Churches and groups all over the world celebrated the annual International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church on Sunday.
This year, churches are praying under the theme of “Persecuted but not abandoned.” In 2018, some 100,000 congregations took part in the IDOP, according to the Christian Post.
“This November let us unite in prayer for our persecuted brothers and sisters,” said the IDOP organizers in a video posted to Vimeo earlier this month.
According to Open Doors USA, more than 245 million Christians are persecuted around the world. Persecution includes beatings, physical torture, confinement, rape, punishment, slavery and discrimination, the group said.
“These 245 million people are not just numbers; they are men, women and children, moms, dads, sons and daughters who all have names and share in common the fact they are being arrested, tortured, imprisoned and even killed for one reason – they follow Jesus,” said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council.
In an opinion column for Fox News, Perkins wrote that prayer for the persecuted has a long biblical history. He pointed to Hebrews 13:3, which says, “Remember the prisoners as if chained with them – those who are mistreated – since you yourselves are in the body also.”
Perkins also referred to Paul’s life, saying “the hunter became…
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