Remember their chains

Devotionals this week taken from the IDOP website
In the modern church calendar, the first two Sundays of November are set apart to remember and pray for the persecuted church, through the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church or IDOP. Please remember those who are persecuted in the name of Christ this week.

Remember their chains by Brian Stiller Global Ambassador The World Evangelical Alliance

“Remember their chains” comes from the Apostle Paul’s reminder to Christians in Colossae, “remember my chains.”  Why do we even need to be reminded? Not unlike Jesus’ call to remember to visit those in prison. Prisons, shut us off from those society deems undesirable. Closing them off physically does the same to us: we stop thinking about them – “out of sight out of mind” really works. It takes effort to remember one in prison, be they there for justifiable reasons or for because of their faith. Thus the brilliance of the IDOP – International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church – a vital moment to remember, pray and intercede for our brothers and sisters. Persecution may for some be an inconvenience or insult, but for too many followers of Jesus, it does more than diminish acceptance in their community, it too often leads to physical intimidation and suffering. The IDOP has for years, alerted us to the need to constructively think and pray. The IDOP for the Persecuted Church is a lifeline from us to those suffering anywhere from emotional and physical harassment even to death.  

For the apostle, his request that he be remembered was more than a feel-nice “I miss you.” It was a call to pray, an exercise God calls us to use as we engage with the Spirit. So remarkable, isn’t it, that the sovereign Creator, God of all that is, King and Lord actually invites us to be part of his activity on this planet? Prayer is not passive, but engaging, as intercessors, persuasive, intense and focused, asking specifically for those we know or have been told about. The IDOP is a timely and strategic resource, yes for us – so we know whom to pray for –but specifically for those who are in need of our prayer. May this one Sunday-a-year prayer for the persecuted become part of our praying consistently throughout the year, remembering those in chains, today, each day. 

Scripture to Claim:
Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted… 2 Timothy 3:12