Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also. Heb. 13:3

If you had a close family member that had been falsely accused, arrested without evidence and incarcerated without a trial, you would be up in arms, would you not? You would pitch an absolute fit, hire lawyers, go to the media, call your representative, get all your friends to stage a protest, appeal to the President, just for starters, and rightly so. If you were in America. If you found out your relative was being mistreated in any way, if their living conditions in prison were inadequate, if their food was unfit to eat, if the guards were abusive, you would turn up the heat, you would be frantic, even in a frenzy to make it stop immediately, and rightly so. If you were in America.

Well, I hate to inform you of this, but your brother and your sister have been arrested under such circumstances and are suffering horribly right now, only the conditions are much worse than I have described. Beatings, torture, rape, starvation, no medical treatment and despicable living conditions and other details I will spare you, are daily realities for your brothers and sisters in Christ in many countries around the world.

In communist Eritrea, bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan and the Red Sea, about 2000 of our family members, people we will spend Eternity with, are suffering unspeakably. Many are being ‘housed’ in metal shipping containers. Stop a moment please and allow that picture to sink in. You and I don’t know them, we’ve never seen their faces or heard their names. We don’t know their children, many of whom are living with them in these conditions. But don’t let this reality escape you—they ARE our brothers and sisters, in a relationship deeper, longer lasting and even more significant than our ‘real’ family members. Take that seriously and personally. Jesus does. “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?”

Let me offer a couple of practical suggestions.

First, get on the mailing list for Voice of the Martyrs. Box 443, Bartlesville OK 74005-0443. 877-337-0302. www.persecution.com. Inform yourself. Get your church or Bible Study group involved.

Second, do you have any chronic or recurring aches or pains? Major, minor, nagging, irritating, distracting? Make a commitment to the Lord to allow your discomfort to remind you to pray for the Persecuted Church around the world. Every time you are aware of pain, pray for someone who is suffering for the cause of the Gospel and the Name of Jesus. Ask the Holy Spirit to remind you and to help you make it a habit.

November 13, 2011 is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. The Scripture reveals that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father interceding for His Church. When Stephen, the first Christian martyr was dying, Jesus stood up. Let us join Him in interceding for and standing up for our suffering brothers and sisters.