The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) is Sunday 6th of November 2011. This annual event is aimed at encouraging prayer for the persecuted Church. Here in New Zealand four ministries - Open Doors, Voice of the Martyrs, Bibles in Action, and Gospel for Asia - are getting behind IDOP and promoting prayer in New Zealand for persecuted Christians around the world.
Hebrews 13:3 says, "Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body."
Today over 100 million Christian believers are suffering for their faith in Jesus Christ. They are threatened, arrested, imprisoned ...and some are even killed. IDOP organisers are challenging Kiwis to “walk in their shoes” and remember the persecuted as if we ourselves were imprisoned with them.
Examples of persecuted Christians that IDOP highlights include Asia Bibi, a young Christian mother of four in Pakistan who has been sentenced to death under that nation’s oppressive blasphemy laws. In 2009, Asia defended her faith against mocking co-workers who tried to make her convert to Islam. She was later convicted of blasphemy and sentenced to death. After a lengthy trial, on Nov. 8, 2010, she was sentenced to death by a judge. If her appeal is rejected, Asia would be the first woman to be lawfully executed under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. She remains in prison, waiting to hear the high court’s ruling.
“Pray For Us”
Believers like Asia Bibi and many others need our prayer. This year New Zealanders will again be joining with others in over 130 nations to walk alongside our persecuted brothers and sisters in prayer during IDOP, and pray for believers in nations like Pakistan, Iran, and Somalia, among others.
“Most Kiwi believers have no experience of the cost to follow Christ in some restricted nations - and yet as followers of Christ we are called to remember in prayer our persecuted fellow believers just as if we we're in prison beside them.” Say IDOP organisers. “If we were in prison right now with church or family members for being Christians, how would we be praying?”
Organisers are asking Christians to commit to being a part of IDOP this year, and to make time to pray regularly for persecuted Christians. The IDOP New Zealand website has full details of how people can get involved. Visitors to the website can download the current PowerPoint presentation with prayer requests and information, a promotional video for use in churches or home groups, and register and advertise their own IDOP prayer meetings online. Learn more at www.idop.org.nz.
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Please note: in some nations, IDOP is being observed on 13-November. If you receive any other news releases from other sources (e.g. Christian Post, Christianity Today, etc) please amend the date to 6th November for New Zealand.
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