Lately as I pray, not always faithfully, for the Persecuted Church and see more and more hatred and violence, to the point of death, directed at Christians, I wonder if I have the heart of a martyr. Yesterday ninety plus more Christians were kidnapped by ISIS, this comes less than a week after they murdered 21 Egyptian Coptic men for they’re faith. Brant Hansen tweeted, “Fascinating article on the murdered Christians from Egypt, and our unwillingness to acknowledge the obvious.” He was referencing an article for the National Review, Martyred Copts Witnessed Their Faith, and Courage
Yet at the critical moment, they did not deny their Savior or run away from him. Pushed on their knees to be killed, they stood taller than their murderers. They stood tall for the whole world to watch what Christianity is all about. ~ Samuel Tadros
I agree it is a good article and would encourage you to take the time to read it. Tom White wrote the forward for the re-issuing of Richard Wurmbrand’s book “Tortured for Christ” . In it he gives a greater understanding of what a martyr is.
According to the original Greek, “martyr” means “witness.” The writer of Hebrews states that “we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [martyrs]” (Heb 12:1), and Jesus instructs us in Acts 1:8, “You shall be witnesses [martyrs] to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” The New Testament martyr not only personally testified to the truth and power of Jesus Christ, but was instructed to take that witness to others, regardless of the cost. Later in the book of Acts, we read about the stoning of Stephen, making him the first to pay the ultimate price for that witness. It is at this time that the word martyr took on a much stronger meaning as one who not only is a witness but as one who is willing to give his life or to be martyred for that cause.
So as I pray for persecuted Christians around the world, and I’m seeing all that Jesus said would happen come to pass, I’m asking God to strengthen my heart. O Lord, please keep me from falling away. I pray I will not betray or hate fellow Christians. I pray I will love those who have fallen or have never known God and are trapped in sin and without God. I pray that my love for the lost will never grow cold, and to always be His “witness”, 
enduring till the end.
‘Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. Rev 2:10
This is one of those few times when I wish that I was up on the news of the world, I have no idea whether any of the mainstream in our culture is even paying attention.
The other thought that comes to mind is that Christians have been having their heads cut of in the middle east for 2000 years, just now we have global knowledge of it.