Praying for Pastors Facing Gov't Surveillance and Harassment │The Prison Pulpit #35 [China Compass]

FLF, LLC

Welcome to another special episode in the weekly “Prison Pulpit” series on the China Compass podcast! I'm your China travel guide, Missionary Ben, recording my final episode in Oklahoma this year. Follow me on X (@chinaadventures) where I post daily reminders to pray for China (PrayforChina.us). To learn more about our ministry endeavors or get one of my missionary biographies, visit www.PrayGiveGo.us!

Why the Prison Pulpit?

Once again I first want to remind you why I started this weekly Prison Pulpit series: to encourage us all to pray for persecuted pastors and believers (like Pastor Wang Yi) as Hebrews 13:3 teaches us, by sharing from his own words, as well as the many prison stories and sermons from the late Richard Wurmbrand.

Praying for Urban Pastors (via China Partnership: https://chinapartnership.org/)

June 16 - “There’s been a crackdown on churches in Changsha,” says one pastor, “with some being disbanded or banned. Our church was affected too, under government control and surveillance. So, we gradually shifted to meeting in small groups. Our numbers have dropped by about two-fifths. The spiritual fervor isn’t as strong as before.” Pray for churches who have shifted to a small group model, for good fellowship and discipleship to occur even if they can’t meet together as a full congregation.

June 17 - A pastor in Changsha says, “The biggest challenge is evangelism. If you hand out tracts openly, you’ll be noticed. Another challenge is the lack of trust between people. If you try to share the gospel with strangers, they’re immediately on guard. I think about how I’d react if a stranger enthusiastically introduced something to me—I’d be suspicious too. So, evangelism now has to focus on people we already know, within relationships of trust.” Pray for sustainable evangelism in Changsha, for Christians to build long-term relationships with unbelievers where they can model the life of Christ.

June 18 - A pastor in Changsha says, “Many university students became Christians [in the past], and now, at around 40 years old, they’re the backbone of the church. Many families homeschool or do co-op learning instead of public school. But as kids get older, parents worry about their future—especially since it’s hard for homeschooled kids to get into public universities, and large families face financial pressure.” Pray for families feeling financial pressure and anxiety about education in the future.

June 19 - “There’s always anxiety about the police knocking on the door,” says a pastor in Changsha. “Even though we know what to do, it’s still scary when it happens. For example, during Good Friday this year, we were meeting online with a group in [in another city], and suddenly, the screen went blank—they messaged us that the police were knocking. We stopped everything to pray for them. It’s a real fear.” Pray for believers to know the peace, strength, and comfort of Christ in the midst of increasing persecution and harassment.

June 20 - “Sometimes we get harassing calls from the authorities,” says a pastor in Changsha, “and it’s always a bit nerve-wracking. The more you interact with them, the braver you get, but it’s still a struggle.” Pray for the strength of the Holy Spirit for churches in Changsha, and for wisdom when dealing with the authorities.

Follow China Compass

Follow or subscribe to China Compass on whichever platform you use. You can also send any questions or comments on X: @chinaadventures or via email (bfwesten at gmail dot com). Hebrews 13:3!