I was in Denver over the weekend so I didn't get to be at my home church to participate in the International Day of Prayer with my church family, but in my absence I had my husband do the presentation. So what he did was prepare a short video with some of the prayer points we gave to you last week, and he coupled it with some pictures of some of our brothers and sisters in bonds who had been beaten. I will try to post the video later so you all can see it.

The International Day of Prayer (IDOP) for the persecuted church is this Sunday 9th November*. Please join us and hundreds of thousand of others to intercede on behalf of those who live in nations which are restricted and hostile towards the gospel.The time that we spend in prayer has an eternal impact on the lives of people throughout the world. Through prayer, circumstances change, closed doors are opened, resistant people are made receptive and leaders are installed or removed.Please pray:The Lord will give courage to His people who are enduring persecution for His NameThe Lord will place His restraining hand on those who seek to harm His peopleChurches facing government opposition will stand firm in their ministryChristians will have opportunities to reach out with the Gospel without fear of intimidation or harassmentServants of the Lord will be able to deliver Bibles and Christian literature to places where they are most neededChristians who have been left without pastors and teachers may be kept strong in their faithChristians who have been imprisoned for their faith will be released safelyThe Lord will restrain the callousness and brutality of prison guards in their treatment of Christians in prisonPray against the increasing problem of young Christian girls being kidnapped, raped and forced to marryThose who have lost loved ones by martyrdom will be comforted and strengthened by God during their griefChristian pastors will be kept from danger and strengthened in their faith as they care for the people of GodNew converts may be protected and provided for should their family turn against them.The current laws in many restricted nations forbidding evangelism, missionary activity and religious instruction, will be repealed"In the death camps I knew that there were people praying for me. It gave me the spiritual strength I needed to live as a Christian and to trust God. It is the same for everyone in the camps and prisons today." Underground Church pastor, CambodiaAlternative date 16th November

Today our friends from Mission Network News have a story where VOM has confirmed another martyr.

If you've been reading the blog for the last few weeks in particular, then you're aware of all the persecution taking place in Orissa India right now. This afternoon I found this disturbing description of some of the persecution that has taken place there recently.

There's an interesting piece today at Christian Today discussing the persecution Christians are enduring in Algeria. Check it out and pray for our brothers and sisters in Algeria.

Today our friends at Mission Network News has an eye opening article about how this years Presidential election could impact religious freedom. Here's a snip...

When the boy in the hotel finally spotted the visiting “businessman,” he ran to him and grabbed his hand. The startled visitor tried to pull away but soon realized that the boy was making the sign of the cross on his palm silently with his finger. The man, a missionary who had prayed to make contact with the church, looked down into the face of the rail-thin boy and immediately understood the message: “The church is alive in North Korea!”

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