Many Vietnamese Christians begin facing persecution within 24 hours of believing in Christ. For this reason, church leaders spend time teaching new believers how to withstand persecution. Through trainings, new believers know that persecution is a reality and they can only stand firm if they faithfully spend time with God in his word and prayer. Persecution is not treated as a phenomenon but as a normal part of every Christian’s life.
We asked Vietnamese church leaders how they train new believers. Here are a few of their responses:
“Our first rule is: never run away. If I run away, I become a betrayer to Jesus and these people.”
“I inform them this is not an easy faith. They will face trials. I bring them along with me to see how I handle things so that they will know how to count the cost.”
“I explain why persecution happens. [I tell them to] pray and study the Bible to grow in faith. If they spend time with God, they can stand firm.”
How you can pray:
- Pray for new believers to stand firm in their faith as they begin facing persecution.
- Pray for more believers to receive training on handling persecution and to have a supportive Christian community.
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Throughout the month of May 2015, we are asking individuals, families, groups of friends, small groups, and churches to join with us and commit to pray for the peoples of Vietnam. We will be posting stories and sharing ways to pray daily through the blog, Facebook, and Twitter. You can also download a prayer guide and other resources here.