Persecuted Pastor urges: Churches in the US and in China need to pray for one another

(ChinaAid, Midland, TX) “We never imagined churches in China and in the United States would share common, realistic circumstances as quickly as we do today,” a Chinese Church leader stated in April last year. Participating in an online meeting prayerfully designed to help American Churches learn from the Chinese House Church’s experiences not only from COVID-19, but also from persecution, the leader said:

By the Lord’s providence, Chinese churches have walked before Churches in the United States, and have learned much in the past several months …under the stress of the coronavirus, we share this common moment.

“Help us to learn from each other,” the leader of the online meeting prayed. He reminded participants that even though perfect when He left Heaven and came to Earth, Jesus humbled himself to learn and help others. Luke 2:52 records, “Jesus increased in wisdom….” The leader stressed that those in Chinese House Churches are to follow Christ’s example. They and Churches in the United States are not only to share their experiences, they are to learn from each other.

Currently undergoing severe Chinese Communist Party (CCP), another Chinese pastor encourages both Chinese and American Churches not to worry; not to focus on questions that only God knows the answers to, such as:

• What will the outcome of this situation be? 

• When will this problem work out? 

• How will God work all this out?

Instead of fear, we need faith, this pastor stresses. We need to pray for biblical “coincidences; for God to change the hearts of officials. More importantly, we need to pray for God to change us, not to just enjoy a rich life in an idyllic garden (which would be a nightmare), but for the Lord to give us a greater mission, burden, and responsibility. We do not need to pray that we enjoy getting more help from more Churches but ask the Lord to let us go and witness for Him more effectively, to help the American Church and the Chinese Church more.” This persecuted pastor prays that instead of saying in their hearts that better times are coming, that they will not have to suffer or fight anymore, Churches in China and in the United States will not become corrupted—that they will not chase after the American “Dream (nightmare).”

This pastor prays that Churches will remember the mission God gave us, that He wants to use us for…. When you seek all for yourself first, it will all elude you and you will only get the nightmare of emptiness, the pastor warned. When you seek first the kingdom of God and the righteousness of God, it will all be added to you, he encouraged. He asks that the Church will: