How to Pray for Secret Christians

During the early Church, Jesus’ disciples often remained hidden for fear of retaliation. They met in secret and communicated using coded messages. Before they were called Christians, followers of Jesus were harassed, driven out of towns, and killed for their beliefs. 

Thousands of years later, Christianity is now the world’s largest religion. Most nations support and accept Christians. But in some places, Jesus’ followers are still forced to remain hidden. They face similar persecutions to those in the early Church.

"When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." —Matthew 6:6 

Thankfully, God sees what no one else can. Even if these believers pray and worship in private, our heavenly Father still sees them. If anything, their faith becomes even stronger as it’s forged in fire. Faith unseen by the world is still fully known by God. 

Who Are Secret Christians? 

Approximately 300 million Christians worldwide face persecution, including imprisonment, torture, and death. In some parts of the world, Christians worship in secret, hide their Bibles, and risk their lives simply by gathering together. 

In many places, Christian persecution is on the rise, especially in countries like Pakistan, Algeria, and nations with ongoing conflicts, like Yemen, Syria, and Iran. Churches are closing, laws forbid conversions, and Christians are being forced from their homes. 

Many of these secret Christians are converts from other religions like Islam. Some converts are reported on and harassed by families and community members. This is in a traditional and cultural attempt to regain religious honor. 

For these Christians, secrecy is maintained out of sheer survival. They form underground churches, held with a few people in a closet or basement. They read from contraband Bibles. Discovery means displacement, incarceration, or death. Because they grew up in these cultures, they are fully cognizant of the risks involved. 

In recent years in Iran, the underground house church grew exponentially. Members meet quietly, often changing locations, knowing that discovery can bring immediate and extreme consequences. Raids are common. Believers can be arrested, interrogated, and pressured to inform on others. Many are charged under national security laws simply for having a Bible and gathering. Prison sentences of several years are not unusual.  

In areas hostile to the gospel, secret Christians must take careful and calculated measures to have fellowship with each other. If they are caught, they face imprisonment that includes extreme abuse, torture and sometimes death. Yet, they continue to risk it all for the name of Jesus; they simply ask for our prayers. Join us in praying for secret Christians in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. 

1. Pray for Inner Strength 

Continued faith in the face of persecution requires committed strength. Growing in faith without access to resources or a Christian community requires atypical perseverance. It takes incredible vigilance to constantly hide your beliefs and communicate secretly with other Christians. 

As fellow Christians, we can help strengthen them through prayer. Specifically, we can pray for: 

• Boldness of heart when no one else can see their faith 

• Confidence in Christ when doubt creeps in from isolation 

• Supernatural peace when fear threatens to overwhelm 

• The knowledge of God’s presence in the silence 

Despite the threats they face, underground church communities continue to grow in difficult places. This demonstrates the enduring promise of Jesus’ message.  

2. Pray for Wisdom 

Every day, every decision, every interaction is a challenge for a secret Christian. Revealing their secret to the wrong person could lead to death. One wrong word might be devastating to their family. This necessitates leaning on God’s wisdom. 

Believers must conceal their faith not only from authorities, but also from ordinary people like neighbors, coworkers, and family members. Anyone could report them to law enforcement. Even digital persecution is increasing as authoritarian governments censor online sources and monitor online behavior for signs of dissidence.

When we think of our persecuted brothers and sisters, we can pray for: 

• Wisdom to know when to speak and when to remain silent
• Discernment to know who they can trust
• Protection from surveillance and detection
• Guidance on when and where to share information

3. Pray for Christian Fellowship

Amongst a host of hardships, loneliness feels like one of the most difficult burdens of a secret faith. Humans need relationships and people who share our interests. Being intentionally isolated is cruel and destructive. 

Where Christianity is illegal, underground communities need to stay small out of necessity to remain hidden. The larger and more open a gathering becomes, the more dangerous it is for the members. Some believers intentionally isolate themselves for safety reasons, including keeping their family safe from authorities. 

In John 14:16-17, Jesus says He will send us a comforter who will never leave us. When the psychological pain of rejection and isolation overwhelms our brothers and sisters, we can know that the Holy Spirit hears our prayers and moves to comfort God’s children. 

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4. Pray for God’s Timing

Religious persecution has existed nearly since the beginning of man, when Cain killed Abel, because God favored Abel’s sacrifice above Cain’s. For the early Church, disciples and apostles suffered terribly because they proclaimed the name of Christ. Still today, secret believers don’t know if freedom will come in their lifetime. Their home country might shun them for their faith for the rest of their lives.

Christian converts know that Christ is worth everything, no matter the cost. The growing numbers of new believers bears this out. By many accounts, Iran has one of the fastest-growing Christian populations. The same is often reported of Afghanistan.  

As Ecclesiastes 3 exhorts, there is a time for everything. And in God’s timing, He will free secret Christians to worship Him freely. 

You can pray for... 

• Patience while waiting for freedom that may not come in their lifetime
• Hope that endures beyond circumstances
• Trust in God's timing even when the situation seems hopeless
• Confidence that faithfulness matters to God regardless of outcomes
• Improving conditions for Christians everywhere
  
  

A Guided Prayer for Secret Christians

Dear Lord, 

We lift up our brothers and sisters who worship you in secret. 

Right now, they’re under threat of being discovered but continue trusting in You despite the risk. We know they feel alone and are in real danger.  

Strengthen their hearts. When fear closes in and isolation weighs heavy, remind them you see them. 

Give them wisdom. Guard their words. Protect them from betrayal. Help them know when to speak and when to stay silent. 

Bring them comfort. Send fellow believers they can trust. Help them know they’re not alone. 

Provide them mercy as they exercise patience. Many have waited years for freedom to worship. Let them know Your Kingdom is coming, even if they don’t see it in this lifetime. 

We do not know their names, but You do. You have not forgotten them. Neither will we. 

In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. 

How You Can Stand With Secret Christians 

Our prayers can reach believers whose names we don’t know, in countries we’ll never visit, enduring hardship we can only imagine. By speaking with God, we keep them in our minds and send a message that they aren’t alone. 

If you’re looking for more ways to learn and stay connected, you can read their stories, join our prayer network to get real-time updates, and donate to Help The Persecuted as we support these Christians where it’s needed most.