“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”
For the 23rd time since 1993 and 3 years in a row, North Korea ranked first in the report on Christian persecution produced yearly by the Open Door Mission. According to the “2025 World Watch List” and the trend of persecution, in North Korea, several groups of Christians were arrested and taken to camps, while those considered threats both internally and externally were viciously purged or executed.
Violence and authoritarian persecution against Christians have increased around the world over the past year, most notably in Central Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The top 10 persecuting countries are North Korea (estimated 400,000 Christians), followed by Somalia (hundreds), Yemen (minority), Libya (35,500), Sudan (202,000), Eritrea (1.68 million), Iran (800,000), and Afghanistan (thousands).
Kyrgyzstan which rose into the top 50 in the rankings for the first time since 2013 showed a sharp rise in violence against churches, the forced closure of registered churches and Christian institutions, and increasing pressure on Christians in all areas of life.
According to the data released on the same day, 310 million Christians in the world’s top 50 persecuting countries are under very high or extreme levels of persecution. Among Christians, one in seven around the world, one in five in Africa, and two in five in Asia are persecuted.
Anti-Christian violence has increased in several countries, and it has been analysed that autocratic or civil war-destabilized countries are targeting Christian communities, destroying lives, homes, and churches, and putting pressure on believers.
Currently, eight of the top 10 most dangerous places for Christians are in sub-Saharan Africa and, in all countries except Nigeria, more faith-based killings occur than during the 2024 World Persecution List reporting period. Of the 34.5 million refugees in sub-Saharan Africa, approximately 16.2 million are Christians.
Going underground after churches are driven out is one of the phenomena around the world. Christians have been driven underground from the Middle East and many other countries on the World Watch List. Their isolation and decline in church are a recurring pattern in many countries.
After more than a decade of war, disaster, and crisis, the number of churches in Syria has decreased significantly. Churches in Afghanistan went deep underground, and it seems that the Taliban has difficulty cracking down on Christians because superficial Christian activities are scarce. Since all Protestant churches in Algeria are forcibly closed, there are no churches that can be closed forcibly. In China, unregistered churches are considered illegal under the stricter regulations by the authorities. (Source: Gospel Prayer Newspaper Edited)
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Romans 8:35-37,NIV)
God, we heard that persecution and violence against churches have increased around the world over the past year. But we declare that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. For saints who are considered as sheep to be slaughtered, may You strengthen them with the grace of truth so that they may be victorious in all trouble or hardship. Thus, in the last days, let all the mouths that rebelled against You be established as Your army. Pray they go out to the nations and the glorious worship be rendered to You Lord from them from all nations.
Prayer 24·365
prayer@prayer24365.org
