Today, more than 300 million Christians worldwide are persecuted because of their faith. That is why the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) organizes an annual International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP). This year’s IDOP will be held on November 6 and 13.
IDOP is an initiative from the World Evangelical Alliance, and calls people to pray for persecuted Christians specifically on these days. They state: “IDOP is a time set apart for us to remember thousands of our Christian brothers and sisters around the world who suffer persecution, simply because they confess Jesus Christ as Lord.”
They quote the Bible as their motivation to pray for the persecuted. Hebrews 13:3 says that we “should pray for those who are mistreated as if we ourselves are mistreated,” and 1 Corinthians 12:26 says: “If one member suffers, we all suffer together; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together.”
Ambassador for Religious Freedom, Godfrey Yogarajah, says: “The IDOP is a time set apart to remember all those who share our faith, but not our freedom.”
On IDOP’s website, there are prayer guides, children’s resources, articles, and other resources free to download to be used in prayer and study. They are available in English, French, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.
