PRAY

Kids of Courage Resource for the International Day of Prayer

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I COMMIT TO

Parents and TeachersThe International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) is a day set aside to focus our prayers on those who are suffering for their faith in Christ. The following lesson is designed to encourage children to remember and pray for Christians around the world who face persecution. As you teach the lesson, encourage students to pray for the persecuted not just one day a year, but throughout the year and throughout their lives.

[Note: Prayer activities are included in this lesson plan. Choose the ones most appropriate for your students and your setting.]

IntroductionAsk: What is persecution?

(Possible answers: Persecution can mean someone is teased, picked on, or made fun of. Or it can mean someone is arrested, put in jail, or injured. They might even die.)

Explain: The Bible tells many stories of bold believers who were persecuted for following God. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into a furnace (Daniel 3); Saul had to escape his pursuers in a basket (Acts 9); Jeremiah was thrown into a muddy dungeon (Jeremiah 38); Micaiah was ridiculed and struck in the face (1 Kings 22); Peter was jailed (Acts 12); and Stephen was stoned (Acts 7).

(Share and discuss with the students one of the Bible stories above, or another story from the Bible about a courageous believer.)

Ask: Some Christians in other countries face persecution because they follow Jesus. Why do you think Christians are persecuted?

Explain: Believers have been persecuted since the beginning of Christianity. • Jesus told his disciples that they would be

persecuted because persecutors do not know the one true God, “‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you…But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me” (John 15:20, 21).

• Jesus is “the light of the world” (John 8:12). The Bible tells us that people who do evil things hate the light (John 3:20).

• Paul said Christians go through many hardships in this world, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).

• But Jesus also encouraged his disciples and said, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

• Jesus said in Matthew 5:11 that those who are persecuted for his sake will be “blessed.” Discuss what it means to be blessed.

• Jesus also said not to worry when his followers are delivered to their persecutors. The Holy Spirit will guide believers in knowing what to say (Matt. 10:17-20).

Compared to the joy we will experience in heaven, the Bible calls persecution “light affliction” that lasts only a short time. Afflictions are problems and hardships. (See 2 Corinthians 4:17.)

Ask: Christian workers from The Voice of the Martyrs visit persecuted Christians to help and encourage them. The workers ask the persecuted Christians how they can help them. What do you think is the number-one thing persecuted Christians ask for? (Possible guesses: Bibles, money, doctors, lawyers, soldiers to free them, etc.)

Explain: Most Christians say the main thing they need is prayer. Christians know that God is more powerful than their persecutors. They know he can help them and give them peace about their situation. (See 2 Corinthians 1:3-5.)

The Bible tells us to remember persecuted Christians as if we were suffering along with them!

Hebrews 13:3 says, “Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.”

The words “since you yourselves are in the body also” tell us that all Christians are part of one family, or “body.” First Corinthians 12:26 says, “And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it….” The verse reminds us that if one person in a group suffers, others suffer along with them.

IDOP Sunday is a day when we remember the needs of Christians who are persecuted for their witness and pray for them. This special day of prayer can help us form a habit of praying for them every day.

Lesson Plan

Prayer ActivitiesA–Z Prayer Guide Suggestions There are 52 Sundays in 2014 and 26 prayer points on the prayer guide shown on the following pages. Help the children make a plan to pray for persecuted Christians throughout the year. Encourage them to pray for each prayer request for two weeks.

Explain: The Bible tells us an amazing story of how one man got out of prison after Christians prayed for him. In Bible times, a king named Herod did not like Christians. Herod had Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples, put in prison. Four groups of soldiers guarded Peter. Christians in the city prayed for Peter all the time.

Then an angel of God came to Peter in the prison! Peter’s chains fell off! Peter followed the angel past all the guards and out of the prison gate. Then the angel disappeared.

Peter went to the house where Christians were praying for him. He knocked, and a girl named Rhoda came to the door. She was so excited to hear Peter’s voice that she ran to the other Christians without remembering to open the door! She told everyone that Peter was outside. They didn’t believe her. “It must be an angel,” they said.

But they opened the door and were amazed to see Peter! (See Acts 12.)

Not all Christians are freed from their problems after people pray for them. Others receive strength to get through their struggles. But God hears all the prayers and he cares for all his children who are suffering. (See 1 Peter 5:6-7.)

Nigeria Prayer Card SuggestionsPhotocopy and cut out the prayer cards on Page 6. To make sturdier cards, print them on cardstock and/or laminate them. Read the information on all the cards to the students. Then divide the students into groups to pray for the children on the cards. Discuss what they might pray about. Make extras to send home with the students if desired. [Note: The families of the children on the cards have been featured on the www.kidsofcourage.com website.]

