Prayer for the Persecuted Church

Join us November 1, 2026 and the entire month for the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.

More than 380,000,000 Christians face high levels of persecution and discrimination. In fact, in many countries, even those who have not yet chosen Christ suffer beatings and imprisonment just for asking questions about Him!

Did you know that in 2025,

• More than 4,849 Christians were murdered for their faith?
• 4,712 Christians were arrested or imprisoned for following Jesus?
• 3,632 churches and Christian properties were attacked?
• 224,129 were forced from their homes?

Top 10 Most Dangerous Countries for Christians to Live in 2026:

1. North Korea – Christians face the death sentence
2. Somalia – Muslim extremist group al-Shabab seeks to eradicate Christians
3. Yemen – Tribal punishment for denouncing Islam can mean death or banishment
4. Sudan – Hundreds of churches closed or destroyed, and Christians kidnapped, raped
5. Eritrea – Christians face imprisonment and torture to renounce Christ
6. Syria – Rising radicalism and resistance to convert from Islam
7. Nigeria – Most of last year’s martyrs worldwide died here, murdered by Fulani, Muslims
8. Pakistan – Mosque leaders incite thousands of Muslims to attack Christians
9. Libya – Lawless attacks on Christians make church life nearly impossible
10. Iran – Converting from Islam is illegal, Christians detained, tortured

Join together with Christians throughout the world as we pray for our brothers and sisters facing severe persecution for their faith. For FREE daily prayer guides delivered to your inbox in time for your morning quiet times with God, enter your email below:

Plan now to pray with us during the IDOP for the Persecuted Church October 25 – November 1, and continue praying the entire month of November. Use this powerful guide for prayer below, and join us also on February 18 – March 19, 2026 for 30 Days of Prayer for Global Awakening, as believers throughout the world join together to pray for every heart in every nation to turn to Christ. See our guide to fasting, if that’s something God calls you to do as you pray.

Some of the ways Christians are persecuted:

• Religious extremists — usually Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists, but also some indigenous religions — often attack Christians through
  • Terrorism, violence, murder
  • Burning of homes, churches
  • Abduction
  • Rape
  • Forced marriages (especially to Muslims)
  • Forced teaching and conversion of children (usually to Islam)
• Oppressive governments (usually in Communist, Muslim or Hindu countries) often target Christians through
  • Surveillance, arrests, interrogations, harassement
  • Imprisonment, torture, execution
  • Withholding of needed provisions
  • Raiding and destruction of churches
  • Restrictions on Christian materials, gatherings or talking about Christ
• Drug cartels often target Christians for abductions and violent attacks, especially in areas where Christians are speaking out against them

To find out more about persecution in different areas of the world, enter the name of the country or another key word in the search engine below:

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More resources available from Voice of the Martyrs, Open Doors, the International Mission Board, International Christian Concern and Release International.

Powerful stories of courage and faith:

If the Lord is calling you to fast as you pray for the Persecuted Church, check out our So You Think You Can’t Fast page:

So You Think You Can’t Fast

For more ideas on getting your church, family or others involved in a month of prayer for the persecuted church, see our 30 Days of Prayer page.

You can also go to Open Doors and Voice of the Martyrs to see where and how Christians are persecuted. In fact, view a moving video from the heart of a sister in Nigeria, another from Nepal, and a third on a pastor sharing Christ in the midst of terrible danger.

Now, let’s get started praying!

Prayers for the Persecuted:

From Matthew 10:16-42

Lord, we ask You for Christians all throughout the world who are undergoing persecution at this time. Give them strength and courage to endure, forgive, love, and proclaim Your Good News, even in the face of great hardship. Give them wisdom every moment to know what to do, where to go, what to say; and empower them, Lord, to be lights in the darkness, pointing every heart to the glory of Your love. 

For those who are imprisoned or facing imprisonment or torture, rescue them and their families, please, Lord, by Your merciful hand. Deliver them in such miraculous ways their persecutors will fall to their knees in worship of the One True God. May Your Kingdom come, Lord, here on earth, as it is in Heaven. 

And for those of us throughout the world who are facing each of our own difficulties and hardships, make us bold witnesses. Anoint and empower us to share Your love every moment in ways that will spark deep hunger in the hearts of the lost around us to know the God of Love. 

