Christian persecution watchdog Global Christian Relief (GCR) is urging believers in the United States to pray and advocate for their persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ across the world.
"There has been a rise in the persecution and oppression of Christians over the last 15 years or so," GCR President and CEO David Curry told The Christian Post. "And we need to awaken to that and do a couple of things."
Last Sunday, GCR hosted a livestream for the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, an observance for Christians around the world who are subjected to violence and discrimination for their beliefs.
The event included a kit with short stories about several individuals who overcame adversity, including a survivor of Boko Haram massacres in Nigeria and an advocate for the underground church in North Korea. Additionally, testimonies from persecuted Christians were also given, including one from a woman from Nepal who faced discrimination for leaving Hinduism.
Curry noted that Nepal is less known among Christians when it comes to persecution in comparison to Nigeria, which is considered one of the "deadliest" places in the world for people of faith.
"We don't want to see people get hurt, but what we really want is to start at the top and say, 'Do you know what's happening to your brothers and sisters around the world?'" Curry said.
"Including Nepal and the pressures they face just to do the simple things like read Scripture, go to church peacefully, and practice their faith. That's not a given in Nepal."
GCR, as well as other advocacy groups like Open Doors, have noted that even though Nepal is no longer a Hindu state, Nepali Christians are still under the threat of being attacked by their families or even forced out of their homes for believing in Christ. Moreover, the government has cracked down on Christians through anti-conversion laws and closure of churches.
GCR has also worked with local partners in the area to distribute audio Bibles in local languages to Nepali Christians since many people in the country are illiterate and depend on oral communication. Last month, roughly 40,000 audio Bibles to Nepal were delivered on behalf of the watchdog group.
"Because we have to recognize this is a spiritual battle," Curry stressed. "First, we've got to start with prayer. It's life or death. So we've got to understand it's more than just politics; that's why we start with prayer, and then there's advocacy."
"I think once people get into this and they see that their voice makes a difference, then we can start talking about this with our representatives, having our churches pray about it, and we can move the needle on Western governments, the U.S., the U.K., France, speaking out for Christians who are being persecuted for their faith."
Photo Credit: ©Instagram/globalchristianrelief
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.