What is IDOP?

IDOP stands for International Day of Prayer: for the Persecuted Church. Every year, Christians around the world set a day aside for prayer for our sisters and brothers who are persecuted for their faith.

IDOP 2023 is on November 5, 2023. Register to receive a FREE resource kit to help your church or group pray for our brothers and sisters who are persecuted for their faith. 

Do you want more prayer resources throughout the year?

Many of the IDOP partner organizations have prayer resources that are produced year-round. Click on the links below to visit their websites to get up to date prayer requests and resources.

The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada

The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada is the alliance of evangelical denominations and organizations and exists to unite evangelicals to bless Canada in the name of Jesus. Praying for the unity and spiritual awakening of the church in Canada is what we are calling all Canadian Christians to join us in.

Intercede International

Intercede International’s chief purpose is to establish a witness for our Lord among all nations. Intercede encourages and strengthens New Testament Christianity, particularly where Christians are impoverished, few, or persecuted. Intercede offers free of charge bimonthly Prayerline and Field Report publications to encourage Canadian Christians to pray for fellow Christians—including those who are persecuted—in other parts of the world.

International Christian Response

ICR Canada works to support Christians who live in countries hostile to the gospel, through spiritual and material assistance. We strive to equip Christians who have devoted themselves to gospel-centred ministry in areas most difficult to live as a believer. ICR Canada also supports endeavors to advance the kingdom of God on earth by: supporting and catalyzing house church movements as well as planting new churches. We desire to transform persecuted Christians into persevering Christians.

Open Doors Canada

Since 1955, Open Doors has been strengthening Christians where faith costs the most. We partner with the local church in more than 70 countries to help them advance the gospel in their nation even in the face of persecution by providing Bibles, Christian resources, church training, emergency aid, and more.

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The Voice of the Martyrs Canada

The Voice of the Martyrs Canada (VOMC) is a non-profit charitable organization that envisions a world where all persecuted Christians are remembered and supported within the body of Christ (Hebrews 13:3). For over 50 years, the ministry has been assisting Christians in more than 65 nations as they encounter varying degrees of repetitive, persistent and systematic suffering because of their religious beliefs. Through its many international projects, VOMC empowers followers of Jesus to fulfill the Great Commission, equips persecuted believers to love and lead their enemies to Christ, and serves as a voice for those Christians who cries of pain and proclamation of praise go unheard.

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www.opendoorsca.org
www.intercedenow.ca
http://www.christianresponse.ca
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Frequently Asked Questions

When is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) in 2023?

Sunday, November 5, 2023.

What if our church already has something scheduled on that day?

 Choose another day that is free for your congregation and remember the persecuted church in prayer. We encourage you remember to pray for the persecuted every Sunday.

We agree that prayer is essential. What more can we do to help the persecuted church?

 The mandate of IDOP Canada is strictly to focus on praying for the persecuted church. Feel free to contact any of the partner ministries that make up IDOP Canada for advice on how you or your church can get more involved in serving and helping the persecuted church. 

Are there prayer resources that will help us to pray for the persecuted after IDOP Sunday?

 Yes, the partner ministries that make up IDOP Canada (currently: Open Doors, Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, Intercede International, Voice of the Martyrs Canada, and International Christian Response) have prayer resources such as monthly, bimonthly or quarterly newsletters, e-mail prayer alerts, maps, and other helpful tools that you can obtain (many of them free). Please contact the IDOP partner ministries for details. 

Can our church sponsor a persecuted Christian as a refugee?

 Yes, although many persecuted Christians do not wish to leave their homeland. Contact one of the IDOP partners for more information. Note: not all of them are involved in this kind of ministry. You can also contact the Government of Canada regarding refugee sponsorship programs. 

Can I write letters to encourage those who are persecuted?

 Yes, you can—depending on whether it is safe to do so, and whether addresses are available. Contact the IDOP Canada partner ministries for guidelines on how to write to persecuted Christians. Note: not all of the partner ministries may have these resources. 

Can my congregation write letters to political leaders on behalf of Christians in prison?

 Yes. You can also contact the partner ministries that make up IDOP Canada for the names and addresses of Christian prisoners to write to, as well as guidelines on how to write to government leaders. Note: not all of the partner ministries may have these resources. 

Is there still a hard copy IDOP Kit as in previous years?

 No. The age of efficient technology has helped IDOP Canada avoid the high cost of hard copy production and mailings. While it still requires the time and skills of many talented and concerned people to create this resource every year—and a cost to advertise, educate and inform people—the common use of the Internet has enabled us to reach further with kits that are easy to download, print and distribute. The only exception (in some cases) may be the use of the video. We suggest that if you are not familiar with how to present a YouTube video in a public forum that you speak to someone in your group or area who is familiar with that. It is a very common Internet platform today and we are sure you will be able to find help close to home.