PAKISTAN Persecution Response: Singing the Word of God

VOMRadio

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

🗓️ 27 September 2025

⏱️ 25 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

After dozens of churches and Christians’ homes in Jaranwala, Pakistan, were attacked, looted and burned by a mob, Christians gathered in and around the ruins of their former church buildings to sing and worship the Lord. The words they sang were directly from Scripture: Psalms of lament; reminders that even in times of suffering we can come to the Lord and trust in His sovereignty.

Dr. Yousaf Sadiq, professor at Wheaton College and co-leader of the Lausanne Persecuted Church Initiative, is back on VOM Radio, sharing the story of the Punjabi Psalter: what it is and how it has impacted the church in Pakistan and parts of India for generations.

“I want the world to know this fascinating story and what it means for the church in Pakistan.” Yousaf says, “It’s such a precious heritage.”

Dr. Yousaf will also share about his work to support and include the ministry of persecuted Christians into the work of the Lausanne Movement.

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

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	The Punjabi-speaking church in Pakistan and parts of India has a rich tradition of singing the Psalms.
0:07.8	That tradition has especially served the people of a Pakistani village undergoing persecution.
0:15.4	Their church buildings and many of their homes were burned, but they still gathered together as they did every Sunday.
0:24.1	Dr. Yusuf Sadiq tells us what they sang in the ruins of their burned churches.
0:30.5	The Psalms of Lament, Psalm 46, God is our refuge and strength.
0:36.3	No matter what happens, we are going to continue to worship.
0:41.3	They were weeping and yet they were expressing their grief and sorrow before God
0:48.3	through these Psalms and also trusting the Lord for intervening in this situation.
0:57.0	Jesus never promised his followers an easy path.
1:01.0	In fact, he told his disciples that the world would hate them.
1:05.0	He sent them out as sheep among wolves.
1:07.0	Jesus' words came true in the life of the Apostles,
1:10.0	and they're still coming true today
1:12.1	in the lives of his followers around the world. Join host Todd Nettleton as we hear their inspiring
1:17.2	stories and learn how we can help right now on the Voice of the Martyrs Radio Network. Welcome again
1:22.9	to the Voice of the Martyrs Radio. My name is Todd Nettleton. Last week, we began a conversation with
1:28.0	Dr. Yusuf Sadiq. He is a professor at Wheaton College. He is also the co-leader of the Luzon
1:35.6	persecuted Church Initiative. He grew up as a Christian in the nation of Pakistan, facing many
1:42.3	trials because of his faith. He was never expected to be able to
1:47.5	attend school, but last week we heard how God provided for his education, allowing him to
1:53.7	attend grade school and college and seminary and eventually receive his PhD. If you missed last week's episode, you can hear it on our website,
2:04.0	v.oam radio.net, or you can find Voice of the Martyrs Radio wherever you listen to podcasts.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Voice of the Martyrs, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of The Voice of the Martyrs and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.