Persevering Despite Persecution

13. Why should we pray when we experience persecution?

¹³ When Jesus’ early disciples experienced persecution, they petitioned Jehovah for boldness. The result? They were filled with holy spirit and empowered to speak God’s word with boldness. (Acts 4:18-31) We too pray for wisdom and strength to keep on witnessing despite persecution. (Jas. 1:2-8) Because we are blessed by God and helped by his spirit, we press on in Kingdom service. Nothing stops the work of bearing witness​—neither intense opposition nor brutal persecution. When we are being persecuted, we certainly need to pray for holy spirit and for wisdom and courage to declare the good news.​—Luke 11:13.

14, 15. (a) What happened as a result of “the tribulation that arose over Stephen”? (b) In our time, how did many people in Siberia come to learn the truth?

¹⁴ Stephen gave a bold witness before he met his death at enemy hands. (Acts 6:5; 7:54-60) In the “great persecution” that arose at that time, all the disciples except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. But that did not stop the work of bearing witness. Philip went to Samaria “to preach the Christ” and did so with excellent results. (Acts 8:1-8, 14, 15, 25) Moreover, we are told: “Those who had been scattered by the tribulation that arose over Stephen went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, but they spoke the word only to the Jews. However, some of the men among them from Cyprus and Cyrene came to Antioch and began talking to the Greek-speaking people, declaring the good news of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 11:19, 20) At that time, persecution spread the Kingdom message.

¹⁵ In our time, something similar occurred in the former Soviet Union. Especially in the 1950’s, thousands of Jehovah’s Witnesses were exiled to Siberia. Because they were scattered in various settlements, the good news was constantly spreading in that vast land. In no way could so many Witnesses have found the money needed to travel perhaps as much as 6,000 miles (10,000 km) to proclaim the good news! However, the government itself sent them across the country. “As it turned out,” said one brother, “the authorities themselves enabled thousands of sincere people in Siberia to come to know the truth.”

Moreover, it is only with God’s help and blessing that we are able to endure stiff opposition​—at times, intense persecution—​and successfully carry out our ministry, even as Paul and other early Christians did. (Acts 14:19-21) Jehovah God is always there for us. His “everlasting arms” unfailingly support us in all our trials. (Deut. 33:27) Let us also remember that for the sake of his great name, Jehovah never deserts his people.​—1 Sam. 12:22; Ps. 94:14.

¹⁹ To illustrate: Because Brother Harald Abt kept on bearing witness, the Nazis sent him to Sachsenhausen concentration camp during World War II. In May 1942 the Gestapo went to the home of his wife, Elsa, took away their little girl, and arrested Elsa. She was sent to various camps. “My years in German concentration camps taught me an outstanding lesson,” said Sister Abt. “It is, how greatly Jehovah’s spirit can strengthen you when you are under extreme trial! Before I was arrested, I had read a sister’s letter that said that under severe trial Jehovah’s spirit causes a calmness to come over you. I thought that she must have been exaggerating a bit. But when I went through trials myself, I knew that what she had said was true. It really happens that way. It’s hard to imagine it, if you have not experienced it. Yet it really happened to me.”