Background to share with students: The Stephen Center is a home and school for children in Nigeria. (These children have lost one or both parents.) Muslims have persecuted the children’s families because of their Christian faith. At the Stephen Center, the children grow in their faith and learn to forgive their persecutors.

(The names of some of the people in this lesson plan have been changed to protect their identities.)

A to Z Prayer GuideAkash, age 12, and

his 8-year-old sister, Rupa, were happy when their family trusted in Jesus. But villagers no longer allowed them to get water from the village

wells. Pray for the family.

Boko Haram is a radical Muslim group in Nigeria

that attacks Christians. Pray that members will leave the group and that no more people will join. Pray that they come to Christ.

Colombian Christians in areas controlled

by guerrillas are often in danger. Missionary pilots drop Bibles and Christian materials into those areas with small parachutes. Pray that God

will guide the Christian materials to those who need them.

Delviana, a teenager in Indonesia, was hurt

when radical Muslims bombed her church. “I don’t hate those who harm me,” she said. Thank God for her strong faith.

Ehtasham’s uncle rescued him from

bullies in Pakistan who picked on him for being a Christian. As a result, his uncle was arrested for not honoring Muslim beliefs.

Praise God that he was later released.

Febiola’s mother was burned while escaping

Muslim attackers in Indonesia. Febiola hopes people don’t make rude comments about her mother’s burned face. Pray that she will have peace.

Gulnaz was helping her husband, Narsbek, and

other Christians as they delivered gifts to children at a village in Kyrgyzstan. Twenty Muslims attacked the Christians and burned the gifts. Pray that the

attackers will trust in Jesus and fi nd joy.

Haile Nayzgi, a church leader in Eritrea, was

arrested for his Christian activities in 2004. After his arrest, his wife and three children were placed in diff erent refugee camps in Sudan. Pray that the family will

be safe and reunited.

Isha and Isham’s mother, Asia Bibi, is in jail in

Pakistan because she was accused of insulting Islam, the religion of Muslims. Pray for their family and other Christian victims of the laws in Pakistan.

Joseph’s father died in an attack by Muslims in

Nigeria. Christians at the Stephen Center cared for him and his three siblings. Joseph has graduated from the school and is strong in his faith. Thank God for caring for children in need.

Kim Jong Un is the leader of North Korea.

His family has ruled the country for more than 50 years. Christians risk great danger if they are caught reading the Bible or worshiping together. Pray for Christians in prison in North Korea.

Lily is the daughter of a Chinese pastor. She

was confused when her father was put in prison. Now he is free, and she understands that he was punished for his faith. Pray for her and the families of Christian prisoners.

Mary and Martha are twins who live in

Nigeria. Their father died from burns he received during an attack by Muslims. The girls live at the Stephen Center. Pray for Christian families in Nigeria.

Nimal, age 6, and his sister, Nirmala, 12, are

Christians whose homes were attacked in Sri Lanka. Their father is a pastor. The children attended a camp for children whose families have been

persecuted. Pray for Sri Lankan children.

Orphans in Laos began attending

church and decided to follow Christ. The director of the orphanage warned them to stop going to church. But they still go to church quietly. Pray that

the orphans will stay strong in their faith.

Phum, a teenager in Laos, loves the Lord.

She is the only Christian in her family. Her brother burned her Bible, and her family said she could no longer go to school because of her faith in

Christ. Phum asked that people pray for her and her family.

Quran is the Muslim holy book. Christians

in Pakistan are sometimes falsely accused of damaging the Quran and sent to jail. Pray for fair laws and leaders in Pakistan.

R achen, an 8-year-old girl in Vietnam, bit the

policeman who arrested her father for his Christian activities! Later she learned to forgive persecutors. Today she teaches children about Jesus. Pray for children in Vietnam whose parents are in prison.

S arah is an Egyptian girl who was kidnapped

by radical Muslims in September 2011. Kidnapped girls in Egypt are often forced to marry Muslim men. Pray for Christian girls in Egypt.

T urkish Christians sometimes face

violent persecution, but they also face “smart” persecution, which leaves no physical injuries. An example of smart persecution is the unfair

treatment of Christians at school or at work. Bosses and teachers may also try to pressure people who have become Muslims to return to Islam. Pray for victims of smart persecution.

U zbekistan’s police raid Christian worship

meetings, send spies to churches, take away church property, and arrest believers. Police in part of the country try to prevent children from going to worship services.

Pray that police will repent and trust Jesus.

Vietnamese Christian children from small

tribes sometimes have to live without their fathers, who are in prison. Their fathers are arrested for being Christian youth leaders, evangelists, or members of church

committees. Pray that their families will be reunited.

