God Enables Persecuted Christians to Hear Our Prayers

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The Voice of the Martyrs

Christianity, Martyr, Vom, Persecution, Gospel, Pastor, Persecutedchurch, Apologetics, Islam, Christian, Church, Missions, Missionaries, Religion & Spirituality

4.9 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 19 July 2025

⏱️ 25 minutes

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Summary

Established 28 years ago by Congress, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is charged with monitoring religious persecution around the world, reporting to Congress, the President, and the Secretary of State and making recommendations on advancing religious freedom through US foreign policy.

Vicky Hartzler is the current chair of USCIRF. Prior to that appointment, she served in Congress from the state of Missouri. Even before her service in Congress, Hartzler came with a group from her church to volunteer at The Voice of the Martyrs. Listen as she shares more about her role in reporting on and seeking religious freedom for our brothers and sisters in restricted areas and hostile nations. She’ll also share her own experiences of advocating on behalf of persecuted Christians directly to leaders of other nations.

After getting VOM’s monthly magazine and reading Richard Wurmbrand’s story in Tortured for Christ, her eyes were opened to Christian persecution and she was moved to pray for our persecuted Christian family, taking Hebrews 13:3 to heart.

Hartzler was impacted by her time serving at VOM. Her heart was also moved when she met a Chinese Christian woman at her church. The woman shared how she’d felt alone in solitary confinement in China—until she had a vision from the Lord of people praying for her.

“God may be enabling somebody in prison to see and to hear our prayers—and to be encouraged,” Hartzler says.

In Congress, Hartzler adopted three Christian prisoners in China to advocate on behalf of. Pastor Wang Yi—one of the three—is still in prison, serving out his nine-year sentence. You can write a letter to him, and petition government officials on his behalf, at PrisonerAlert.com.

Listen for ways you can pray for USCIRF’s work and for followers of Christ working in government to advance religious freedom around the world.

The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians throughout the year, as well as provide free access to e-books, audiobooks, video content and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.

Transcript

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0:00.0	There was a lady who came to our church.
0:02.0	She had been imprisoned in China for many years.
0:05.0	She was in solitary confinement, and she felt so alone, and as she prayed, God gave her a vision.
0:13.0	She said it was Americans praying for her.
0:17.0	And she said, I just was amazed and humbled and so strengthened,
0:23.4	seeing, why would Americans be praying for me?
0:26.2	I've always thought of that.
0:28.0	As we pray, we think, is this really going to matter?
0:30.9	Whatever, but think God may be enabling somebody in prison to see
0:34.5	and to hear our prayers and to be encouraged.
0:38.3	Jesus never promised his followers an easy path. In fact, he told his disciples that the world would hate them.
0:45.3	He sent them out as sheep among wolves. Jesus' words came true in the life of the Apostles,
0:51.3	and they're still coming true today in the lives of his followers
0:54.3	around the world. Join host Todd Nettleton as we hear their inspiring stories and learn how we can
0:59.8	help right now on the Voice of the Martyrs Radio Network. Welcome again to the Voice of the Martyrs
1:04.9	Radio. My name is Todd Nettleton, and we are in the studio today in Bartlesville, Oklahoma with
1:09.1	Vicki Hartzler. She is the current chair
1:11.9	of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. And maybe you're not
1:16.9	familiar with that. It is often said as you surf in sort of the abbreviated form. Before that,
1:24.1	Vicki was a congresswoman from the state of Missouri. Before that, she was a volunteer at the Voice of the Martyrs.
1:30.0	That's what it says on her official bio on the government website.
1:34.0	Vicki, welcome to the Voice of the Martyrs Radio.
	...

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