International Day of Prayer

Some of you may have recognised International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church last weekend, or possibly you are looking to acknowledge it this weekend, as it is held on either the 1st or 2nd Sunday of November.

Globally, one in seven Christians live in places where they face a high level of persecution for their faith and for more than two decades, the World Evangelical Alliance has organised the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) as a global event that unites millions of Christians in prayer for the persecuted Church.

In many parts of the world, every day, Christians are harassed, discriminated against, wrongfully imprisoned, and even killed because of their faith. According to the World Watch List for Christian persecution, over 5000 people were killed in 2021 just because of their faith in Jesus.

This is a staggering number and affects hundreds of thousands of people worldwide as they work through the death of loved ones and the toll on their communities.

Sadly, Christian persecution is on the rise world over and today, more than 360 million Christians live in places where they face high levels of persecution.

The IDOP have created a range of resources which are designed to help you effectively pray for the persecuted church and Brian F. O’Connell has written about the background and history of the IDOP which has become important within the life of the global evangelical church.

The Voice of the Martyrs’ have released the below video for this years IDOP which tells the story of a Nigerian woman who watched helplessly with her daughter as Boko Haram militants killed her husband and son, and burned her home.

May this video inspire you to pray for those who trust in God’s Word as they live faithfully for Christ on the world’s most difficult and dangerous mission fields.

Brother Andrew, founder of Open Doors says that “If we understood the potential power of our prayers, we would be on our knees a hundred times a day, asking Him for things that would turn the word upside-down.”

James 5:16b says that “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (New International Version)

So, please take a moment now to pray for the persecuted church and stand with those that have been affected by harassment, discrimination, wrongful imprisonment, and have even been killed because of their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of their lives.

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IDOP – International Day of Prayer

The IDOP – International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church is coming up on Sunday 1 November.

This a yearly opportunity to pray with the persecuted church all over the world.

Today’s greatest untold story is that more than 100 million Christians worldwide face persecution for their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Daily, Christians in countries such as Iraq, Eritrea, Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Sudan and North Korea face imprisonment, violence and even death.

IDOP is a time set apart for us to remember millions of our Christian brothers and sisters around the world who suffer persecution, simply because they confess Jesus Christ as Lord. Believers from all over the world set aside a day in November to unite in prayer for our world and those persecuted for their faith.

You can participate in IDOP as an individual or along with your church, school or small group by signing up here.

Why should I pray with the persecuted church?

We think the words of this Egyptian pastor answer this question best; “Please do not pray for us. Please pray with us. If you pray for us, you will pray for the wrong things. You will pray that the church will be safe. You will pray for persecution to cease. We are not praying for these things.

We ask that we will be bold and clear in sharing our faith. And we pray that when the inevitable persecution comes, that we will not run away, that we will be faithful in that persecution even if it costs us our lives. Will you tell your friends to pray these prayers with us?“

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