International Day of Prayer for Those Persecuted

On November 11th of 2007 all across the world is a very special day of prayer. This is a day that we all come together to pray for those who are persecuted for their faith in Christ. Persecution is a huge problem in our world today. Sadly, many American's do not ever think about it because they do not believe that persecution still happens. It does happen though, every single day.

According to the Voice of the Martyrs, there are thousands of people who are murdered, tortured, raped, beaten, and imprisoned for their faith in God every year. This day of prayer is a day to pray for those who suffer for Christ. This is a day to also be able to raise awareness and to let others know just how serious of an issue persecution really is.

Let's take a look at a few countries to so that you will get an idea of how serious of an issue this really is. In Pakistan 96.8% of the population is Muslim and only a small 2.31% is Christian. Unfortunately because of militant Islamic forces initiating so much violence against Christians they are barred from some professions and the most menial tasks are reserved for Christians alone.

How about China . . . The Voice of the Martyrs states that church property and Bibles are continually being confiscated. House churches, which are illegal unregistered churches, are under constant persecution. Police groups will break into these house-churches and beat and imprison those who are in attendance. Many people are murdered every year in China because they are caught with a Bible or sneaking into a secret house church meeting.

North Korea is also extremely dangerous for Christians. Only approximately 1.69% of the populations are Christian and those few must be so careful to worship that it would seem impossible to most of us who are able to freely worship and not worry about these types of things. According to The Voice of the Martyrs "All religions have been harshly repressed. Many thousands of Christians have been murdered since the Korean War. In 1953, there were about 300,000 Christians; however, the number has reduced to a few thousand today. Christians must practice their faith in deep secrecy and are in constant danger."

This is just to mention 3 countries but there are so many more. So as you can see, persecution is a serious problem and it does really happen in today's world. So please remember the International Day of Prayer on November 11, 2007 and pray for our brothers and sisters who are suffering for Christ. Make other people aware of just how serious and real persecution is. At Persecution.com there are a couple videos for you to watch as well as a couple downloads including an insert for a church bulletin. Put November 11th on your calendar and remember to pray for the strength of our persecuted brothers and sisters.

HOW TO PRAY:
1. Encouragement
2. Faithfulness
3. For the persecutors
4. Provision