The second Sunday of November (yesterday) was the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.  Here are some links and information about the persecuted church that I posted a couple days ago.  What that post lacked was some ways to pray for our suffering brothers and sisters around the world.  Here are seven, with their scriptural bases.  I hope you pray accordingly this week.

1. Pray that the church families of persecuted believers would not be ashamed to associate with them but would joyfully minister to them (Hebrews 10:34).
    
2. Pray for believers who are facing threats, that God would give them wisdom to know when to stand (Acts 14:19-20; 21:10-14) and when to flee (Matthew 10:23; 2 Corinthians 11:32-33).
    
3. Pray that the Holy Spirit might give persecuted believers the supernatural ability to love their enemies with sincerity (Matthew 5:43-48).
    
4. Pray that the enemies of the gospel would be convicted and attracted by the love of Christ seen in the submission and suffering of the persecuted church (1 Peter 2:12-13).
    
5. Pray that antagonistic governmental and religious officials would be saved or hindered from hurting the church (1 Timothy 2:1-4).
    
6. Pray that believers in more comfortable places would not forget our suffering brothers and sisters (Hebrews 13:3), but that we might lift them up however we can (Matthew 25:35-36).
    
7. Pray that God might turn persecution for good by spreading the gospel through the suffering church (Acts 8:1-4).

On the other hand, how do you think we should pray for the non-persecuted church, especially when you consider this verse?