International (MNN/WEA) — North Korea will be the focus of a worldwide prayer effort that's bringing many evangelical groups together.
The International Day of Prayer for North Korea will be Sunday, April 27. It calls Christians worldwide to repentance and prayer for the nation of North Korea–a country regarded as the worst persecutor of Christians and one of the worst human rights violating countries in the world today.
According to the World Evangelical Alliance, the purpose of this day of prayer is to increase Global Intercession for the healing of North Korea. They're earnestly asking all ministries and individuals worldwide to pray and mobilize prayer for North Korea at this time as we look to our Lord Jesus Christ with hope.
Pray for the captives to be set free. There are an estimated 200,000 North Koreans, including women and children, currently being held in torture camps and enduring the most terrible cruelty. Many are Christians; most are imprisoned because they or their relatives are believed to be critical of the North Korean regime. Please intercede for the salvation of all prisoners and guards and for all torture camps to be permanently closed down.
Please pray for the restoration of human rights to all North Koreans, specifically handicapped persons, children, women, the elderly, and the estimated 40 percent of the population that is considered part of the "hostile class." Pray for those who are mercilessly persecuted because they or their relatives are believed to be critical of or are considered a blemish to the North Korean regime. Millions have starved to death, and many continue to starve because the regime has prevented the hostile class from receiving aid; all Christian families are classified as hostile. Please pray for justice, equality, and freedom to be restored to the North Korean people.
North Korea has been devastated by famine; millions have starved to death in the last 10 years and continue to starve. This is a man-made disaster with the government starving those considered to be part of the "hostile class"; international food aid has been diverted to the ruling party and the military. Please pray for sufficient food to reach those who are starving, breakthroughs for Christian aid workers to reach the poorest communities, and for an end to the famine.
Hundreds of thousands of North Koreans have fled to China to escape persecution and starvation. If caught by the Chinese police, they are forcibly repatriated back to North Korea where they face imprisonment or execution. In order to survive, many of the refugees become victims of human trafficking and other horrific crimes. Please pray for the welfare of the North Korean refugees, that the Chinese government will stop forcing them to return to North Korea. Pray for refugees to find true peace and sanctuary.
The majority of people in North Korea have never heard the Word of God or heard the name of Jesus Christ. They are forced to worship Kim Jong-Il and his deceased father, Kim Il-Sung, as gods; Christianity is seen as the greatest threat to the North Korean regime. In 2005, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom reported that "there are virtually no personal freedoms in North Korea and no protection for universal human rights." Please pray for the walls of idolatry and communism to collapse and for new and godly government; pray for God to raise up Christian leaders within North Korea. Pray also for freedom and spiritual awakening, that all North Korean people will know the Truth.
North Korean Christians have routinely suffered torture and execution for their faith; they are widely regarded as the most persecuted believers in the world. Yet in the midst of such persecution, the North Korean believers display faithfulness and love for God that is extraordinary; some North Korean refugees after being converted in China decide to return to North Korea in order to spread the Gospel. Please pray for the North Korean Christians, that they would be greatly encouraged and strengthened; pray for their protection, provision, and guidance, and that they would be used in an even greater way for God's glory.
Please pray for the dedicated Christian workers that have been laboring to bring about change for North Koreans through prayer and advocacy; pray for all of those working within the North Korea human rights movement including those who have escaped North Korea and now are working to bring freedom and human rights to their homeland; pray for those in China helping North Korean refugees, and for Christian NGOs that work inside North Korea. Please pray for their spiritual protection and empowerment as they wage battle against the darkness in North Korea, for a spirit of unity and partnership between them, for the Christian Church throughout the world to join in united prayer for North Korea, and for God to send more workers into the harvest.
After the Second World War, Korea was divided into two countries with the north coming under communist rule and the south under the influence of the west. Many families were divided. Pray for the unification of North and South Korea under the banner of Jesus Christ—pray that the walls of division and prejudice would crumble and that there would be healing, unification and forgiveness in Jesus' Name.
Before the installation of the Communist regime in 1945, North Korea was a center of great Christian revival; Pyongyang, the capitol of North Korea, was once even known as the "Jerusalem of the East." Pray for North Korea's coming revival to be even greater than the former, for God's life and presence to utterly fumigate North Korea, and that God would restore the entire nation back to Him.
Pray for the fulfillment of 2 Chronicles 7:14 worldwide: that we, the Global Church and Body of Christ, would humble ourselves, pray and seek God's face, and turn from our wicked ways so that God's healing flood will be released upon the nations. Pray our Lord's personal prayer, that "they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. (John 17:21)." Pray that this would now come to fulfillment. Pray that we would suffer with all of our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world and truly love one another as He has loved us (John 13:34), that the Body of Christ will be healed and made perfect in unity (John 17:23) to manifest God's glory to the nations. Pray that we would be awakened by the Spirit of Truth (John 16:13) to see the whiteness of the world harvest (John 4:35) and to understand God's love and urgency for the nations (Mark 16:15); that we would pray, give, and go for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 13:44-46) and Christ's Great Commission (Matthew 28:19).
