“Now Pashhur the priest, the son of Immer, who was chief officer in the house of the Lord, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things. The Pashhur beat Jeremiah the prophet and put him in the stocks that were in the upper Benjamin Gate of the house of the Lord.”
– Jeremiah 20:1–2
Jeremiah 20:1–2 is a very humbling passage to see Jeremiah proclaiming the word of God, and as a result of proclaiming God’s word, he’s beaten and put in the stocks. I automatically think about brothers and sisters around the world for whom that verse is a reality today. We have brothers and sisters who today proclaim the word of God, shared the word of God, maybe a pastor who stood up and preached the word, maybe just a man or woman in a village somewhere where they shared the word of God and they were immediately beaten by friends, family even, by government officials.
Jeremiah 20:1–2 Reminds Us to Pray for Persecuted Christians
This is a reality for our brothers and sisters in different parts of the world right now. And Jeremiah 20:1–2 is a reminder of the faithfulness of the follower of God even in the midst of threats to their own danger, to proclaim the word of God even when it costs.
We have brothers and sisters all over the world facing persecution. When one part of the body hurts, the whole body hurts. Let’s pray for them and for their families.
Jeremiah 20:1–2 Leads Us to Pray For North Korea
So, God, we pray right now for our North Korean brothers and sisters who re labor camps. We pray for our brother or sister who right now are in a labor camp because they were sharing your word. God, we pray for them. We pray for their sustenance, we pray for their strength, we pray for your provision of them in every way, for your physical provision for them, God.
These are our brothers and sisters, oh Father. Please help them. Please help them spiritually to be steadfast, Lord. In chains, help them to know your grace and your mercy in even greater ways, even to proclaim your grace and mercy in even greater ways, God. Use them for the spread of the Gospel in those labor camps, we pray.
God, we pray for their family members. We pray for kids whose moms or dads have been taken away. We pray for those who are now indoctrinated in a godless view of life. God, we pray for those kids’ salvation. And we pray for those kids to know your grace and your love and your mercy. We pray that they would know your love for them. Even if their parents have been take away from them for faith in you. God, we pray, please show yourself on behalf of our brothers and sisters who are in chains. Show yourself to those who are beaten right now. Oh, God, when one part of the body hurts, the whole body hurts. So we are hurting for them right now.
So please, oh God, please, please, please show your grace, strength, mercy, glory, in and through them. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
