PRAYER AND PRAISE
Please pray for the persons whose last name begins with the letter “Y” on your prayer list, which includes your address book, church directory and email list.
Please remember to pray for the Biblical churches and pastors in the STATES OF ARKANSAS and HAWAII. (REMEMBER THAT IF YOU KNOW BIBLICAL PASTORS IN THESE STATES TO LET US KNOW THEIR NAMES AND CHURCHES AND WE WILL PRAY FOR THEM).
Please click this link to use the “Share a Prayer Request” form located on the top right of the website page: Small Church Ministries: Prayer.
Please pray for Brian L: Pastor please lift me up in prayer as I have a group presentation
Justin G : Most Christians will never know what it feels like to be kidnapped for their faith.
They will never wake up unsure whether they will see their family again. They will never spend months wondering if rescue is coming. They will never experience the loneliness, fear, and uncertainty that thousands of persecuted believers and missionaries face around the world.
But some have.
And one former hostage says the prayers missionaries need most might surprise you.
More than 20 years ago, missionary Gracia Burnham and her husband, Martin, were abducted in the Philippines by the extremist group Abu Sayyaf. What began as a normal season of ministry became a 376-day nightmare.
The couple endured hunger, exhaustion, threats, and unimaginable hardship while being held captive in the jungle. Tragically, Martin was killed during a rescue operation in 2002. Gracia survived and returned home carrying both deep grief and profound faith.
Today, whenever she hears about missionaries being kidnapped, imprisoned, or persecuted for the Gospel, her heart immediately returns to those difficult days.
And her prayers are strikingly simple.
“God, help them get some food today. Give them peace deep in their hearts.”
Not fame. Not recognition. Not comfort.
Peace.
Because when everything else is stripped away, God’s presence becomes more precious than ever.
Around the world, countless missionaries continue serving in regions where sharing the Gospel comes with tremendous risk. Some face threats from criminal gangs. Others endure imprisonment, violence, intimidation, or rejection because of their faith in Christ.
Yet many continue serving anyway.
Why?
Because they believe the message of Jesus is worth sharing, even when the cost is high.
Their stories rarely make headlines. Their sacrifices often go unnoticed. But heaven sees every act of faithfulness.
The apostle Paul understood this reality well. He faced imprisonment, beatings, shipwrecks, and persecution, yet he continued proclaiming Christ because he knew the Gospel was worth everything.
That same courage lives on today in missionaries who faithfully serve in dangerous places.
Perhaps the greatest lesson from Gracia Burnham’s story is this: when human solutions seem limited, prayer is never powerless.
The persecuted church does not need our pity nearly as much as it needs our prayers.
Pray for strength when they are weary.
Pray for courage when they are afraid.
Pray for protection when they face danger.
Pray for families separated by persecution.
And pray that even in the darkest circumstances, Christ would be glorified.
Because while the world may forget their names, God never forgets His servants.
If this moved you, take a moment to pray for persecuted Christians and missionaries around the world and share this post to encourage others to do the same.
Faith and Bible based ministry that encourages the faithfulness of the local church and their leaders to the LORD.
Prayer request policy: If you want the prayer request to be private or just between me and you, please say so in the email. I will pray for those requests. If you don’t mind others praying for the request, then just send the request with no restrictions and I will put it in the devotional for other to pray. We don’t include last names in any of our prayer requests. Thank you.
Please invite friends to visit our website: www.smallchurchministries.org or visit our Facebook page at Small Church Ministries with a Bible logo. If they would like to receive the devotions via email – please have them send their address to me with “devotional” in the message box. Also, if you don’t receive the devotions because you have visited our website or some other source please sign up. The devotions normally go out each covering a chapter of the Bible each day. In three and a half years the entire Bible is covered. Thank you.