W est Bank and Gaza Christians live near

the place where Jesus was born. But today, most of the people who live around them are Muslims. A few years ago, radical

Muslims kidnapped Rami, a Christian man, and shot him. Rami’s wife, Pauline, is now raising three children alone. Please pray for them.

Xinjiang is an area in northwest China. Alim

Yimiti from Xinjiang was imprisoned for sharing the truth about Jesus with people from the Uygur [WEE-guhr] ethnic group.

Most Uygurs are Muslims. Pray for Alim, his wife, and his two sons.

Youcef Nadarkhani has been in and out of

prison in Iran. Youcef, his wife, and their two sons are Christians. He was arrested after he objected to the government’s policy

of teaching children from the Quran. Ask God to protect Youcef and his family.

Zanzibar is an island off the coast of

Africa. The countries of Tanganyika and Zanzibar joined to form the country of Tanzania in 1964. More than 95 percent of the people of Zanzibar are Muslims. Recently,

radical Muslims have attacked Christians and churches in the area. Pray that the Christians will stand firm and that the Muslim attackers will repent.

icommittopray.com

Prayer CardsBlessing

Faith, Miracle, and Samuel

Goodness

Mary and Martha

Blessing’s family was persecuted by Muslim attackers during a riot, and her father died. She came to the Stephen Center in Nigeria when she was 7 years old. Kind Christians at the school helped her learn to like her new home. When she was 13, she began helping Goodness, a new 5-year-old student who became her “school daughter.” Blessing has graduated from the school at the Stephen Center, and she goes to college now.

Faith, Miracle, and Samuel are Blessing’s younger sisters and brother. Miracle and Samuel are twins. After the family was persecuted by Muslim attackers, their mother gave birth to Miracle early, but Samuel was not born for several more weeks! They are now 12 years old, and Faith is 14.

“God takes care of us when we’re in trouble,” said Miracle. Her favorite Bible passage is Psalm 23.

Goodness is 10 years old. She and her sister live at the Stephen Center. Her favorite Bible verse, from Psalm 46, is “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

She has a new “school mother” named Gloria.

Goodness likes Bible stories, reading, and soccer. Her favorite subjects are math and Christian studies. She would like to be a doctor someday.

Mary and Martha are 9-year-old twins in Nigeria. When they were babies, radical Muslims burned down their house. They later moved to the Stephen Center.

Nigeria has many twins, and there are several other pairs of twins at the school.

“I have learned that God has a special plan for my life,” said Mary. “I have learned that I have to be obedient for God’s plan to be fulfilled,” said Martha.

Additional Activities Language How to say “Jesus loves me”

Hausa (Nigeria) YAY-soo YEHN-ah KOW-nah-tah

Chinese (China) Yeh-soo ai wo

Spanish (Colombia) KREES-toh may AH-mah

Tigrinya (Eritrea) Yehf kee rehn nee yoo

Sing a SongPractice saying “Jesus loves me” in one or more of the languages shown below. Sing the song “Jesus Loves Me,” substituting the words from another language whenever the phrase occurs in the song. (Note: Nigeria’s official language is English. But more than 250 ethnic groups have their own main language. Hausa is one of the languages.)

Head Carry RelayIn Nigeria and many other countries, people sometimes carry things on their heads.

Instructions: Divide into two teams with an equal number of players. Have the first player on each team balance a book on his or her head. After a signal to start, the players walk as far as they can without touching the book with their hands. At the point where the book falls off or the player touches it with his or her hand, the second player from that team takes over and continues from that point. After both teams have used all their players, the team that went the farthest wins.

Eat a Snack(Three Simple Snacks from Nigeria)

Baked Plantains Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel plantains and bake in a shallow pan until golden brown. Slice and serve while warm. Each plantain makes one or two servings.

Mango Dessert Peel and slice one mango and two bananas; then gently mix together in a small bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp. lemon juice and 4 tbsp. orange juice. Serve over ice cream.

Nigerian Snack Mix Thaw 2 cups frozen corn to room temperature. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread the corn in a single layer on a greased cookie sheet. Bake about 15 to 20 minutes until lightly brown and starting to dry out. Remove from oven and let cool. Place in a bowl and mix with 2 cups peanuts. Sprinkle salt on top. Keep refrigerated in an airtight container before serving.

P.O. Box 443 Bartlesville, OK 74005-0443

tel: 918-337-8015 orders and contributions: 800-747-0085

ministry information: 877-337-0302 e-mail: thevoice@vom-usa.org website: www.persecution.com

children’s website: www.kidsofcourage.com

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