Today, Sunday, June 6, is the Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. This day, approved by the Southern Baptist Convention, is a call for believers to increase their awareness of and pray fervently for the global persecuted church.

In 2020, more than 340 million Christians experienced high levels of persecution and discrimination. Also last year, 4,761 Christians were killed for faith-related reasons, and 4,277 Christians were detained without trial, arrested, sentenced or imprisoned. In addition, 4,488 churches and Christian buildings were attacked, according to data from the World Watch List.

“While our hearts break for our brothers and sisters in Christ who endure persecution and even martyrdom, we often feel powerless to help them,” Paul Chitwood, president of the IMB expressed. “But we aren’t! We serve the One who, as Job declared, ‘makes nations great, and he destroys them; he enlarges nations, and leads them away.’”

Chitwood continued, “When we pray for those who are suffering, we have access to the One who can sustain them, comfort them and bring them justice.”

For more information and recent stories of global persecution, visit imb.org/persecuted.