On the first Sunday in November, we recognize the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.
Calling yourself a Christian often comes at a cost. People may act differently around you, label you a hypocrite, or even exclude you. But in some parts of the world, people are physically injured, abandoned, or even killed for their Christian faith. This level of harm is called persecution.
These resources will help you pray for and reflect on persecution from a biblical perspective.
Devotions
Our Today daily devotions offer biblical reflections and prayers on persecution
Read
Read: Persecution of the Church (Acts 12)
Why did God allow James to be killed, but then God sent an angel to save Peter? Was God showing favoritism?
Read: Faithfulness Through Persecution (1 Peter 4)
When we embrace the whole body of Christ—all Christians as one body—then those who do not face open persecution can stand with those who are persecuted.
Read: Persecution and Praise (Psalm 119)
Our acceptance of suffering for his name may even be an opportunity for us to speak about God’s love for the whole world.
Read: Rejoicing in Suffering? (Acts 5)
There are many stories and testimonies of Christians who suffer daily for the name of Jesus Christ, and continually they thank the Lord for counting them worthy to suffer for his sake
Podcast
These episodes of our Groundwork audio program dig into scripture about persecution
Listen
Listen: Facing Tribulation
Both Jesus and the apostles talk about Christian suffering - a lot. They tell us to expect it, they tell us how to face it, and they tell us what it can do for us.
Listen: Challenges Facing the Gospel Today
How should we think about and respond to challenges of persecution today?
Listen: Gospel Growth
The great irony of the early persecution of the Church is that if you hated the Church, persecution ended up making matters worse for you because it only spread.
Pop Culture and Persecution
What does pop culture have to say about persecution? Our Think Christian program discusses.
Read
Read: The Awful Affirmation of Martin Scorsese's 'Silence'
Silence is a crisis-of-faith drama that suggests that faith is not something we can force upon ourselves—or measure by human standards.
Read: Star Wars- The Last Jedi and Keeping the Faith
Many people of faith feel a bit like those Resistance fighters, hunkered down in a debilitated transport ship, devising last-ditch efforts but fearing the worst.
Bible Stories for Kids
Our Kids Corner website offers interactive Bible stories about people who endure persecution.
Listen
Listen: Daniel and the Lion's Den
Daniel needed to be brave and courageous and trust that God would protect him even when things seemed terrible.
Listen: The Story of Stephen
Stephen was killed because he followed God. Listen to this story of the first Christian martyr.
Listen: The Story of Paul and Silas
The great irony of the early persecution of the Church is that if you hated the Church, persecution ended up making matters worse for you because it only spread.
Listen: Good News Bad News
Perhaps you heard about people who are being persecuted, punished, or put in prison for their faith. You may feel like there’s no way you can help, but there is: you can pray for God’s justice. This children's devotional also includes an accompanying devotional for parents.