And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill, and you will be hatedby all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.

Lord Jesus, our Saviour in Matthew 24:5-11 NKJV

Christians being persecuted and nations at war are not a new thing. It should not take us, who believe in God and follow Jesus Christ, unawares.

Lord Jesus Himself prepared us, like He prepared His disciples and followers when He was here on earth. He stated that these things will happen as signs of His return.

Our stance, as Christians, is to “Watch and pray!” The same command the Lord Jesus gave to His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane is meant for us right now.

Watch and pray

Watch what’s happening in the world and pray about it!

• Pray for fellow Christians who are being persecuted for their faith. Ask God to strengthen them through the ordeal, and bring them through stronger and deeper in faith in Jesus Christ than before they accepted Him as Saviour and Lord.
• Pray for fellow Christians and innocent civilians caught in the current war zones in Israel, Iran, and other Middle Eastern countries. Pray for their safety and for God to provide their immediate needs for shelter, water, and medical supplies if needed.
• Pray for the soldiers of all the countries that are at war. Yes, for those who are Christian, Jews, Muslims, Hamas, ISIS, and all. Ask the LORD God to open their eyes and hearts to His truth, that they know that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the whole world and He alone is Lord of all. Ask God to turn them from mere fighters for their countries’ ideologies to warriors of God and His Kingdom.
• Pray for the leaders of all the countries that are at war, and leaders of terrorist groups who persecute Christians around the world. Ask God to make a way for His trusted people to meet and share His truth, love, mercy and grace with them.

It’s natural to feel anxious, but don’t allow anxiety to overcome you. I think the Lord Jesus knew that we would be anxious and afraid, yes, even us Christians. The important thing is that we talk to God about our feelings, and let Him handle the rest.

May God encourage and strengthen you as you pray. Amen

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