For the day has come now, Lord, where You are bringing the nations to our own neighborhoods. Give us courage to reach out and love. Tear down every barrier, and bring the lost to You. In Your name, we pray. Amen.

From Isaiah 60:1-2

Father God, please have mercy on Your precious children. So many thousands will face persecution and even death this year because of their faith in You. Fight for them. Cover them. Shield them. Guide them. Empower them to speak Your words in the face of opposition. To forgive. To love. To share the Gospel. To stand strong in their faith. To show their persecutors who You truly are. Surround them with Your angel armies.

Stand in the way of enemy attacks. Guard your people so fiercely those who mean them harm will see You, tremble with fear and repent. Turn every instance of persecution into a Saul-on-the-road-to-Damascus event (Acts 9), where those bent on evil come face-to-face with Truth Himself and are transformed forever.

No matter how terrible the circumstances Your followers face, we know You are still in control. You are working something good out of it all, and our eternal rewards far outweigh our suffering. Comfort us with Your love. Strengthen our faith. Remind us of scriptures to help us overcome. Protect family members from harm, and give us Your instructions for every situation.

For those who are trapped, imprisoned or in danger, please rescue them. Make the way for their escape. Be near to us in our time of need, Lord. Hide believers and churches from those who seek to do harm, but expose them to seekers and Christians who long to know You more. Safely place Christians in contact with one another, especially those who are isolated. Awaken persecutors to Your mercy and salvation. May Your kingdom come to all the Earth!

From Isaiah 51:12-16

O Lord, please comfort those in danger and in prison, who live in constant terror because of the wrath of the oppressor bent on destruction. Remind them that their persecutors are mere mortals, like grass they will wither and die. But the Lord their Maker is the Everlasting One who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundations of the earth. Rescue them, O God. Say to them now, “Where is the wrath of the oppressor? The cowering prisoners will soon be set free;
they will not die in their dungeon, nor will they lack bread. For I am the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the Lord Almighty is My name. I have put My words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of My hand—I who set the heavens in place, who laid the foundations of the earth, and who say to you, ‘You are Mine.’” Fight for them, Lord. Don’t let the enemy win against them. Give them strength, peace, hope and especially love. May their persecutors come face to face with the Living God, drop their weapons, fall on their faces before You trembling in fear of the Lord, and choose You as their Savior.

For the Muslim world

For Muslims who have converted to Christianity and are in terrible danger and for Muslim seekers who have been beaten, arrested, or otherwise persecuted just for asking questions about Jesus on social media or in other ways, please rescue them. Be a Shield around them and keep them and their families from harm. Speak loudly through them as they give a defense for the Gospel to those who want to end their lives. Move the hearts of those who hear, and turn them to faith. Get their testimonies out to the public, making the stories of their faith in You spread like wildfire, so all will hear of their courage and of Your love and grace.

Draw thousands of Muslims to faith this year precisely because Christians have been persecuted. For ever Christian persecuted by Muslims, we ask You, Lord, for 1,000 adherents to Islam to come to faith in Christ. Give them dreams and visions of You calling them to faith. Don’t stop planting the seeds of Truth in Muslim hearts. Don’t stop pursuing them. Flood them with Your kindness that leads to repentance, so they can know the true joy, peace, and purpose they were created for.

About the author: Mikaela Vincent and her husband have served the Lord for many years in a dark area of the world where Christians are persecuted and few have heard the good news about Christ. They are missionaries who live by faith, trusting in God to provide for their needs as they pray for and share Christ with the nations. If you would like to help their ministry through giving a donation, shopping at Mikaela’s online bookstore, praying for them or inviting them to speak at your church, retreat or other event, click the buttons below:

Ready your whole family to stand strong against enemy attacks through the deep Bible studies, prayer journals, devotionals and other books for all ages on removing the barriers to oneness with Christ and overcoming the enemy in the battlefield of the mind by Mikaela Vincent at MoreThanAConquerorBooks.com:

Any proceeds this author receives from the sale of the deep devotional Bible studies and other MoreThanAConquerorBooks.com books mentioned in this post go to shining Christ’s light in the darkness and seeing the nations come to Him. 

Thank you for your support! If you have any questions or want to help with this ministry, please contact Mikaela.