Prayers sought for persecuted Christians

One could naturally be quite intimidated when first confronted with the knowledge that there are up to 400 million Christians around the world currently at risk of experiencing persecution.

Rev. Gary Stagg, executive director of Open Doors Canada, a chapter of an international ministry serving tyrannized followers of Christ, proposed a more empowering prism for viewing this important issue.

“For seven of us, one Christian is experiencing high to extreme levels of persecution,” said Stagg. “We always put it like it sounds overwhelming that 388 million people are suffering that way. That's one in seven Christians. But I always (say) ‘yeah, but there's seven of us for one of them. We have (it) within us to put that out into the world.’”

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Stagg and his contemporaries serving victimized Christians around the globe have long testified how prayers to God represent one of the best possible — and most appreciated — expressions of solidarity with those at risk of censorship, famine, displacement, imprisonment, torture or death.

The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) is scheduled for Nov. 1 with the theme “Do you Know Our Suffering?”

It derives from 2 Timothy 3: 10-12: “You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings — what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

Open Doors Canada is partnering with the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, International Christian Response, the Voice of Martyrs Canada, Intercede International and Take Heart to produce a free toolkit of resources for Canadian churches seeking to observe this occasion meaningfully. This package includes kids’ activity sheets, bulletin inserts, prayer guides, PowerPoint slides, social media posts, personal testimonials from persecuted Christians and the campaign video.

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Anyone skeptical about the power of prayer should consider that it’s “what our brothers and sisters are calling on us to do for them,” said Stagg.

“If you ask them ‘what can we do for you,’ the number one answer is always going to be prayer,” said Stagg. “These people live and breathe prayer. It’s what keeps them going. They understand the power of prayer.”

Stagg has seen the horrors that the persecuted experience up close and personal as his missionary work has taken him to various internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where there are at least 16.2 million displaced Christians, according to Open Door's research.

“They're anything but life-giving communities, these IDP camps,” said Stagg. “The conditions that they live in…  the denial of education for children. Children are trapped in that cycle.  Their hopes have been dashed because they just don't have the resources for education. There's still a lack of food and sanitation. Crowded conditions allow for disunity, and there are so many different dynamics that come into play here when we talk about IDP camps.”

Open Doors Canada has rallied behind the cause of awakening the world to the plights of sub-Saharan African Christians, especially the extremist violence inflicted against them, as nine of 10 Christians murdered for their faith around the world are in this region of the world. The Arise Africa campaign launched in 2023 with a four-year goal of more than one million signatures and reaches its deadline Nov. 2.

The petition calls for the global community to provide sub-Saharan African Christians with stout protection from violent militias, fair prosecutions of the attackers and for victims to experience healing and restoration.

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The United Nations and federal governments will receive a physical copy of the petition. Open Doors Canada is already engaging with Canadian MPs about scheduling an official presentation on Parliament Hill. Open Doors Canada plans to present its 2027 World Watch List at the same event. The list of the top 50 countries where Christians are most at risk of practicing their faith is unveiled in January.

Visit idop.ca/ to learn more about the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.

(Amundson is an associate editor and writer for The Catholic Register.)

A version of this article appeared in the October 18, 2026 issue of The Catholic Register with the headline "Prayers sought for persecuted Christians".