Remember Persecuted Christians Worldwide this Sunday

Human rights groups are asking believers to say a special prayer for fellow Christians worldwide this Sunday, the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. According to the Christian Newswire, Open Doors USA asked believers to remember people like Maryam Rostampour, 27, and Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad, 30, two Iranian women who have been held in Tehran's Evin prison sinceMarch 5 for their faith. The women have been asked to recant multiple times. The U.S. State Department designated Iran, along with seven other countries, as "Countries of Particular Concern" for their religious repression on Oct. 26. "Maryam and Marzieh are suffering in an Iranian prison simply for refusing to recant their belief in Jesus Christ...they truly are modern heroes of the faith," says Open Doors USA President/CEO Dr. Carl Moeller. "We must speak out against this injustice. Join our campaign urging the Iranian government to release these women."

Update: Day of prayer and fasting called for kidnapped foreigners in Yemen

The three Christians who were killed in June

Four months after their abduction, there continues to be no reliable news on the condition of the remaining six expatriate Christians kidnapped in mid-June by unknown assailants in Yemen (read the story). On June 12, nine foreign Christians were abducted -- four German adults, three small German children, a British man and a South Korean woman -- after they ventured outside the city of Sa'ada. All of them worked at a hospital in the city. Shortly afterwards, Rita Stumpp (26) and Anita Gruenwald (24), German nurses in training, and Eom Young-sun (33) of South Korea were killed and their bodies found by local shepherds. Still missing are German doctor Johannes (36), his wife Sabine (36), their three children Lydia (4), Anna (3) and Simon (1) and British engineer Anthony S. Their whereabouts and condition remain unknown. Anthony is married but his wife did not accompany him on this trip.

As Middle East Concern (MEC) has noted, the work of the hospital where they worked has been severely reduced as a result, affecting the city and the wider area. No one has claimed responsibility for the abductions and killings, which MEC notes is "unusual within Yemeni culture, and heightens the concern and anxiety." The search for the missing has been greatly hindered by the intense fighting between the government forces and the Houthi armed group in Sa'ada province, which has flared up again since June.

According to MEC, Christians in Yemen have backed calls for a day of prayer and fasting on Saturday, October 31. For specific prayer requests, click here. Please plan to be involved if you can and encourage others to do so as well. Show your solidarity for the missing, their families and colleagues by posting a prayer on our Persecuted Church Prayer Wall.

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church 2009

nternational Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church 2009

Can you devote some special time in prayer for persecuted Christians this November?

Christians around the world face abandonment for their faith in Jesus. Some are expelled from their homes. Others are rejected by family and friends. Converts are sometimes even viewed with suspicion and fear by fellow Christians.

Stand with your brothers and sisters. Show them they are not alone by praying for your persecuted Christian family on November 8 -- the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP). Whether you take part as a church, a group or simply spend time in personal prayer for the persecuted, your prayers will be a powerful way to remember those suffering for their Christian witness.

To find out more about IDOP 2009 and to download a kit of special resources designed to help you get involved, please visit the IDOP international website at www.idop.org. In Canada, go towww.idop.ca.