The first of two International Days of Prayer for the Persecuted Church will be held around the world this Sunday with the second to follow the week after, on 13th November.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the event which started in 1996 and, according to organisers, is now held in more than 100 countries across the world. Experts say at least 100 million Christians around the world reportedly face persecution today.
In a statement on the IDOP website, Godfrey Yogarajah, executive director of the World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission, issued an invitation for people to join in praying for the persecuted church.
“The Bible in Hebrews 13:3 command Christians to pray for those suffering as if they themselves were suffering,” he wrote. “In other words, the Bible calls us to not only remember those who suffer but also to identify with them in their suffering. In keeping with this Scriptural imperative, for 20 years, the International Days of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) has united millions of Christians around the world in the spirit that scripture commands: If one suffers, we all suffer.
Rev Yogarajah said that those behind the day “[w]e believe that God uses the prayers of his people to strengthen and deliver suffering saints”. “Based on Scripture, we are also convinced that though sorrow maybe the present reality of those suffering for Christ, triumph is their ultimate reward.”
“We invite you, therefore, to join us this year as we unite globally to pray for the persecuted. Let’s pray that in spite of the pressure and persecution, our suffering brothers and sisters – where-ever they may be in the world — would stand firm in their faith, holding fast to the promises of God in Christ.”
Resources can be downloaded from the IDOP website – http://idop.org.
