Praying for Persecution

This is a haunting article from World Magazine (and particularly interesting if read in light of this previous article).

Here's a quote. I encourage you to go read the rest.

How should American Christians pray for the church in China? So asked the reporter from the Baptist mission board, ending his interview with a leader of the Chinese house-church movement.

His subject answered, "Stop praying for persecution in China to end." He added, "It is through persecution that the church has grown."

The leader of the underground church then added something else: "We, in fact, are praying that the American church might taste the same persecution so revival would come to the American church like we have seen in China."

I wonder if the modern-day American evangelical church (and I'm preaching to myself when I say this) doesn't need a little persecution to wake up. Where are those in the States who are joyfully accepting plundering of their property for the sake of a better possession (Heb 10:34)?