In every corner of the world, millions of believers follow Jesus at great cost. The persecuted church is made up of Christians who face pressure, discrimination, and violence because of their faith—yet they remain steadfast in hope. Open Doors’ World Watch List highlights the 50 countries where persecution is most severe, revealing places where the gospel is suppressed and many live in deep spiritual bondage, separated from the hope of Christ.
More than 380 million Christians experience significant persecution, with 310 million in the top 50 countries facing very high or extreme levels of opposition. This year, we commit to praying for the twelve nations where persecution is most intense—not only for believers who suffer, but also for those who persecute them. Scripture calls us to remember those in prison as though we ourselves were suffering (Hebrews 13:3), and Jesus calls us to pray for our enemies, trusting that the same gospel resisted in these places is powerful enough to save.
As we pray, we ask God to strengthen His people, soften hardened hearts, and bring freedom to those bound by fear and deception. Stand with the persecuted church through prayer, awareness, and faithful hope as we ask God to sustain His church and advance the gospel—even in the hardest and darkest places.
A Prayer for Eritrea
Father God, it’s difficult to know how to even begin to pray for Christians in Eritrea. It’s been such a difficult place to follow You for so long… and yet, we trust that Your plans will not fail, as You’ve promised in Your Word. Bring a sense of hope and understanding to Christians in Eritrea, that they may be filled anew with Your life-giving Spirit. Provide joy where there is sorrow, hope where there is despair, and light where there is darkness. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Who Is Most Vulnerable to Persecution?
Non-traditional Christian groups, such as Evangelical, Pentecostal, and Baptist churches, face the harshest repression. Unrecognized by the state, these groups and churches endure raids, imprisonment, and systemic marginalization. Worship is banned, members are labeled foreign agents, and their gatherings are criminalized. At times, the Eritrean Orthodox Church supports state efforts to suppress these groups. Young people are also highly vulnerable, as many are forcibly and indefinitely conscripted into the Eritrean military. Additionally, converts from Islam or Eritrean Orthodoxy can face pressure from their families and community.
How Can You Pray for Eritrea?
- There are many Christians stuck in Eritrea’s notorious prison system – some detained simply for practising their faith. Pray they will keep their hope alive and be set free.
- Ask God to protect and provide for the daily needs of Christians who are arrested or detained for their faith. Pray they will know they aren’t forgotten, and that their families will be comforted.
- Eritrea is ruled by a brutal dictatorship. Pray that President Afwerki’s heart would be turned away from oppression and towards the love of Jesus.