Welcome to day 4 of the 2025 One With Them Challenge.
In North Korea, being a Christian is one of the most dangerous identities you can have. It’s illegal to own a Bible or talk about Jesus. Discovery often leads to arrest, torture, or even execution. That’s why an estimated 60,000 Christians are imprisoned in labour camps across the country.
These camps are brutal. Prisoners face constant surveillance, starvation, forced labour, and unimaginable cruelty. Christian captives are treated as enemies of the state.
And yet, they hold on to Jesus.
Because owning a Bible is illegal, North Korean believers rely on what they’ve memorized. Verses tucked away in the mind become lifelines. Scripture sustains them in silence and secrecy.
That’s why today, don’t read your Bible.
Today's Challenge
Today, in solidarity with the 60,000 Christians in North Korean labour camps, don’t read your Bible.
Instead, reflect on the Word you’ve memorized. Think back to the passage you committed to memory on Day 1 or try to recall other verses stored in your heart. Meditate on them. Reflect. Let the Word of God dwell in you richly, even without a page in front of you.
This small fast from Scripture will remind us how precious—and rare—it is for many to hold a Bible at all.
Pray
Take time today to pray for North Korean Christians who have no access to Scripture. Ask God to strengthen their memory of His Word, protect them in the labour camps, and bring miraculous moments of encouragement and truth.