In the traditional calendar, “All Saints Day” and “All Souls Day” stand out in the month of November, set apart to remember the saints of the church and the souls of those who departed this world. It is fitting, then, that the modern church has set apart the month of November to remember and pray for the persecuted church, through the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP).

There are many countries in the world today where Christians are martyred for their faith. Believers in Afghanistan are facing death threats; Christians in Uzbekistan, Nigeria and many other countries all around the world face violence, imprisonment and even death. There are other places in the world such as North Korea where acts of persecution take  place, but we don’t see or hear of it. Brother Andrew of Open Doors once said, “Our heroes are not with us simply because they are in prison.”

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.

We invite you to explore this website (www.idop.org) and hope you will join Christians worldwide in praying for persecuted Christians in November. Please note that while Sunday, November 13 (Sunday, November 6 in the UK and Ireland) is the designated date for IDOP, you are free to choose another date if you wish. See their resources that can be downloaded from this website to help your prayer group or congregation pray in an informed manner: www.idop.org
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Join a Worldwide Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Christians

More than 25 pastors are killed in Colombia every year, simply because they lead churches. Right now, there are over 2,000 Christians in prison in Eritrea, just because they are Christians. In Iran, Pastor Nadarkhani is facing execution for apostasy (abandoning Islam).

And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

On 6 November 2011, there will be an International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP). It is a special opportunity for the global Church to unite in prayer, raising up situations just like the ones above.
http://www.csw.org.uk/pray