SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1: DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH
“Remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.” ~ Hebrews 13:3
“If one part [of the Body of Christ] suffers, every part suffers with it… Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” ~ 1 Corinthians 12:26-27
Did you know that around the world, more than 260 million Christians live in places where they experience high levels of persecution, just for following Jesus? That’s 1 in 8 of our brothers and sisters worldwide! Because of this, Sunday, November 1 is set aside as the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Prayer is the number one thing for which persecuted Christians ask.
Open Doors ministry produces a “World Watch List” each year providing an unparalleled glimpse into the 50 places around the world where it costs the most to be a Christian. Some of us have friends who live, work, and serve in these places! The Top Ten for 2020 are: North Korea, Afghanistan, Somalia, Libya, Pakistan, Eritrea, Sudan, Yemen, Iran, and India. |
To learn about and to pray for our persecuted Church family around the world, we recommend these resources:
Ministries: Anglican Persecuted Church Network (APCN) LumenLife (Anglican) New Wineskins Missionary Network (Anglican) Open Doors The Voice of the Martyrs Prayer Resources: opendoorsusa.org/prayer-resources opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list newwineskins.org/prayers-for-the-persecuted-church Biblical Perspective of Persecution: Bible verses on Persecution (PDF download) A Biblical Theology of Persecution and Discipleship (2016), an article by Glenn Penner (PDF download) |