IDOP is recognised on the first Sunday in November each year, dedicated to the saints and martyrs of the Christian faith and for persecuted communities. IDOP website here.
In 2020 this falls on November 1st, which is also the closest Sunday to All Saints Day.
God, you know
The plight of people far away
Oppressed by governments and vigilantes
In places
Where Christianity is an unpopular choice.
God, you knew
That the day would come here
When truth-telling would be despised
And siding with the oppressed
Part of the road less travelled.
Have mercy, O God,
Upon persecuted Christians there and here
Who are willing to suffer consequences
For speaking your Name
In word or in deed
In defiance or in advocacy.
Grant courage and strength
To all who would dare
To live their convictions out loud. Amen. (UMC Discipleship)Prayers:
For those who are threatened by persecution, starvation and deadly violence because of their Christian faith…may they be strengthened by their faith in Jesus Christ and our solidarity with them.
That the God of light may inspire leaders of governments to uphold religious freedom and care for the well-being of all people, especially the poor and vulnerable.
For Christians throughout the world who are persecuted for the faith…may they be freed from fear and anxiety and strengthened in their courageous witness…and may peace come to their troubled lands.
For those who have suffered violent death because of their faith…may they now live in the light of God’s face.
(Source: Orlando Diocese)
Ideas for prayers here.
An article by Elizabeth Kendal, an international religious liberty analyst and advocate. She serves as Director of Advocacy at Canberra-based Christian Faith and Freedom (CFF), and is an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Arthur Jeffery Centre for the Study of Islam at Melbourne School of Theology.
A Prayer for the Persecuted Church
“When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we speak kindly.” (1 Corinthians 4:12)
O God, we bring before you this night your servants around the world who face opposition, persecution, torture, imprisonment, and even death because of their loyalty to Christ and His teachings. We cannot begin to fully understand their sufferings, but we seek to stand with them in solidarity and prayer. Spur us on to action, O God. Tonight we seek to be a voice for the voiceless; to work for an end to the suffering caused by religious intolerance; and to be faithful in our daily walk as disciples of Jesus. May Your transforming love call us to prayer, to com- passion, and to action. We pray these things in the strong and holy name of Jesus. Amen.
As you pray and reflect this night, remember our brothers and sisters in Christ who suffer around the world. In particular, remember Christians in these countries (listed by Open Door USA as the top 12 countries where Christians are persecuted):
1. North Korea
2. Iraq
3. Eritrea
4. Afghanistan
5. Syria
6. Pakistan
7. Somalia
8. Sudan
9. Iran
10. Libya
11. Yemen
12. Nigeria
