Hi, it’s Sam Kelly from Mornings on Spirit 105.3. I’d like to tell you how impressed I am with Open Doors USA, one of our sponsors. I’m impressed first with how this prayer app has revolutionized my prayer life. It’s a game changer in that it takes my eyes off my struggles and refocuses my attention on persecuted believers enduring hardships that frankly make my comparatively trivial worries look like mere inconveniences, and that’s what they often are. The Open Doors prayer app exposes me to the stories of Christians living out their faith under circumstances of oppression, and current-day religious persecution. It’s remarkable what believers in countries hostile to the Christian faith face every day. It’s equally incredible how this prayer app can help forge a connection between me and that Christian in India, Afghanistan, or anywhere in the world.
Through the app I learn about their plight and what they need prayer for. They can see that I prayed, and even what I prayed for them. Prayer is the one thing they ask for most. And guess what? I can pray and I want to pray for these brothers and sisters, fellow believers who must hide their Bible, meet in secret, and gratefully worship God despite their fear of being found out, persecuted, and even killed. So, that’s the first thing I like about Open Doors USA. That their app allows me to be connected with persecuted believers and how that connection is life-giving and re-focusing for me.
The second thing is how Open Doors USA manages donations. They’ve been around a long time and are legit. They are charter members of the EFCA, the Evangelical Council of Financial Accountability, which means they are watched by a 3rd party Christian organization keeping them accountable to proper management of the financial resources they receive. As you consider which ministry to help financially, look for that EFCA stamp. Open Doors USA has it.
Finally, we’ve all been hearing news from Afghanistan. Can you imagine what it would be like to be a Christian in a country taken over by the Taliban? Open Doors estimates that only a few thousand Christians were present in Afghanistan prior to the recent insurgence. Christians and other religious minorities have long been forced to practice faith secretly in the country. The free practice of faith is likely nearing extinction in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan is ranked #2 on Open Doors’ World Watch List, so the situation for religious minorities there was already at an inflection point before the Taliban takeover. This has devastating implications not only for Afghanistan, but for a region already destabilized by radical Islamic extremists. Samuel, an Open Doors field director whose full name is withheld for security, said, ‘Now that the Taliban is in power, the vulnerability for Christians increases tenfold. It would be almost impossible to be a Christian in this country.’ And the best way to help is to pray urgently for the protection of Christians and other religious minorities in Afghanistan. They need a miracle.
How’s being hungry while in stop and go traffic now? Little better right? Become connected with persecuted believers via prayer. You can be part of the solution, just download the Open Doors Prayer App, and learn more about this vital aspect of intercessory prayer for the persecuted Church. I invite you to join in this prayerful adventure that is not only transforming me but transforming the lives of those we pray for.
Thank you,
Sam
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