Operation World:
Estonia – Estonia found political and economic success after the time of Soviet domination (1940-1988). Poverty remains a problem, and greed for material possessions grows as the economy grows. Estonia faces a crisis of values as the people become more and more secular in their attitudes. (Reported in – https://operationworld.org/prayer-calendar/05-18/, 18th MAY 2024 – Operation World)
Greenland (Grenada) – Almost every settlement in Greenland has a Lutheran church – but many lack real spiritual life. Modern culture clashes with Greenland’s old ways, and many now battle with immorality, sexual abuse, alcoholism, mental illness, and suicide. Some indigenous believers and foreign missionaries serve in counselling, healing, and deliverance, and see wonderful fruit by the work of the Holy Spirit. (Reported in – https://operationworld.org/prayer-calendar/06-06/, 6th June 2024 – Operation World)
Estonia – Estonia found political and economic success after the time of Soviet domination (1940-1988). Poverty remains a problem, and greed for material possessions grows as the economy grows. Estonia faces a crisis of values as the people become more and more secular in their attitudes. (Reported in – https://operationworld.org/prayer-calendar/05-18/, 18th MAY 2024 – Operation World)
Iran–Israel @ War Zone of Conflict:
Iran – State news IRNA in Iran announced the country’s presidential election to replace the late President Ebrahim Raisi will take place on Friday, June 28, but Iranians are skeptical. Iranian voter turnout – a litmus test for election confidence – has decreased significantly. Only 8% of voters participated in the final round of parliamentary elections in Tehran, just one week before Raisi’s death.
In recent elections under Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the pool of candidates who can put their names on the ballot is extremely limited. Moderate and reformist opposition candidates are blocked. Lana Silk, CEO of Transform Iran, says, “An election in Iran, for the last 40 years, hasn’t been free. It’s been incredibly controlled. So that sounds to me like some kind of meaningless charade to put another puppet in place that will continue to carry Khamenei’s will.“Of course, there is a constant power play happening and internal struggles with people trying to vie for positions of authority. And that will be interesting to watch to see who lands in those significant positions.” Raisi was Khamenei’s protege and essentially next in line for the role of Supreme Leader. Whoever steps into the role of president in Iran will have notoriously large shoes to fill.
As Iranians head towards another election, we pray for Transform Iran as they use various media resources to connect with Iranians and point them to the King of Kings, Jesus Christ + for them to hear the Good News & be connected with the message. We pray for Transform Iran to continue to be able to minister to them, disciple them, and strengthen them as the Church grows in Iran. We ask God to raise up wise, just, Godly leaders in Iran + spiritual encouragement for Transform Iran's ministry leaders.
Reported by Lyndsey Koh, – https://www.mnnonline.org/news/iranians-skeptical-approaching-presidential-election/, 29th MAY 2024 – Mission News Network)
Iran – Iran deploys “spy drones” to target women not wearing hijabs in its latest crackdown. Quadcopters equipped with cameras photograph women and girls and transmit their location to “hijab enforcers,” who then confront them directly. Heart4Iran’s Mike Ansari says, “These days, Iranian women – whether they’re Christian or non-Christian – are being subjected to harassment and violence under Iranian rule.” Mina severely broke her ankle in a car accident shortly before starting her prison sentence in January. “According to some sources close to her and her family, she is still in severe pain and unable to receive the care that she needs,” Ansari says.
