Pray for the wives and mothers of the persecuted church

Devotional

Happy Mother’s Day from the team at Global Christian Relief! The experiences of motherhood are quite profound, and through them, God reveals to us some important life lessons. To that end, we recently reflected on the brave wives and mothers of the persecuted church. Please read on to hear some of their incredible stories, and discover the spiritual wisdom that we can glean from them.

First, have you ever defined the word mother? In the traditional sense, it refers to a woman with children. But in another sense, it refers to an action: to care for or protect. This latter definition couldn’t be more true for the courageous persecuted women we’ve met in some of the darkest corners of the Earth—places where it’s truly dangerous to follow Jesus. At all costs, they nurture the spiritual growth of their family members, the local Body of Christ, and their communities. And they protect them through their bold prayers and godly petitions, despite extreme adversity.

Consider our persecuted sister in Christ, Aleena. Kidnapped by Muslim extremists in Pakistan and held captive for 2 months, she endured mental torture and constant pressure to renounce her faith. Yet she stood strong and eventually prevailed. See her testimony on YouTube. She didn’t allow this harrowing experience to stop her ministry; today, she ministers to the wives of the Taliban in secret, teaching them about the love of Jesus Christ.

And then there is our sister in Christ, Ruth. She has endured the yoke of bonded slavery in the tiring brick kilns of Pakistan for many years. Yet she places her hope in Jesus Christ alone and guides her family accordingly, with optimism and strength.

How can believers respond on behalf of these inspiring women? We can hold them in fervent prayer, giving them honor and reverence in their suffering. And we can strive to be bold in our faith, following their example. Consider joining the Global Christian Relief Prayer App community if you wish to pray for these amazing women alongside other believers.

Genesis 3:20 says Eve was known as the mother of all the living. Genesis 17:16 states that Sarah, Abraham’s wife, was blessed with the title, mother of nations. Similarly, let’s lift up these modern-day women of strength as the faithful wives & mothers of the persecuted church.

Questions for Personal Reflection

1. What spiritual lessons can I learn from brave women of faith, like Aleena and Ruth?
2. How is God prompting me to pray for persecuted wives and mothers around the world?
3. Are there specific ways that I can be bold in my faith, just as these persecuted women are?

Prayer Guide

We invite you to access our Mother’s Day prayer guide now. It features six special prayers for the wives & mothers of the persecuted church, accompanying scripture verses, and a bit of history on Mother’s Day and the early church.

Mother’s Day Card

Feel free to share our digital Mother’s Day card with a special woman in your life. It features a scripture from Proverbs 31, which is perfect for virtuous wives, mothers, grandmothers and female mentors.