On International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, we pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world who live faithfully for Christ despite being targeted for their faith.

Christianity, A Persecuted Faith

Many Christians live with the threat of violence every day. They are isolated, attacked, arrested, beaten, and imprisoned. They are discriminated against at work and at school. Many have even suffered death because of their faith in Christ.

According to Open Doors, “more than 360 million Christians live in places where they experience high levels of persecution, just for following Jesus. That’s 1 in 7 believers, worldwide.” Their annual World Watch List shows the top 50 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution.

Our hearts ache at the suffering of our brothers and sisters worldwide, but Scripture reminds and reassures us that they are not without hope:

We often suffer, but we are never crushed. Even when we don’t know what to do, we never give up. In times of trouble, God is with us, and when we are knocked down, we get up again. We face death every day because of Jesus. Our bodies show what his death was like, so his life can also be seen in us. (2 Corinthians 4:8-11 CEV)

Supporting Persecuted Believers with God’s Word

For more than 200 years, American Bible Society has offered encouragement and hope to those persecuted for their faith through the provision of God’s Word. We are committed to bringing Bibles to Christ-followers living in some of the most hostile and violent places on earth.

In China, where the Bible was banned for decades, we helped establish a Bible printing press which has printed more than 200 million Bibles. In Northern Nigeria, where believers face the threat of violence, we launched Bible-based Trauma Healing Ministry to help people connect with the healing power of God’s Word. And in the Middle East, where owning a Bible can land you in prison, we provide discreet digital Bible resources that supply the Word of God through seasons of danger and oppression.

Today, our mission remains the same. Thanks to believers like you, we continue to provide Scripture where needed most so that persecuted believers have access to God’s Word in every trial they face.

Supporting Persecuted Believers with Our Prayers

Maybe you’ve asked yourself, What can I do to help persecuted believers?

First, we must remember them as Scripture says, “Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them. Remember those who are suffering, as though you were suffering as they are” (Hebrews 13:3 GNT). One of the ways that we stand with our persecuted brothers and sisters is to see them. See their suffering and their faithful witness and remember that if one part of the body suffers all the other parts suffer with it (1 Corinthians 12:26a).

Second, we must pray (1 Thessalonians 5:17). More than anything, our prayers invite the loving presence of God to meet them where they are. Your prayers help support your brothers and sisters in Christ as they seek refuge and comfort in God.

Join us on International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church and throughout the month of November as we intercede for those who are suffering for Christ’s sake.

Here are 6 ways to pray for the persecuted church.

Pray for persecuted believers to be blessed with unshakeable faith and the courage to endure.

Father, as Christian brothers and sisters around the world are violently attacked, imprisoned, and rejected by their families and communities, we pray that you will grant them courage to endure these trials. We pray that they will remain strong in their faith and that they will experience the power and comfort of your precious Holy Spirit. Draw near to them in their suffering, so that they know they are never alone. Finally, we pray that you would protect believers and their families according to your will. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen

I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:10 GNT

Pray that persecuted believers will experience peace and contentment amid persecution.

Father, Jesus tells us that the world will make us suffer, but also that he has defeated the world (John 16:33). May this truth give persecuted believers great peace in knowing that they will not endure persecution forever. Renew their hope for the day when we will rest in our eternal home with Christ Jesus, free from persecution and suffering. We pray that our persecuted brothers and sisters will have contentment as they share in Christ’s sufferings. May they experience your joy despite their struggles. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.

“Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires; the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!”

Matthew 5:10 GNT

Pray that persecuted believers will forgive their enemies.

Father, we pray that just as you forgive us of our sins, persecuted believers will forgive those who persecute them. We know that it is only through the power of your Spirit that we can forgive those who seek to harm us. We pray that by your Spirit you would enable our brothers and sisters to forgive their enemies. We pray that you will help persecuted believers bring their pain, sorrow, and anger to you so that they may reach a place of forgiveness by your grace. And we pray that their testimony of forgiveness will bring you glory and transform hearts for Jesus. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.

“I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

Matthew 5:44 GNT

Pray that every persecuted believer will be supported through Christian community.

Father, just as the early Christians found solace in fellowship with one another, we pray that persecuted believers will have access to a community of Christians to support and build them up. We pray that they will be strengthened in their faith as they pray and share Scripture with other believers. We pray against a spirit of loneliness and isolation that would bring discouragement. In places where gathering is difficult, we pray they will have wisdom to devise creative ways to connect. May persecuted Christians be encouraged through the fellowship of believers. We pray in Jesus’s name. Amen

Encourage one another and help one another, just as you are doing now.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 GNT

Pray for God’s Word to reach persecuted believers so they may be strengthened with God’s comfort and hope.

Father, we pray that your Word will be made available to persecuted believers around the world. Grant American Bible Society and other ministries favor and success as we endeavor to provide Scripture to believers in closed countries. We pray for new technology and innovations like solar-powered audio devices and radio programs that will bring God’s hope to persecuted Christians and churches. May your Word provide strength, comfort, and unshakeable confidence to Christians during extreme hardships. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen

Your word is a lamp to guide me and a light for my path.

Psalm 119:105 GNT

Pray that the gospel will go forth through the faithful witness of persecuted believers.

Father, we pray that the suffering and persecution of our dear brothers and sisters will serve to further the spread of the gospel, even touching the hearts of their persecutors. We pray that the Holy Spirit will empower believers to continue to spread the gospel of Jesus faithfully. May their faith, courage, and commitment to Jesus advance Christ’s church through the world, just like it happened for the early Christians. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.

When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Acts 1:8 GNT