Anne Graham Lotz's Prayer for Egyptian Believers

Anne Graham Lotz, internationally renowned Bible teacher and daughter of Billy Graham — and a speaker at the 2011 Epicenter Conference — has written an excellent column on “Prayer for Egyptian Believers".

Along with the rest of the Body of Christ worldwide, my attention has been riveted on the events unfolding in Egypt. My spirit resonates with the heart-felt cry for freedom of hundreds of thousands of people who have demonstrated in the streets. I have cried with them, danced with them, sung with them, and rejoiced with them as they have celebrated the unprecedented collapse of an oppressive regime. And I have prayed for them, that God in Heaven would keep His promise stated through the Old Testament prophet Isaiah: When they cry out to the Lord because of their oppressors, He will send them a Savior and Defender, and He will rescue them. So the Lord will make Himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge the Lord…They will turn to the Lord, and He will respond to their pleas and heal them. How I pray that the Egyptian people will turn to God! And how I pray for the return of Jesus Christ to this earth, to rule in true righteousness and justice for all …especially the oppressed.

As a Christian, I am not only praying for the Egyptian people in general, but I am praying for the followers of Jesus Christ in particular who are living in a nation during a time of upheaval and uncertainty. I am deeply convinced that what Egyptians are looking for is ultimately found in a personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. Therefore, I am praying for Christians who have the Answer to speak up and speak out.

When Christians in the first century were arrested, warned to no longer speak of Jesus, and persecuted for their faith, this was their prayer in Acts 4:29: Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable Your servants to speak Your word with great boldness.

My prayer for the Christians in Egypt as well as the United States, is for us to boldly speak up and speak out the name of Jesus! I pray that the followers of Jesus would seize the opportunity to tell people that God loves them, that their lives have eternal significance, that He has a unique plan and purpose for their lives that includes real hope for the future, that He has given them Jesus as The Way to come, not into a religion or a denomination or an organization, but into a personal, love relationship with Himself that is permanent. Please tell them, that they can know that this life is not all there is. The best is yet to come. Because Jesus is preparing a heavenly Home where they will live with Him forever.

One of the early churches was located in what is now Izmir, Turkey. The people were as poor then as those living in the garbage city outside of Cairo now. Yet they boldly proclaimed the Good News. As a result, one of their leaders was put to death, and others were severely persecuted. Jesus singled them out for worldwide commendation when He wrote a letter preserved in the book of Revelation. He encouraged them in this way: Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days (suffering is temporary, even if it lasts a lifetime). Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.

The Crown of Life, as I understand, is the Medal of Honor for believers. It is the highest award God gives, reserved for those who do not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. One day, those who suffer for the sake of the Gospel here, will be honored there! On that day, all of us will join in the chorus that rocks the Universe, Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain (Jesus understands persecution firsthand), to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise! On that day, regardless of what you have suffered, it will be worth it, because He is worth it. Lord Jesus, give us the courage of our convictions to exalt Your name until we see You face to face.