Hello friend. As the world rages, storms rise, and chaos surrounds us, remember this: through it all, God’s faithfulness remains unshaken.

Again and again throughout history, he has proven himself near to his children, turning even suffering into redemption. His presence does not waver, his promises never fail, and his purposes are always good.

The same God who walked with Daniel in the lions’ den and sustained Paul in prison walks with you today. 

Take heart—he is with you still, and he will be with you always.

In today’s issue:

• The fruit that grows in the shadows

• Praying for the persecuted church

• The storm can’t silence the gospel

🇩🇿 A Church Rising in the Shadows

Algeria is a place where following Jesus often comes at a cost. In this mostly Muslim nation, only about 1% of people identify as Christian. 

Churches are tightly regulated, and many have been forced to close. Believers can face suspicion or hostility from neighbors and local authorities, making it difficult to meet openly for worship or discipleship.

Even in the shadows, the gospel bears fruit.

Across the country, small house churches are gathering quietly, sharing Scripture, and caring for one another. Many believers come from Muslim backgrounds and are now being discipled by Radical partners to lead Bible studies, form new groups, and plant churches of their own. 

What began in secret living rooms is slowly becoming a movement of faithful men and women who want others to know the hope they’ve found in Christ.

How to Pray:

🙏🏼 Pray for Algerian believers to stand firm in their faith and remain bold in their witness.

🙏🏼 Pray for new leaders to shepherd a growing underground church with conviction and courage.

🙏🏼 Pray that God would open more doors for the gospel in Algeria and use his people to bring lasting transformation in their communities.

🤲🏼 Knowing and Praying for the Persecuted Church

Not long ago, I sat with a Nigerian church leader who showed me a chilling video I can’t forget. 

Boko Haram militants stood over a small group of Christians, declaring that they intended to kill all Christians until they submitted to Islam.

Then they beheaded our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Scenes like that remind me why we must pray and act for those who suffer for their faith. 

As part of Radical, I’ve met Christians who have faced violence, social pressure, or jail for evangelism, church planting, or merely holding fast to their faith. And I also know that for many of us, their stories can feel distant, unrelatable, or overwhelming. 

Many persecuted Christians live in countries we have never visited and places whose names we might struggle to pronounce. And in a world flooded with headlines of war and tragedy, it’s easy to grow numb to the cost of following Jesus for our church family around the world.

But God commands us to remember and pray for those who are persecuted as though we are physically with them (Heb. 13:3).

That means we need to learn more about these brothers and sisters, and what it means for them to be persecuted. Here are some things to keep in mind.

Persecution is being targeted for following Jesus.

Persecution means being harassed, opposed, or mistreated because you follow Jesus. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus used a word that literally means “pursued with hostility.” 

He explained that persecution can take many forms—from ridicule, exclusion, and slander to arrest, imprisonment, or even death (Matt. 5:10–12; 10:16–33; Luke 6:22–23). To be persecuted is to be singled out for faith in him.

At the same time, not every hardship is persecution. 

Followers of Jesus experience all kinds of suffering in this fallen world, just as he said we would (John 16:33). Illness, loss, disappointment, or emotional pain are part of being human. Believers and unbelievers alike face those realities. 

But persecution is different. It’s not feeling the effects of a fallen world—it’s targeted hostility. It happens when someone endures ridicule, exclusion, or harm because they follow Jesus. Understanding that difference matters.

Persecution can happen anywhere—and can come from anyone.

Many imagine our persecuted family meeting in secret because their government forbids faith, or because their family and neighbors would report them to the authorities. 

And that’s true in many places. But persecution also happens in the open. 

I just met with a pastor in West Africa whose church compound is regularly filled with over 500 worshipers. One day, militants suddenly attacked and began burning buildings, cars, and people. Public doesn’t mean safe.

Persecution ranges in severity and aims to silence witness.

In places like Nigeria, militants have kidnapped, raped, and killed believers for decades. But persecution of the church is not always this severe. 

A Christian entrepreneur in the Middle East may lose customers—or the legal right to run a business. A new believer in the Himalayas may be cut off from water or electricity. A church in Southeast Asia might pay extra (and sometimes exorbitant) fees to rent or own a building. 

In freer nations, the cost is less severe but still real.

A British Christian may be arrested for praying outside an abortion clinic; an American may lose a job for speaking on biblical sexuality. 

Regardless of how severe persecution may be, from Acts to today, the goal is always the same—to silence the spread of Jesus’ name.

In many parts of the world, our brothers and sisters in Christ are fairly safe if they are no more than good people doing good works. But when they speak about Jesus, they suffer.

Persecution is a promise for every follower of Jesus.

“Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12).

Notice those words—persecution isn’t a ‘maybe’ for ‘some’ Christians.

The more we give our lives to following Jesus and making him known in our neighborhoods and all nations, particularly in places where the gospel has not yet gone, the more we will experience persecution.

So if you are not experiencing persecution to some degree, it’s worth asking: 

Am I professing and proclaiming faith in Jesus?

Am I clearly and courageously identifying with him?

Am I calling others to repent and believe because their eternity hinges on their response to him?

If the purpose of persecution is to silence witness, and we choose to silence ourselves, then we actually resemble persecutors more than the persecuted. 

We cannot let that be true of us.

Let’s intercede for our brothers and sisters in North Korea, Somalia, Libya, Eritrea, Yemen, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan, Iran, Afghanistan, and many other places around the world—that they would remain steadfast to the end. 

And let’s live the same way: boldly and unashamedly proclaiming Jesus wherever we live and wherever he leads us, no matter the cost, knowing that he is our reward.

—David Platt

_{P. S. November 2nd is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Will you join me in raising awareness and praying for our brothers and sisters in persecuted countries this year?}

🇱🇧 Steadfast in the Storm

Christianity has deep roots in Lebanon, going all the way back to the early church. But today, fewer than 1% of people there identify as Protestant. 

Life in Lebanon is hard right now—the economy has collapsed, jobs are scarce, and daily life is marked by uncertainty and tension.

In the middle of all this, many believers are holding on to their faith and choosing compassion when it would be easier to give up.

Even here, the gospel is still moving.

In Beirut, a coffee shop ministry partnered with Radical is reaching the next generation—hosting Bible studies, apologetics nights, and support groups that invite honest conversations about Jesus.

Through those gatherings, young people exploring faith are finding not just community but the living hope of Christ. Many are now being welcomed into local churches where they can grow as disciples and share that same hope with others.

How to Pray:

🙏🏼 Pray for the Lebanese church to stand firm and shine with Christlike compassion amid crisis and instability.

🙏🏼 Pray for young people in Beirut to encounter Jesus through gospel-centered conversations and relationships.

🙏🏼 Pray for refugees and the disillusioned to find lasting hope in Christ.

📍 Attention Worthy

• What if this Christmas felt different—peaceful instead of chaotic? David Platt’s new Advent devotional, The Name of Jesus, will help you slow down, refocus on Christ, and join believers around the world in praying for those who have yet to hear his name. Get your copy today.

• College can be exciting, but it’s not real life. Students need the grounding and growth that come from belonging to a local church. Read why.

• Struggle to share your faith? Here are five ways to grow as a faithful witness in your everyday conversations. Learn more.