Recently, I had a conversation with Pastor Andrew Brunson for a special Religious Freedom Day edition of Washington Watch. When Andrew was wrongfully charged and sentenced to life behind bars, he admits it broke him. Nothing, he said, equipped him for the kind of persecution he experienced.

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Wasting away in a Turkish prison wasn’t how Pastor Brunson would have chosen to spend two years of his life–but after watching turmoil unfold in this country, he’s more convinced than ever: God was preparing him for this moment. Persecution is coming, he believes. And there’s no greater burden on his heart than to make sure Americans are ready for it. . . .

So what can we do? What practical steps can we take as believers? Pastor Brunson gives us five ways to prepare and stand firm in the face of hostility.

1. Talk About Persecution

“Talk about persecution, be aware of it, and begin to prepare for it by equipping your children and people in your church.”

2. Pursue Intimacy with God

“This is what prepared me for the difficult assignment that I had… God knew that I would go right up to the point of failure–but because I had spent years drawing close to Him, He also knew that even in my most difficult time, that I would turn to Him. It’s this intimacy that fuels perseverance.”

3. Develop the Right Perspective: Fear of God, Not Man

“Jesus said very clearly: ‘Don’t fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.’ That wasn’t empty rhetoric.”

4. Determine Now to Follow Jesus

“Are we going to fear the Twitter mob? Are we going to fear the consequences of obeying God and persecution? Or are we going to fear more the consequence of not obeying God, which is standing before Him someday?”

5. Stand on the Word of God

“We need to make the decision that we won’t compromise the word of God, even if it costs us.”

I encourage you to watch my full-length discussion with Pastor Brunson. The goal isn’t to create a spirit of fear. It’s to remind Christians that God alone will sustain us–but we have to do our part and stay vigilant, prayerful, and steadfast. . . .

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(Excerpt from Family Research Council. Photo Credit: Unsplash.)