According to International Christian Concern, Evin Prison houses 60 percent of the believers detained in Iran. Prisoners in Evin report dismal conditions and more than 70 different types of torture. We pray for the LORD to heal Mina’s ankle and relieve her pain. We pray for Mina Hijabi's health and situation in prison. We lift up Iran in prayers for freedom of religion, hope in Jesus, and a positive future. Ask God to strengthen women believers across Iran and help them endure the crackdowns. (Reported by Katey Hearth, – https://www.mnnonline.org/news/iran-oppression-includes-christian-prisoners , 28th MAY 2024 – Mission News Network)
Iran – We praise God to know that the government of Iran holds a high degree of control on the internet within the country; despite of how at times, they also track peoples’ use of the internet besides limit or shutting down the internet too. We also pray for protection for all the people involved in the frontline of producing TV programs – bringing the message of Jesus through the TV, giving hope to the audience of viewers before letting them contact Transform Iran to minister to them in–person and disciple them,. We also pray for sufficient funds to help the gospel spread by covering the cost of creating a TV program as more Iranians are turning to satellite TV, which cannot be stopped or monitored and “they take to the satellite airwaves to find material from the West that they can listen to that is different to the rhetoric that they hear at home – and that is where we want them to find Jesus;” although in 2016, Iranian officials confiscated 100,000 satellite dishes, declaring that the corrupting influence of satellite TV led to marriage troubles, addiction and poor education for children.
Yet today, Transform Iran hears testimonies from people who were caught in those same struggles. But in these accounts, people on the brink of suicide, or trapped in addiction, depression or broken relationships discovered the help they needed.
(Reported by Katie O'Malley – https://www.mnnonline.org/news/satellite-tv-making-airwaves-in-iran-with-the-gospel/, 24th April 2024)
Iran – We pray for Iranians to know they are not forgotten, but loved by Jesus as Transform Iran’s ministry steps in with the transcending hope and truth of the Gospel + for God's will to be done in the Middle East and for peace. Indeed, Transform Iran is passionate about leadership development and the Church in Iran is growing fast. Transform Iran uses television, radio, and social media to reach Iranians with the Good News about Jesus. No matter the circumstances, Christ offers comfort and hope. (Reported by Lyndsey Koh – https://www.mnnonline.org/news/iranians-disenchanted-with-their-government-feel-forgotten-by-the-west/, 19th April 2024)
Iran – Israel and Iran square off as Western allies urge restraint. Iran’s assault on Saturday was the first time the Islamic Republic directly attacked Israel since the regime’s formation in 1979. According to an Israeli military spokesman, nearly all of the missiles and drones were intercepted. Heart4Iran offers the hope of Christ to anxious and fearful Iranians through a 24–7 call center and social media. We pray the current tensions between Iran and Israel will not escalate into regional war. (Reported by Katey Hearth – https://www.mnnonline.org/news/iran-retaliates-israel-weighs-response-and-allies-fear-regional-war/, 16th April 2024)
Israel–Palestinian + Hamas Conflict:
Lebanon – Local media in Lebanon – quoting anonymous sources – say a full–scale invasion by Israel will begin tomorrow, June 15. Thousands have come to Beirut, where TM Lebanon is helping as many as possible and that gospel workers prepare to help queues of Lebanese needing relief aid. We pray for believers to have wisdom and discernment as they consume local news media. Ask the Lord to strengthen Gospel workers and give them wisdom as they reach out to people in need, even though “the conversation will not lead [to Christ] because of peer pressure, because there are so many people around them” and that “people are open, people are crying, people are sharing their hurts and their despair” Nuna from Triumphant Mercy Lebanon says.
(Reported by Katey Hearth, – https://www.mnnonline.org/news/fake-news-reflects-tension-paranoia-in-lebanon/, 14th June 2024 – Mission News Network)
Israel – We thank the Lord for unity among pastors in the Middle East and North Africa. Continue to pray for peace in the Holy Land. We ask God to open the eyes of terrorists to the Gospel. We pray for Arab and Jews across the MENA region to know Jesus Christ. (Reported by Katey Hearth – https://www.mnnonline.org/news/radical-love-praying-for-hamas-and-hezbollah-from-israel/, 30th May 2024)
Gaza – Israel continues its restrained assault on Rafah today after announcing the Gaza war would likely drag on for several months. Meanwhile – in a sign of Israel’s growing isolation – Ireland, Norway, and Spain officially accepted Palestine’s statehood on Tuesday. These and other European nations are pushing other countries to do the same, saying this recognition is the only way to ensure peace. “What they’re asking for is to turn the clock back 60 years and do something that’s never been done in history,” Unchartered Ministries Tom Doyle says. “Israel’s not going to give up the Golan Heights, half of Jerusalem; it’s not going to happen.” Doyle says the brutal massacre on October 7 changed everything. “Before October 7, a lot of Israelis would have said, ‘Gaza is all yours.’ Many of them just wanted peace,” he explains. “Now, the leaders of Hamas are saying they don’t want a two-state solution. They want a one-state solution with them in charge and Israel gone from the river to the sea,” Doyle continues.
