Pray for North Korea

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."  (Ephesians 6:12)

• Pray that Kim Jong-Un and his regime change and they will pave the road for reform in all areas. 
• Pray that any change in the country occurs in a peaceful way and no blood will be shed.
• Pray that the international community will receive wisdom in how to deal with North Korea.
• Pray that China allows refugees to stay, so they will no longer be forcibly repatriated and punished in their own country.

Pray for the economical situation

• Pray that political changes will lead to the full recovery of the economical situation. 
• Pray that God puts an end to the corruption and the soaring prices of goods necessary for survival. 1 kg of rice costs almost twice as much as the average wage of a worker.
• Pray that the government will leave the jangmadang (black markets) alone so people are able to trade and buy food.
• Pray for rich harvests this year and a fair distribution of the food.

Pray for the social situation

• Pray that people will see they live in a lie, yet that they do not despair despite their circumstances. Pray they will search and find the truth.
• Pray that any civil unrest that may occur because of the people's discontent will not lead to bloodshed or punishment.
• Pray that people find ways to find out who to trust and who not. Pray for healing of a society that is wrecked by so many lies and so much spying and corruption.
• Pray for the many people that were left homeless, the children who lost their parents, the parents who lost their children, the prisoners and their families, that God will comfort and lead them.
• Pray for the marriages of North Koreans. Most are under immense pressure because of the terrible circumstances couples and their children and relatives live in. 
• Pray for the large number of traumatized and depressed citizens. Many consider to commit suicide, sometimes together with their spouse and children.
• Pray for the refugees in China, who feel the responsibility to give support to their families, but live in constant danger of being betrayed and arrested. 
• Pray especially for the female refugees. They are often the victims of human traffickers. Many end up in forced, abusive marriages, or are put to work in prostitution.
• Pray for those prisoners who were lucky enough to get released, that God heals them and strengthens them to build their live in a hostile environment.
• Pray that the celebration of Kim Il-Sung's 100th anniversary does not put an unbearable burden on the shoulders of ordinary citizens.

Pray for the Church

• Pray that Christians find ways to worship and share fellowship. Pray that God makes 'seeing eyes blind' (as brother Andrew used to pray).
• Pray for all those hidden Bibles, that God Himself guards those, so none will be seen by the wrong people.
• Pray that Christians are able to discern who to trust. The secret police trains people to disguise themselves as 'Christians'. Sometimes these people set up fake prayer meetings to attract Christians.
• Pray for all the Christian prisoners, that they will never feel alone, but are always supported by Jesus, the finisher of our faith. Pray for strength to endure the physical and mental torture every day.
• Pray for Christians that come to faith (in China or elsewhere), that God will explain the Bible to them. 
• Pray that God makes it possible for them to obtain a Bible once they go back to their families in North Korea.
• Pray also for wisdom, so these returned refugees are able to evangelize and Biblically educate their families and friends.
• Pray that God continues to give the Church boldness to witness in secret.
• Pray for possibilities for these Christians to receive Biblical training.
• Pray that Christians develop a very close relationship to God, so they are able to withstand everything that the 'world' throws at them.
• Pray that God will protect the Christians in every way possible, especially against spiritual attacks. Pray that they are able to forgive those who hurt them.

Pray for the 'enemy'

• Pray that the police officers, secret intelligence agents, prison and camp guards and all authorities actively involved in hunting down Christians get to know God, and that God changes their heart.
• Pray that the Holy Spirit speaks through Christians in the hands of the government, so their witness becomes powerful.
• Pray that God opens the eyes of the persecutors, so that when they look at a Christian or other enemy of the state, they actually see a person of flesh and blood, a brother/sister, not an enemy.
• Pray that the changed people use their power for good, not for evil. Pray that they will change their society and governmental system from within.

Pray for Open Doors

• Pray for the protection of our workers and that the Holy Spirit guides them in making every day and in long term strategy decisions.
• Pray for our food project, that we are able to distribute more and more food to more and more people.
• Pray for our women's work in China, which is especially emotionally heavy. Pray for more workers who can work with abused refugee women.
• Pray also for the safe distribution of Christian materials, that we are able to reach the right people.
• Pray for our safe houses in China and the training of refugees, that nobody will turn out to be a spy and that none of the refugees are caught, but that we can influence entire North Korean families from those safe houses, through those refugees.
• Pray for God's special guidance in developing strategies to strengthen the North Korean Church in the short and long term.

Give thanks

• Thank God for the many possibilities Open Doors has to reach out to North Koreans and the North Korean Church especially. 
• Thank God for the many letters Open Doors receives from North Korean church leaders.
• Thank God for the Christian networks which are relatively good organised. 
• Thank God for the boldness and evangelistic zeal of the Christians.
• Thank God so many North Koreans come to faith, especially refugees.
• Thank God for the witness of Christians in prisons and labor camps.
• Thank God for His love and the love of so many foreign Christians for North Korea.
• Thank God for his protection of contacts, Open Doors' workers and other who are involved in Christian ministry (among refugees).
• Thank God for the faith of female refugees who choose to serve Him, despite their terrible trauma's  and living conditions.
• Thank God that He never leaves any work unfinished and that He will continue to build His Kingdom in North Korea.