Christians urged to pray for persecuted church

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/christians.urged.to.pray.for.persecuted.church/21590.htm

[Christianitry Today UK] 6 Oct 2008--Churches around the world will join in prayer for the millions of Christians worldwide who continue to be persecuted for their faith.

The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) on 9 November is an initiative of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) Religious Liberty Commission in collaboration with ministries that support the persecuted church, including Voice of Martyrs, Open Doors and Gospel for Asia.

Global IDOP coordinator, the Rev Johan Candelin said the day of prayer said it could be the “biggest prayer group in the world”. The theme will be “Refined in Fire”.

“When the Lord's children go into the refining fire of persecution, they come out purer with deeper faith and greater strength, more Christ-focused and more unified,” said the Rev Candelin, who is also the Executive Director of the WEA’s Religious Liberty Commission.

“Those who are being persecuted can therefore be encouraged to look with hope at how they are being sanctified. And those who pray for them can be reminded to place sanctification on a higher pedestal than prosperity.”