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 Our temptation as Christians is to focus on our own lives and not much beyond the life of our church because we intimately know the needs of our immediate family and the needs of our church.
Yet, we have not been called to be just an active member of our small Christian circle—we are called to the ends of the earth!
Our mission field is as big as the earth is round...and so is our Christian family! We really are one family in Christ and it is a joy to know that we all love and serve the same God!
Prayer
The Bible urges us to pray for all the saints (Ephesians 6:18). For the pastor’s wife, who is our sister, whose husband was killed because he preached the Gospel; we can strengthen and encourage her through our prayers. For the teenager sentenced to hard labour in a prison camp for reading her Bible; we can pray that she receives hope. For the son excommunicated from his family for following Christ; we can pray that he receives love and acceptance from his heavenly family. Prayer is always the first request of persecuted believers.
Encouragement
By writing notes of encouragement to suffering believers, we can powerfully communicate to them through this tangible expression of love that they are not alone, but that they have a far larger family than what their eyes can see. We encourage you to consider writing a letter to encourage a persecuted brother or sister in Christ.
Involvement
Persecuted Christians often face political and judicial discrimination as a minority group. Christian widows are often left without the means to support themselves and their children. Christian leaders often do not have access to the training they desperately need. But we can make a difference. By taking action, we can change lives.
Your Church
The only way for us to be an effective Church is to recognize that our calling goes far beyond the four walls where we meet on Sunday mornings. We are vital members of the growing kingdom of God and we are enlisted as the Lord’s foot soldiers on this earth to express the truth and love of God throughout the world.
Open Doors helps promote the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP). It is held in the fall, and focuses on raising prayer support and awareness for the reality of persecution experienced by a minimum of 100 million Christians worldwide.
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