November 1st is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Each week I hear of new threats, killings, or areas where Christians are no longer safe to live or to worship. Here are some recent stats: 19,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria in the past six years according to the American Center for Law and Justice. Voice of the Martyrs in August 2026 stated that gangs are now attacking Christians as they worship in Haiti. Before this time, gangs left churches alone.
According to Open Doors, here are the top ten most dangerous places to be a Christian –
- North Korea
- Somalia
- Yemen
- Sudan
- Eritrea
- Syria
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Libya
- Iran
India is also seeing a large increase in persecution of both Muslims and Christians.
What can we do? In Mathew 5:44 Jesus says, “But I say to you, ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.’” On November 1st you can pray with your church and begin to pray daily for our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. Here are some resources for you and your church.
They have a free digital app with resources. You can also order a cloth prayer banner, prayer reminder bookmarks, a Global prayer guide, their VOM magazine and their International Day of Prayer resource kit.
They have church resources for the day such as a video to share. You need to complete a registration page to get the resources. Open Doors also has a daily prayer calendar for continued prayer prompts.
A prayer guide is available and more.
Please pray on November 1st for our brothers and sisters around the world. They pray for us. Make this a key part of your Sunday worship. Share these resources with your pastor(s).
Blessings,
Steve Austvold