International Day of Prayer

"I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had absolutely no other place to go." -- Abraham Lincoln


This month on November 14th is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP). IDOP is a global day of intercession for persecuted Christians worldwide. Its primary focus is the work of intercessory prayer and citizen action on behalf of persecuted communities of the Christian faith. They also encourage prayer for the souls of the oppressors, the nations that promote persecution, and those who ignore it. As Chrisitans, we believe that prayer changes things. Exactly what happens is a mystery of faith. God invites us to present to Him our requests and to pray without ceasing. Persecuted Christians often plead for prayer to help them endure. The most we can do is the least we can do — pray.

SUBMIT this month will be meeting on the first and second Sunday at 8:00 am for class. Since we have started our study of persecution in Muslim countries, we will be watching the DVD "Islam Up Close". This video was made soon after 9/11 and takes place at a church where Christians submited different questions about Islam ahead of time to be answered by the panel of experts. The panel of 4 includes Tom White (Director of Voice of the Martyrs), Dr Nagy (Founder and President of Last Harvest a ministry in the Middle East, and former professor of Islam and Middle East Culture in SCBSS, California) Dr Bert Oubre (President of Cutting Edge Foundation, a ministry that builds teaching hospitals in Africa and to staff them with medical and technical missionaries and to use patient treatment as an avenue to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ) and Gary Lane (Senior International Correspondent for Christian Broadcasting Network). The video lasts for approximately 70 minutes, so we will watch about 30 minutes of it each Sunday and then have time to answer questions and discuss what we have learned. It is a great video with a lot of information communicated in a casual setting. If you're unable to make it both Sundays, the video will be put in GCC's Library under the Persecuted Church section when we are done with it.

SUBMIT is also doing a special project this month for the IDOP. As a way to act on behalf of persecuted Christians, this year we are participating in the Bibles and Blankets program. Here is the link to the site: http://www.persecution.com/blanket
Taking Part in VOM's Blanket and a Bible Outreach is as Easy as 1-2-3
1. Collect good quality, new or used blanket(s)
2. Add $2 per blanket for handling, shipping into Sudan (VOM will add a He Lived Among Us illustrated Bible storybook.)
3. Send blankets and collected funds

SUBMIT will collect the blankets on the first and second Sunday and will then be sending them off to the Voice of the Martyrs. We would appreciate it if you would like to contribute a blanket or if you would like to contribute to the shipping of the blankets. Come by the class with your blanket or your donation.

Listed below are some videos that address the International Day of Prayer and can give you a better idea of what to pray for. As we go through the month of November and continue on our journey with the persecuted church, may we live up to what we have already attained in Christ (Philippians 3:16).








While this video is just a preview, the full story will be in the GCC Library.