The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) is marked in November every year, on a Sunday when churches devote time during their services to pray for persecuted Christians in a chosen country.
In 2026, IDOP is marked in Ireland on Sunday 1 November (although churches can choose another Sunday in November that suits them better) and the focus is on Christian prisoners in Iran, who are imprisoned for belonging to house churches or distributing New Testaments or attending Christian seminars. The vast majority of Christian prisoners are converts from Islam and Iran does not allow Christian converts to meet together for worship.
Church in Chains provides three resources for IDOP:
Video (two minutes) produced by Elam Ministries (a Church in Chains partner organisation serving the church in Iran), features former prisoner Farshid Fathi speaking about how he was aware of Christians praying for him while he was in prison and encouraging prayer for Christians who are now in prison in Iran.
Download or stream
Information Sheet for those leading prayers (sent with each order for prayer cards). Read here
Prayer Cards for those in church who want to take home a reminder to pray for a Christian prisoner in Iran. Order here
NOTE: Orders for prayer cards will be despatched from Monday 19 October