According to this Gospel worker, the only feasible solution is spiritual. “A massive turning to God and a reconciliation to Him through Jesus Christ – that’s the only thing that will bring any kind of change in the Middle East,” Doyle says. We pray for leaders in Israel and Hamas to encounter and believe the life–changing Gospel of Jesus Christ + their lives to change and the war will end as a result. We pray for the release of Israeli hostages and for Hamas to surrender or be removed from Gaza Strip. (Reported by Katey Hearth– https://www.mnnonline.org/news/israels-isolation-grows-as-european-nations-recognize-palestine/, 30th May 2024)
Gaza – Toothless arrest warrants sought by the International Criminal Court cause problems for Israel abroad. Earlier this week, the ICC’s top prosecutor accused top Israeli and Hamas leaders of war crimes and crimes against humanity. “It’s a moral equivalency issue that’s really not fair,” Uncharted Ministries’ Tom Doyle says. “Hamas is a terrorist group. They tried to commit genocide; Israel goes in to get Hamas, and now they’re accused of war crimes.”
The United States immediately condemned the ICC announcement, stating:
We reject the prosecutor’s equivalence of Israel with Hamas. It is shameful. Hamas is a brutal terrorist organization that carried out the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust and is still holding dozens of innocent people hostage, including Americans. Three judges will review the charges and decide whether to pursue a case. Even if ICC judges issue arrest warrants, Israel’s Prime Minister and Defense Minister won’t face immediate prosecution. However, they could be arrested during travel to an ICC member nation.
We pray for a massive heart change within believers + for them to have the strength and ability to freely worship and spread the Gospel throughout Gaza. We pray for the release of Israeli hostages and for Hamas to surrender or be removed from Gaza & for the war in Gaza to end. (Reported by Katey Hearth, – https://www.mnnonline.org/news/christians-in-gaza-were-finished-we-cant-live-this-way-anymore/, 24th MAY 2024 – Mission News Network)
Lebanon – Camille Melki from Heart For Lebanon reported how the exchange of rocket fire has killed hundreds of people, and hundreds of thousands more have been forced to flee what is quickly becoming a warzone. “You wonder, what’s the point of this daily cross-border shelling?” Melki says. “Hopefully a ceasefire is reached in a very short time. For now, there has been enough death and destruction on all sides of this conflict… Everybody suffers, especially the innocent.” As if conflicts and the deaths of civilians weren’t enough, this new crisis is damaging to other problems Lebanon is already facing. For example, the barrages have caused more than $3 billion in damage on Lebanon’s side of the border. While that would be an issue for any country, it’s especially devastating for a country facing a catastrophic economic crisis.
We thank God for the courage of Christians who’ve been weathering the challenges of life in Lebanon. Continue to pray for civilians trapped in the conflict near Gaza. Ask God to work in the hearts of combatants exchanging rocket–fire across the Israel–Lebanon border. (Reported by Alex Anhalt – https://www.mnnonline.org/news/hezbollah-and-israel-exchange-fire-across-lebanons-borders/, 23rd MAY 2024 – Mission News Network)
Iran – We praise God for hearts changed by the power of His Word, and for amazing Gospel growth among this previously – unreached people group, as million do not have any access to God’s Word, yet Transform Iran is translating the Bible into Iran’s ethnic ‘heart’ languages, with help from groups like unfoldingWord and SRG. Indeed, Transform Iran’s Lana Silk says, “There’s an ethnic minority group in Iran – we won’t name for safety reasons – where we’ve been working on the Open Bible Stories. That’s complete, and now we’re setting our sights on the New Testament.” We want Iranian Muslims, who’ve never heard any of these terms before, to understand them and engage with them. So that’s why we make sure there are Muslims on the team,” she continues.
