The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church falls on the first Sunday of November,
which is dedicated to remembering the martyrs and saints of Christianity.
The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church is observed by many Christian denominations, with over 100,000 congregations honouring the holiday worldwide.
Congregations focus on "praying for individuals, families, churches, or countries where Christians are facing hard situations."
If we are seeking to be faithful to our Lord Jesus, we will suffer some persecution for it. By God's grace, perhaps, not the violent and vicious persecution which Christians in communist and Muslim lands have suffered.
During more than 40 years of missionary work, I have had the privilege of serving persecuted Churches in Mozambique, Angola, Rwanda, Sudan, Northern Nigeria, the Congo and Zimbabwe.
Over 365 million Christians currently live under governments that restrict religious freedom and subject believers to various forms of persecution, a significant increase from previous years.
Additionally, many congregations donate funds on the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church to NGOs that support human rights of persecuted Christians, such as Voice of the Martyrs, International Christian Concern, and Open Doors.