International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
"A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria...But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went." - Acts 8: 1, 4 NLT
The Global Methodist Church invites you and your church to join in the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) on Sunday, November 2, 2025. This is a unique opportunity to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world as we lift our voices together.
The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church is a time each year set aside to pray for Christians who stand as bold witnesses in the world’s most difficult and dangerous places to follow Christ. During this time, we enter into fellowship with these brothers and sisters by praying for their families, their needs and their ministries.
We encourage the GMC family to set aside Sunday, November 2 to observe IDOP corporately during worship services and individually during personal prayer.
Many of those that live daily with persecution are found in the 10-40 window of the globe. This land area is between 10 and 40 degrees north latitude, stretching from West Africa to southeast Asia and includes the majority of the world’s population of Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists.
This is a part of the world where there is much poverty and difficulty in living day to day. Being a Christian here is dangerous, yet those who live here share their faith passionately with non-Christians knowing what it could cost them.
More than 380 million Christians suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith.
1 in 7 Christians are persecuted worldwide.
1 in 5 Christians are persecuted in Africa.
2 in 5 Christians are persecuted in Asia.
More Christians were killed in the 20th century for their faith in Jesus Christ than in the first 19 centuries of the Church. Christians around the world are targeted for persecution more than any other religious group.
Resources are available to help you and your church observe IDOP. Prayer guides, small group studies, sermon outlines, slides, bulletin inserts, videos and more are available at:
Global Christian Relief https://globalchristianrelief.org/resources/idop-2025/
Open Doors USA https://www.opendoorsus.org/en-US/getinvolved/resources/idop-resources/
Voice of the Martyrs www.persecution.com/idop/
Join us in a prayer for the persecuted church:
Gracious Lord,
We thank You for our Christian brothers and sisters around the world who accept the risk of bearing witness to Your love and grace and of faithfully leading and teaching Your people in the world’s hardest places to be a Christian.
May these Christian leaders, who are often the first targets of persecution, know the power of Your presence both in times of victory and in days of weariness and loneliness. Bring them reminders from Your Word and love from Your people to sustain them in their work and worship.
As they bear the yoke of leadership in the church, we pray that they will experience the lightness of a yoke shared with You, and will find peace and refreshment as they rest in You. May their courage and faithfulness be a vivid example to the churches they lead and to the persecutors who seek to wound Your Church.
Lord, through Your love and grace, encourage the hearts of these church leaders today, strengthening them in every good work and word.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.