Today: International Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians 2026 Focuses on Bassam

Bassam was disowned by his father, beaten by his wife's brothers, and thrown in jail. He lost his home, and his wife kicked him out of their apartment and would not let him see his daughters very often. He still tells people about Jesus, and he has seen one of his daughters become a follower of Jesus too.

His story is at the centre of this year's International Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians, observed on Sunday, 1 November 2026, the first Sunday of November, The Christian Post reports. The Voice of the Martyrs is calling on churches and believers to pray for Christians facing persecution around the world, and this year's prayer video features Bassam, a Christian living on the Arabian Peninsula who faced severe consequences after leaving Islam and sharing his faith.

"I Could Not Stay Silent"

"For many years, I was spiritually asleep. I didn't know the truth of who God is," Bassam said in the video, as quoted by The Christian Post.

"But once I found Christ, I could not stay silent," Bassam said. He had to tell people about Jesus, even when telling them cost him everything he had built.

"I had to tell people about Jesus. When I told my wife, she kicked me out of the apartment. She will not let me see my daughters very often," Bassam said.

"My brothers-in-law beat me often, but I will not turn back to Islam. I gave a Bible to my sister, and one of my daughters now walks with Christ. No matter what happens to me, I will tell people about Jesus," Bassam said.

"Pray for those of us who leave Islam to follow Christ," Bassam asked. "Pray that we know Christ is near. Pray that we endure persecution with joy."

"Pray that our ability to forgive our family will lead them to faith in Christ," Bassam said.

Why the Video Shows One Man's Face

Todd Nettleton, vice president of message for The Voice of the Martyrs USA and host of The Voice of the Martyrs Radio, said the video featuring Bassam is meant to help Christians better understand the people they pray for, The Christian Post reports.

"I think it's easy for the average American Christian to say, 'God bless persecuted Christians,' but in their mind they don't have a clear picture of what does that look like? What are they enduring?" Nettleton told The Christian Post.

"And so the video is really an effort to just say, 'Hey, these are the kind of people we're praying for,'" Nettleton said.

"He has given up everything and yet says, 'I can't stop talking about Jesus,'" Nettleton said, as quoted by The Christian Post. "Those are the kind of men and women that we're praying for this weekend and hopefully praying for throughout the year."

The Voice of the Martyrs hopes every church will take part in the annual observance, although congregations may mark the day in diferent ways, The Christian Post reports. Some churches incorporate prayers for persecuted Christians into their regular Sunday services, while others set aside time to pray for believers forced to worship in secret.

388 Million Believers and a 24-Hour Prayer Event

Southern Baptists joined others on 1 November in praying for the estimated 388 million believers suffering extreme persecution because of their faith in Jesus, Baptist Press reports. The Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and the International Mission Board encouraged churches to pray, alongside The Voice of the Martyrs, Open Doors U.S., and Iran Alive Ministries.

International Mission Board President Paul Chitwood remembered persecuted Christians and the nearly 3,500 missionaries Southern Baptists supported in the 2025-2026 fiscal year, Baptist Press reports. "Prayer is the work we can do as fellow believers to lift them to the Lord," Chitwood said.

The Voice of the Martyrs has made free resources available to help churches, families, and small groups take part, The Christian Post reports. They include Bassam's 90-second video testimony, prayer guides, discussion materials, and resources for pastors. The organisation is also hosting a 24-hour prayer event on social media, sharing a new prayer request from persecuted Christians each hour.

"The International Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians is a practical response to their number one request," Nettleton said in a press release, as quoted by Baptist Press.

"I hope every church will take time to 'Remember those in prison' (Heb. 13:3) during their services on Nov. 1st," Nettleton said. "Spend 90 seconds watching this year's video, then pray for Christians like Bassam."

Iran, India, Syria, and Vietnam

Nettleton also spoke about Christians in other countries where sharing faith carries a high price, The Christian Post reports. In India, 13 states have anti-conversion laws that he said can make evangelism and other forms of Christian outreach difficult.

"Your freedom of religion law says that I'm not allowed to change my religion and I'm not allowed to tell anyone else to change their religion," Nettleton said. "That doesn't sound like freedom of religion."

Hormoz Shariat, who leads Iran Alive Ministries, told Baptist Press that his ministry knows of 14 people in jail in Iran, three of them on death row, and asked for prayer for all Christian prisoners.

For Christians who wonder whether praying from the West can help believers thousands of miles away, Nettleton recalled a pastor from Vietnam who told him, "When you pray for Vietnam, you are working right alongside us in Vietnam."

"Don't ever underestimate the power of our prayer to support and encourage and lift up our brothers and sisters," Nettleton said.

Readers can follow related reporting on Christians under pressure in more than 20 Christians detained during a house church gathering in Jiangxi, China, 60 Orthodox Christians killed in Ethiopia's Oromia region, the Church says, Nasarawa pastor Monday Habu abducted as the church demands urgent action, and the Christian village of Suqaylabiyah calling for security in Syria.

Bassam asked for prayer that he would know Christ is near when he is rejected and beaten, and that his forgiveness would lead his family to faith. The churches praying for him today cannot give him back his home or his daughters' daily company, and the only answer the day of prayer promises is that his name, and names like his, will still be spoken aloud next Sunday, and the Sunday after that.

But the most surprising part of this story is yet to come — keep reading.