Bill Johnson, Priscilla Shirer Among Those Interceding for Persecuted Christians on International Day of Prayer
Open Doors has launched a major prayer campaign for the persecuted church featuring more than 20 of America’s most influential pastors, teachers and ministry leaders. Each leader appears on video offering specific prayers for Christians living in the countries where it is most difficult to live as a Christian. The initiative precedes the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, on Sunday, Nov. 3. The campaign launched Friday, Nov. 1 via the organization’s website and social media.
To access Open Doors’ collection of prayer videos for the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, visit: odusa.org/IDOP-pray.
Participants include: Addison Bevere, Mary Demuth, Annie Downs, J.D. Greear, Michael Hidalgo, Sharon Hodde-Miller, Bill Johnson, Jonathan Martin, James Merritt, Luke Norsworthy, Glenn Pakiam, Julie Pennington, David Platt, Bob Roberts, Gabriel Salguero, Brenda Salter-McNeil, Priscilla Shirer, A.J. Sherrill, Holly Wagner, Phil Waldrep, Jim Wallis, Sheila Walsh, Lisa Whittle and Brian Zhand.
“The goal of this initiative was to bring together leaders from diverse Christian communities and to unite in prayer for courageous believers who live out their faith at great risk to themselves,” said David Curry, CEO of Open Doors USA. “Our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world long to know they’re not alone, that they’re not isolated. We hope God will stir hearts in a unique way through these videos, and we ask Christians to pray earnestly, as if something terrible is happening, because it is. Not just on the International Day of Prayer, but year-round.”
To help people know specifically how to pray, Open Doors launched the “Pray for the Persecuted” prayer app where people can receive prayer requests from persecuted Christians sent right to their phones three to four times per week. Some of the prayer requests now even include audio or video from affected believers. The app can be downloaded at ODUSA.org/PRAYERAPP. {eoa}
For more information on Open Doors, the World Watch List or ways you can pray for the persecuted church, visit: opendoorsusa.org.
About Open Doors USA: For more than 60 years, Open Doors USA has worked in the world’s most oppressive and restrictive countries for Christians. Open Doors works to equip and encourage Christians living in dangerous circumstances with the threat of persecution and equips the Western church to advocate for the persecuted. Christians are one of the most persecuted religious groups in the world and are oppressed in at least 60 countries. For more information, visit OpenDoorsUSA.org.
