April 12 Devotion - Praying during persecution and suffering

Two blasts targeting Coptic Christians in Egypt on Palm Sunday April 9 have killed at least 44 Coptic Orthodox Christians. An explosion at St George's Coptic Church in Tanta killed 27 people. Hours later, a blast outside St Mark's Coptic Church in Alexandria left 17 dead.

There are many Christians feeling persecution today in many countries.

Our first reaction may be anger, and thoughts of revenge, however let us remember what God Himself said:

Vengeance is Mine, and retribution

لِيَ النَّقْمَةُ وَأَنَا أُجَازِي.

A moi la vengeance et la retribution

 

Deuteronomy 32:35

What we can do is to pray for all Christians in suffering, and the Christians of Egypt, and seek the Lord’s guidance and wisdom and comfort to our feelings and actions, for we know that:

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

طُوبَى لِمَنْ يَتَحَمَّلُ الْمِحْنَةَ بِصَبْرٍ. فَإِنَّهُ، بَعْدَ أَنْ يَجْتَازَ الامْتِحَانَ بِنَجَاحٍ، سَيَنَالُ «إِكْلِيلَ الْحَيَاةِ» الَّذِي وَعَدَ بِهِ الرَّبُّ مُحِبِّيهِ!

James 1:12

Let us listen to the words of the Apostles James and Paul as they tell us:

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him…

James 1:2-5

For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.

Colossians 1:9-12

احسبوه كل فرح يا اخوتي حينما تقعون في تجارب متنوعة

3 عالمين ان امتحان ايمانكم ينشئ صبرا.

4 واما الصبر فليكن له عمل تام لكي تكونوا تامّين وكاملين غير ناقصين في شيء. لِذَلِكَ نَحْنُ أَيْضاً، مِنَ الْيَوْمِ الَّذِي فِيهِ سَمِعْنَا بِأَخْبَارِكُمْ، مَازِلْنَا نُصَلِّي وَنَتَضَرَّعُ لأَجْلِكُمْ، لأَنْ تَمْتَلِئُوا مِنْ تَمَامِ الْمَعْرِفَةِ لِمَشِيئَةِ اللهِ فِي كُلِّ حِكْمَةٍ وَإِدْرَاكٍ رُوحِيٍّ،

 10 لِكَيْ تَسْلُكُوا سُلُوكاً لاَئِقاً بِالرَّبِّ وَمُرْضِياً فِي كُلِّ شَيْءٍ، مُنْتِجِينَ الثَّمَرَ فِي كُلِّ عَمَلٍ صَالِحٍ وَنَامِينَ فِي مَعْرِفَةِ اللهِ إِلَى التَّمَامِ،

 11 مُتَشَدِّدِينَ بِكُلِّ قُوَّةٍ مُوَافِقَةٍ لِقُدْرَةِ مَجْدِهِ، لِتَتَمَكَّنُوا تَمَاماً مِنَ الاحْتِمَالِ وَطُولِ الْبَالِ،

 12 رَافِعِينَ الشُّكْرَ بِفَرَحٍ لِلآبِ الَّذِي جَعَلَكُمْ أَهْلاً لِلاشْتِرَاكِ فِي مِيرَاثِ الْقِدِّيسِينَ فِي (مَلَكُوتِ) النُّورِ،

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for the Christian victims of persecution and their loved ones :

Abba Father, thank You for Your abundant blessings and for the riches of Your grace and mercy. Thank You Lord that You go before Your people; let them feel Lord God Your presence and let them know beyond a shadow of a doubt that You are with them. Let them have total faith that You will never fail or abandon them. Lord please remove from them any feelings of sadness, fear or dismay. Lord You promised; and we hold You to Your promise; that You will strengthen them and assure them of Your help; that You will certainly take hold of them with Your righteous right hand which is a hand of justice, of power, of victory, and of salvation. Lord fill them with the knowledge of Your will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; so that they may walk worthy of You Lord, fully pleasing You, strengthened with all might, according to Your glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy. In the Holy Name of Jesus we pray. To Jesus be the glory and the power and the dominion before all time and now and forever and ever. Amen.

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein