Asia (MNN)–U-S President George Bush focused on the issue of religious freedoms in a speech this week during his economic tour of Asia.
His remarks follow the report by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom criticizing many of the Asian governments on their religious freedom violations.
Open Doors USA’s Carl Moeller says this was important to raise awareness. “The visit of President Bush to the Asia Rim countries is drawing attention to realties of persecution for our brothers and sisters there, especially in the country of North Korea. North Korea remains at the top of our World Watch List of the world’s worst persecutors of Christians around the world.”
The conditions for Christians in North Korea are grim. Thousands of believers suffer cruel treatment in concentration camps. Some are treated worse than animals. Christianity is observed as one of the greatest threats to the regime of Kim Jong Il, who is worshipped as a god by millions of North Koreans.
Moeller says they launched an international 24-hour 7-day a week prayer chain for North Korea. “We’re asking Americans to sign up for 10 minutes a week to blanket North Korea with strategic prayer that Christians would be strengthened in this persecution and that the regime of North Korea would fall.”
In terms of effectiveness, Moeller says prayer is one of their most effective methods of being heard. He explains that, “after an Open Doors prayer campaign of seven years and prayers worldwide for the Soviet Union, the Berlin Wall fell.”
That campaign was followed by 10 years of prayer for the Muslim World resulting in an increased request from Muslims to know Jesus Christ.
