June 22nd, 2025

In Hebrews 13:3, the author admonishes their audience to “remember those in prison as if you were in prison with them.” I’d like to invite you to join us in doing just that.

If you’ve been following along with Open Doors for a while, you might know that the month of June is One With Them, a time we set aside to pray for our brothers and sisters who are in captivity because of their faith.

I think of someone like Joseph Shahbazian, who was arrested in Iran for being part of a house church. Unexpectedly, he was freed some time later – only to be arrested all over again.

Or someone like Leah Sharibu, who I know many of you have been praying for since her abduction in 2018. She recently turned 22, having been only 14 when she was taken by Boko Haram.

This June, will you commit to praying for Christian captives? Here’s a few things you can do:

Ask your church to participate in One With Them Sunday on June 22; joining churches across Canada in spending all or some of your Sunday service in prayer for Christian captives. You can download the free One With Them toolkit for all the resources you need for your Sunday service at onewiththem.ca/toolkit.

Tune in to our live event on the evening of June 22 for a time of prayer for all our brothers and sisters in captivity. Find it at onewiththem.ca/live-event/.

Finally, join the One With Them challenge! New this year, the challenge is an opportunity to spend a week practicing spiritual disciplines with a focus on praying for Christian captives. When you sign up for the challenge, you’ll receive information about daily challenges from June 23-28. It will be a time both of learning about your persecuted family and growing in your own spiritual life. Learn more at onewiththem.ca/challenge.

I hope that you’ll join us in prayer for our brothers and sisters who share our faith but not our freedom. Feel free to reply to this email and let me know how you’ll be participating in One With Them 2025!