How You Can Pray for North Korea and its Persecuted Christians

April 29, 2020

In recognition of North Korea Freedom Week, Family Research Council is raising awareness about the plight of Christians in the world’s most secretive country. This three-part blog series highlights the dire human rights and religious freedom situation in North Korea. See the first one here.

With rumors swirling about the health of Kim Jong Un and speculation over whether North Korea really has “zero” coronavirus cases as claimed, the world’s attention has once again turned to the most secretive country on earth. This heightened attention should remind us to pray for North Korea’s estimated 300,000 Christians.

North Korea has absolutely no religious freedom. The atheistic regime, which exerts near-total control over all aspects of life, presents many challenges for Christians. They must keep their faith a secret, sometimes even from their own families.

Christians in North Korea are isolated from a faith community. They cannot meet with large groups of fellow believers for worship, for fear of someone informing the regime. Nor can they show any public expression of their faith. Doing so may land them in a labor camp—if they are not killed on the spot. The stakes are exceptionally high: if the government discovers a Christian, the Christian’s family often endures the same punishment.

As Christians, we are obligated to care for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ. When the early church was starting to experience persecution, the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:26, “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.” Although it is difficult for American Christians to imagine the lives of North Korean believers, we should feel a connection to Christians there, as we are all children of God (Rom. 8:16-17). We should empathize with fellow believers who suffer for the faith. One way to do this is through prayer.

Here are three ways you can pray for North Korea and its persecuted Christians: 

1) Pray that God would strengthen the faith of Christians to withstand persecution, and that He would meet their physical needs.

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18

Christians in North Korea are extremely isolated and may even feel pressure to hide their beliefs from their family members. Pray that God would give them the strength to endure difficult circumstances and that He would meet their practical needs. Pray for an end to persecution and to labor and prison camps. Pray that God would soften the hearts of North Korean leaders.

2) Pray for North Korean defectors who cross the border into China.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1

When North Korean defectors flee, they most often escape through China, a country with many human rights issues of its own. Defectors—most of whom are female—are often trafficked. If caught by the Chinese government, defectors are usually repatriated back to North Korea and sent to a labor camp. Defectors who return to North Korea after becoming pregnant in China often endure painful forced abortions in the camps.  

Yet, those who escape North Korea are also more likely to hear the gospel in China. Chinese churches and South Korean missionaries that work along the Chinese-North Korean border minister to defectors and even help them escape to South Korea. Pray for successful escapes by North Korean defectors, for their safety while in China, and that they would encounter Christianity as many attempt to continue their journey to South Korea or elsewhere.

3) Pray for the future of North Korea.

“But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” Jeremiah 29:7

North Koreans have proved to be an industrious people. When their communist government failed them and a famine cost the lives of anywhere from 240,000 to two million people in the mid-1990s, many rejected communist propaganda and started trading and creating products to sell in local markets in order to feed their families. Most of these new capitalists are women, and some say this economic development is starting to change the country from the inside. Though the current North Korean regime is oppressive and its current ruler, Kim Jong Un, is a brutal dictator, North Koreans are capable of forging a bright future if given the chance. We ought to pray they get that chance.

If the rumors of Kim Jong Un’s ill health are true, the future of North Korea is even more uncertain. However, even if the reports come to nothing and the media hype fades, North Korea still deserves our attention. The Kim dynasty has developed one of the most oppressive regimes on earth, and North Koreans must live with that reality regardless of whether their country is featured in international news or not. The movement to advance human rights in North Korea faces monumental challenges. The desperate needs of North Koreans should spur us on to pray without ceasing and advocate for their freedom to the best of our ability.

r freedom to the best of our ability.