Never, Ever Stop

In 1970 it was estimated that there were about 200 Christians in Iran that had converted from a Muslim background.  Today the best estimate is that there are 370,000.  All of these recent converts have become Christians in spite of the fact that conversion to a non-Muslim religion can get you killed in that country.

In India, about forty years ago, there were approximately 20 million Christians.  Today our best estimate is 100 million; and this is in spite of the fact that many in India have been killed for leaving either the Hindu or the Muslim faith.

In China there were about 700,000 Christians when the Communists took over.  Twenty years later, after some of the most brutal persecution in the history of the church, there were about three million.  Our best estimate today is 130 million.  Some Christians are beaten, tortured, imprisoned, and even killed, but people keep coming to Christ.

I personally know of people who have been praying faithfully for all three of these countries for forty years.  I don’t know why the church has been growing so well in the non-Western world in my lifetime while the church has been shrinking and loosing influence in North America and Europe, but I do know this much.

We have to keep praying for a great, spiritual renewal in the English speaking world.  Call it a Great Awakening, call it a revival, call it whatever you want, we have to keep praying.  We have to pray until we die or the revival comes.  If the revival comes then we have to pray that it will last as long as possible.  If the revival ends before we die then we have to start praying for the next wave of blessing.  If the revival doesn’t come before we die, when we get to heaven we have to find out if people in heaven are supposed to be doing this intercessory prayer thing; and if they are, then one of the first things we should do once we get to heaven is pray for revival on earth.  And then keep praying.  And never, ever stop.