Christians Worldwide to Pray for Persecuted Church

An International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church is set to take place from 5 to 19 November 2006.

Eight persecuted church agencies are calling on believers worldwide to unite in spiritual battle for the 200 million Christians globally who suffer interrogation, arrest and even death for their faith in Christ.

This year the International Day of Prayer ('IDOP') will last a fortnight, giving the worldwide Christian community three Sunday opportunities to join this global prayer focus.

Open Doors UK is releasing a new DVD resource for the event, called 'Connect'. It is hoped the materials will enhance the opportunity for Christians to make informed and inspired prayers for those suffering for their religious beliefs.

The DVD will feature 4 faithful Christians. Labib Madanat is a Palestinian choosing to stand for Christ in Gaza. Rebekka Zakaria, Eti Pangesti and Ratna Bangun are three Indonesian women who have been imprisoned for teaching children about Jesus. They will be used in the 'Connect' resource to reveal the plight that many thousands of Christians are facing across the globe.

Eddie Lyle, CEO of Open Doors UK and Ireland, commented, "The UK Church has a wonderful opportunity this November, to unite with persecuted brothers and sisters like Rebekka, Eti and Ratna imprisoned and suffering for their faith around the world. As we pray and raise awareness in our Churches for them, we will be blessed in ways that will far outweigh anything we can give."

Rev Stephen J Gaukroger, Senior Pastor of Goldhill Baptist Church and Open Doors' supporter, says, "Persecution is the painful reality for many of our brothers and sisters - in Africa, Asia and Latin America - and it is vital that we support them through prayer. I would encourage you to join this global prayer initiative and pray for the Persecuted Church."

Please visit these two websites for more information on the event:
www.opendoorsuk.org
www.idop.org