[Today’s Prayer] Leaders of Christian persecution response organizations expand cooperation for the persecuted Church worldwide

Christian Daily International (CDI), based in the United States, reported on April 28 (local time) that leaders of major Christian ministry organizations serving persecuted Christians around the world have launched a new united prayer initiative and are strengthening their cooperation. This movement, in which the heads of each organization commit to gathering regularly for prayer while seeking solidarity and strategic collaboration in persecution response ministries, is being noted as a meaningful turning point in the global religious freedom field.

This united prayer gathering was led by International Christian Concern (ICC) and was officially introduced at the recent annual consultation of the Religious Liberty Partnership (RLP) held in Prague, Czech Republic. It is being evaluated not merely as an expansion of networks, but as an effort driven by the awareness that ministries serving the persecuted Church should work more closely together on the foundation of spiritual unity.

Sean Wright, president of ICC, explained that this prayer gathering is not meant to remain a symbolic expression of solidarity, but to serve as a starting point for building deeper structures of cooperation for the persecuted Church. According to participants, on April 27 nine CEOs of Christian ministry organizations met online for their first prayer gathering and agreed to develop it into a regular meeting going forward.

This initiative aims to deepen cooperation and alignment among organizations in ministries serving approximately 388 million persecuted Christians worldwide.

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Accordingly, it was emphasized that it is important to first become spiritually united through prayer and then, on that foundation, discuss practical methods of cooperation.

He said, “From mission fields on the ground to the U.S. Congress, and every area in between, the goal is to first pray together and then discuss and cooperate.”

This message has been received not simply as a proposal for cooperation, but as a reaffirmation that persecution response ministries can be more powerful through unity rather than competition.

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He shared that he had received a vision from God for ICC to serve a total of 10 million persecuted Christians, and that while meditating on that number, he came to feel an even greater sense of responsibility for all persecuted believers around the world.

He asked, “Then what about the countless other persecuted Christians? Can we turn away from them?” emphasizing the need for unity.

In particular, he stressed that unity among organizations is not merely a matter of efficiency, but is connected to the essential witness of the Christian community.

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This united prayer gathering of CEOs is being evaluated as especially meaningful in that it prioritizes spiritual unity before practical cooperation.

While RLP has cooperated for decades through joint advocacy and information sharing, this kind of attempt at unity—where top leaders of organizations regularly gather to pray—is being seen as another step forward.

Especially as persecution intensifies in many parts of the world, unity and shared discernment at the leadership level are expected to have a significant impact on future response strategies and collaborative projects.

Source: Christian Daily

“My soul, why are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.” (Psalm 42:5)

We hear the news that, under the leadership of International Christian Concern (ICC), representatives of nine Christian ministry organizations have come together to seek solidarity and strategic cooperation in persecution response ministries through a new regular united prayer for the sake of serving persecuted Christians.

Faithful God, who has called Your disciples and led the global Church to unite in one heart in prayer amid the intensifying persecution and oppression of Christians around the world on religious and political levels, please have compassion on the persecuted Church and guide persecution response ministries by the Holy Spirit so that they may be carried out in a manner worthy of Your calling.

Also, for the more than 380 million Christians in persecuted regions who are deprived of jobs and educational opportunities simply for believing in Jesus, and who face hardships in daily life and threats to their lives, may they hold fast to the love of God who is with them, place their hope only in Him, and seek His help.

May cooperation in regular prayer for the persecuted Church worldwide be further strengthened, and may You pour out Your power upon the community leaders who oversee these ministries, so that through the prayer movement responding to Christian persecution, the global Church in the last days may stand firm as the body of Christ, united and preparing the way for the Lord’s return.

As the global Church becomes co-laborers in faith for mission fields and commits to striving to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth, walking together in the path of Christ’s suffering on the cross, may every mission field stand firm in faith through the Lord’s word and calling even amid severe hardship and persecution, and ultimately greet the day of holy victory.