IDOP Canada: Remember Her Nov 3

Each year, hundreds of millions of Christians are persecuted for their faith in various parts of the world. International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) Canada exists to encourage Canadian Christians to pray for their persecuted sisters and brothers around the world – especially on the first Sunday of November. This year’s theme for IDOP in Canada is Remember Her – as we focus on the suffering bride of Christ around the world, and specifically the ways persecution impacts women and girls who often silently endure great hardship for the name of Christ.

IDOP is a day set aside by Christians around the globe to collectively pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who suffer because of their faith. This year’s IDOP Sunday will be November 3. Each year, Intercede International and five other Canadian Christian ministries – Open Doors, Voice of the Martyrs Canada, Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, International Christian Response and Take Heart – collaborate to produce and share free, helpful resources to encourage the body of Christ in Canada to engage in active prayer for those experiencing persecution. These are available to download from www.IDOP.ca.

For the past 21 years, Intercede International has been part of a group that plans out Canada’s International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP). IDOP Canada exists to encourage Canadian Christians to pray for their persecuted sisters and brothers around the world.

Amid rising levels of strife and tension around the world, Christians today are suffering increasing persecution beyond what we can imagine. “More than 365 million Christians face high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith in Jesus,” reported Open Doors Canada recently.

Their churches, homes, families and very lives are daily at risk because of their belief in Jesus – but still they are not abandoned by their Lord. As members of the body of Christ, we are one with these persecuted believers; and when we pray for them, we become part of their journey, their comfort, and what gives them hope to remain unshaken.

Around the world, Christians in more than 130 countries stand in prayer with our persecuted sisters and brothers through the International Day of Prayer every year. 

IDOP Canada encourages participating churches to: 

•           Use the powerful IDOP video to demonstrate the incredible importance of your church’s prayers.

•           Preach a sermon that highlights the needs of our suffering brothers and sisters. You can find some Scriptures to help you prepare, and creative ideas for a service within the latest IDOP resource kit. IDOP offers Country Profiles and Prayer Points for how to pray specifically this year. There is also a helpful list of suggested hymns and songs that fit well with the IDOP theme.

•           Lead your church in a time of congregational prayer for our brothers and sisters facing torture, imprisonment, harassment, or even death because of their Christian faith.

In recent years, IDOP Canada has received creative ideas from churches and individuals who have participated in this event. Here are a few of them:

•           For IDOP Sunday, encourage members of your church to wear dark clothes as a memorial to those Christians who have died for their faith (reminding people one week ahead of time).

•           Have people pray in different languages.

•           You may be surprised how many members in your church have only degrees of separation from actual situations of persecution or have experienced it firsthand. Investigate and invite them to participate. Have them read a letter or recount a story.

Please consider how you or your congregation could participate in IDOP Canada this year. Let us keep praying for the persecuted church.