International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church – Sunday, November 3, 2019

Around the world, Christians are harassed, discriminated against, and even killed simply because of their beliefs. As fellow Christians, it is our responsibility to care about those who face danger just for living out their faith and lift them up in prayer. That’s why we’re urging Christians to observe the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, which will take place on Sunday, November 3, 2019.

Here are some ways you can join us in praying for the persecuted church:

• Pray that God would strengthen the faith of Christians across the world to withstand persecution and that they would find relief from violations of their religious freedom. Pray that persecuted believers remember Jesus’ teaching in John 16:20: “Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” May they cling to His promise: “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33b).
• Pray that God would protect, comfort, and encourage new Christian converts from Muslim backgrounds and that they would be a witness to their own families and communities who often reject them when they become Christians. Pray they would be “light and salt” to their own families and friends (Matthew 5:13).
• Pray for wisdom and encouragement for the growing Christian community in China as they encounter threats, intimidation, and communist indoctrination from their government. Pray that the underground church will find hope in Jesus’s promise that “where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (Matthew 18:20).
• Pray for the protection of Christians, including Muslim-background believers, in Northeast Syria who now face the possibility of military conflict, displacement, and targeting by jihadist forces. Pray they treasure Christ and His Word and remember that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).
• Pray that the underground church in North Korea knows they are not alone, and for a fresh wind of the Spirit’s power to come over that land. Pray that the final words of the Great Commission—“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age”—will strength North Korean Christians as they persevere in their faith (Matthew 28:20).