Presbyterian Devotions: Li Ying - Mark 13 v 9

Mark 13:9 “You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them.”

We really lead a comfortable Christianity over here in the West. We complain about school textbooks, cold sanctuaries, and long sermons. We come and go to church as we please, and we pick and choose what we want to believe in and where we want to go. Everything is handed to us on a plate. No wonder then that the rest of the world calls our faith “Canteen Christianity.” We just stand in line at worship and wholly expect to be fed and nourished, with either a lifestyle latte or sweet dessert of a sermon to finish things off.

Meanwhile people like Li Ying, a pastor’s daughter from China, have been languishing in prison since April 2001. Her crime? Writing and distributing a monthly church newsletter. She has six more years of hard labor to complete, before her unjust sentence from the monstrous Chinese Communist regime is over. Talk about a real Christian! We really have no idea what Christianity is all about.

Instead of ourselves, let’s pray for Li Ying. Compared to what she is going through right now, we’re living like royalty.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, forgive us for being whiners and complainers instead of winners and champions for our faith. We remember Li Ying this day and ask that You protect throughout her time of unjust imprisonment. We pray that You will sustain her spirit and her family. We ask that she will remain faithful to You despite her sufferings and that when she is finally released, she may be welcomed and embraced by Your Church in China and throughout the world. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

If you would like to read more information on Li Ying and other Christian prisoners in China, please visit this link online: Li Ying

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.