hear what you hear, love what you love, hate what you hate, and feel what you feel.”
I remember an early glimpse God revealed of his perspective: I was dining in Bethlehem with a distinguished professor of Islam and I took advantage of the opportunity to ask him many questions about the practice of his faith. When I asked him about the Hajj—the pilgrimage every Muslim is required to take at least once in his lifetime—I discovered he had led three groups to Mecca and Medina.
For the next hour he described all of the preparation: pilgrims need to ask forgiveness of anyone they have hurt or offended, to pay off their debts, and to read and meditate on the Quran. Then, during their journey they must behave perfectly—if they curse or get angry at another pilgrim, they have failed and might as well stop and go home. At that moment, I felt a deep compassion in my heart, realizing that many Muslims were trying hard to please God through their efforts. This professor knew nothing about grace. That insight led me to pray for him and develop a long-term friendship. It also helped me to realize that many Muslims who persecute Christians believe they are pleasing God by their actions. As a result, I pray for the persecutors—that, like Saul who became Paul, they might see Jesus.
2. Use the Psalms as Your Prayer Book
As a boy, I participated in a famous church choir which sang through the Psalms every month. We tended to judge a psalm by its length—the shorter the better. Today, I see the Psalms as a rich treasure trove to guide my prayer life. Usually I pray through three each day, with at least one dedicated to my friends in the persecuted Church.
For example, following Psalm 55, I pray: “Listen to my prayer, O God…. My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught” (55:1). Although I often have limited information about my suffering brothers and sisters, I can be fairly sure that most of them have troubled thoughts. David goes on to proclaim that the terrors of death assail him, and I know that those I pray for face death threats, sometimes daily. “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest—I would flee far away and stay in the desert” (55:6-7). Surely my friends have such thoughts—who wouldn’t yearn for escape from the threats and attacks of Muslim fundamentalists?
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Al Janssen is communications director at Open Doors International and has written two books with Brother Andrew: Light Force and Secret Believers. You can learn more about how to pray for the persecuted Church at www.secretbelievers.org. |