International Day of Prayer
The power of prayer for the persecuted church
Join us on Sunday, November 1, 2020
Join us for a Facebook Live to meet and pray with persecuted believers from North Korea and Iran as we observe the International Day of Prayer (IDOP). This day is set aside to pray in solidarity with our sisters and brothers who face opposition, discrimination, persecution and violence–just because they follow Jesus.
More InformationOpen Doors estimates there are more than 260 million Christians who live in places where they face persecution for their faith.
That’s 1 in 8 Christians, worldwide.
Get your church involved in IDOP on Sunday, November 1, 2020
This IDOP Sunday, invite your church, small group and family to join in—prayer is the most powerful way we can remember our brothers and sisters.
Resources for your churchPray for your family around the world
Pray for Christians suffering from extreme persecution and COVID-19.
Ask God to help provide much-needed aid and relief to our desperate brothers and sisters in regions impacted by the global crisis and persecution.
In Asia and Africa—and around the world, Christians are being denied COVID-19 aid because of their faith. In many countries like India, Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Ethiopia, COVID-19 restrictions have pushed Christian families to the edge of survival—with no means to provide for themselves and little to no help from the government. To survive, these believers need the prayer and support of the global Church.
Pray for Christians under government surveillance and nationalism.
Ask God to give church leaders and Christians wisdom and courage—in the face of opposition—to gather, worship and spread the gospel.
In China, where there are an estimated 97 million Christians, persecution against Christians has taken a technological turn. China has also developed popular facial recognition software to control its citizens and make it difficult for Christians to worship freely. Similarly, in India, the government plans to introduce a national facial recognition system to track its citizens—which poses an even greater threat to Christians since they don’t follow the Hindu religion.
Pray for Christians under threat of Muslim extremism.
Ask God to give these believers strength and hope as they follow Jesus in such difficult and dangerous situations.
The influence of radical Islamic ideology has dispersed not only across sub-Saharan Africa but has also emerged in entirely unexpected atrocities. In Sri Lanka, 250 people died, and more than 500 were injured in attacks on Catholic and Protestant churches and hotels on Easter Sunday last year. In Pakistan, Muslim radical groups often are given free rein by the government. And for Christians who leave their Muslim faith in countries like Iran, Iraq, or Syria, they face expulsion from their families and communities—and even threats of violence unless they return to Islam.
Pray for Christians under attack and threatened with violence.
Ask God to protect Christians living in some of the most dangerous countries to follow Jesus today—like Nigeria, North Korea, Afghanistan and Somalia.
According to the 2020 World Watch List, 2,983 Christians were killed for their faith this year—that’s an average of 8 Christians killed every day for their faith. In these countries and many others, Christians follow Jesus at the risk of harassment, violence, false imprisonment and even death.
The Story of Kirti
Watch the incredible story of Kirti—and see how the power of prayer for the persecuted church can change a life forever.
Want an easy tool to inform your prayers for the persecuted church?
The Pray for the Persecuted prayer app is an easy and powerful way to stay connected to the needs of persecuted Christians through your mobile phone!
Through the app, you’ll receive detailed, real-time prayer requests from Christians in Iraq, Nigeria, Egypt, India—and all around the world—where it’s most difficult and dangerous to follow Jesus.