We support people who are beaten, tortured, laughed at, imprisoned, falsely accused, disowned, ignored and hated simply for following Jesus.
News / Thoughts
Updates, ideas, reflections and articles from Open Doors and our friends
North Korea: Your messages read on secret radio!
Hearing Bible teaching teaching or worship music in North Korea is pretty tricky. Being found with a Bible will lead to arrest, whilst gathering together as a church family is simply too dangerous. But there are other ways that Christians in the country can hear God’s word – through radio programmes.
Open Doors broadcasts several Christian programs throughout the week, all of them in the middle of the night, because it’s the safest time for the North Koreans to listen to the radio. These radio shows are broadcast from outside North Korea, and Christians (and others) can tune into listen.
Your messages on the secret broadcasts…
Last year we asked you to send us messages to encourage secret North Korean believers that would be read out on these radio programmes. Loads of you sent in Bible verses, prayers and other messages. We’ve just heard back from one church leader who say’s the messages from Christians around the world are having an impact:
“I remember that after the song ‘The Love of God’ was broadcast on the radio, a message was read from a foreign believer. It quoted Colossians 1:1-8, where Paul talks about thanking and praying always. The message said that the lives of the North Korean believers match those from Colossians 1. We also pray day and night in our desperation.
“Another message came from Revelation 3:7-13 and it was read after we sang the hymn ‘I’m rejoicing night and day’. The message encouraged us to keep our faith despite the daily suffering and persecution we go through by holding on to God’s promises and spiritual power. God opens doors through our prayers. Our prayers will chase the darkness away, just like the morning dawn chases away the night.
“We pray that God will anoint all those believers who have sent us a message of encouragement. We pray that the Lord will bless all fellow Christians in the world this year. Thank you for your radio programs. Sometimes the signal is interrupted, but usually, we are able to listen to the programs without a problem.”
About the radio programmes…
In North Korea you cannot trust your neighbor, and people are rewarded if they turn in Christians or others who may not be loyal to the regime. This makes it virtually impossible for Christians to mentor and educate each other. With our radio programs – as well as the Bibles and other Christian materials we secretly distribute – we fill an important gap by teaching the Christians how to understand and apply the Bible in their context.
Pray now…
- Ask that North Koreans can safely listen to the radio programs.
- That the broadcasts will help the underground Christians to grow spiritually.
- That Open Doors’ work among secret believers is protected and will bear a lot of fruit.
Act now…
Inspired to send your own message of hope? Check out our letter-writing page and send a short letter of encouragement to a Christian suffering after facing persecution and trauma…
Guts and Courage resource: Find out more about North Korea…
Get our new, free Guts and Courage resource to learn more about the places in the world where Christians face pressure, violence and intimidation for their faith and get inspired to live out your walk with God with more boldness…
We support people who are beaten, tortured,
imprisoned, falsely accused, and hated simply for following Jesus.