We pray new believers to grow in their faith and understanding of Jesus and for Transform Iran to get the resources it needs to continue translation work.
(Reported by Katey Hearth, – https://www.mnnonline.org/news/iranian-muslims-turn-to-christ-after-encountering-open-bible-stories/, 10th MAY 2024)
Holy Land – Around 900 people have been sheltering together in a church building within a conflict zone of the Holy Land – many of them Christians. Joe Willey with SAT-7 says they recently interviewed one Christian in their current affairs program, You Are Not Alone. “He’s taking refuge inside this church building, living inside church halls, sleeping on the floor, and this has been for six months,” Willey says. The believer says he was living in a building that housed mostly Christians – until that building was destroyed in the conflict. We pray for protection over those sheltering in the church.
Indeed, many people “live in the Holy Land. They live where there is war where there is destruction. It’s less than 2%. But nonetheless, there are people that we would definitely call brothers and sisters in Christ;” yet many find hope spiritual lifeline as SAT–7 talks about the existential questions people are facing as they are reaching to people through digital means and social media, where people in the Holy Land conflict zones can get SAT–7 on their phones. We pray for God to use SAT–7Gospel programming to reach more people in need of hope & for people in the war–torn Holy Land to find and cling to Jesus. (Reported by Lyndsey Koh – https://www.mnnonline.org/news/sat-7-interviews-palestinian-christian-sheltering-in-church-within-holy-land-conflict-zone/, 10th May 2024)
Syria – Sworn enemies Israel and Iran trade threats amid escalating tensions. Iran’s supreme leader says Israel must be punished for its assault on the Iranian embassy in Syria. In return, Israel’s foreign minister vows to strike Iran directly if the Islamic Republic targets Israel from its territory. Samuel * with Redemptive Stories says that believers are committed to staying in Syria, and the Lord is at work. “Our brothers and sisters there, keep pressing on. They keep walking [by] faith,” Samuel says. “God is doing amazing things among the Druze, among the Kurdish people in the north; it’s quite powerful.”
We pray hearts and lives to change as people in Syria turn to the Lord for salvation. We pray that the many Christian converts from Islam will grow in knowledge and faith + for pastors and church staff who are exhausted by war and unrest. (Reported by Katey Hearth – https://www.mnnonline.org/news/iran-and-israel-trade-threats-amid-escalating-tensions/, 11th April 2024)
Gaza – Israel sparked international outrage this week when its airstrikes killed seven World Central Kitchen workers in Gaza. When it was struck, the World Kitchen team had just delivered 100 tons of food aid at a distribution warehouse. Other aid groups have temporarily paused deliveries in Gaza, saying it’s no longer safe to offer help. “The accidental attack against the aid workers is tragic; it’s just heartbreaking,” Uncharted Ministries’ Tom Doyle says. “We know what they go through to get aid to the people because we’ve done those things at Uncharted. It’s hard to get through the Hamas blockade.” Celebrity chef Jose Andres, World Central Kitchen founder, says Israel’s military intentionally targeted the aid convoy – a claim Israel denies. “Israel has been explaining, they’re doing full disclosure. I certainly think it was not in their best interest to do this on purpose, of course, but they will be blamed for it like it was on purpose,” Doyle says.
We pray for the “Palestinians who are suffering through this and for the Israelis who are suffering as hostages.” We also pray for the hostages & “families, now six months not knowing if their sons or daughters are alive or dead.” We pray for “the families of the aid workers [who] gave their lives to serve the people [who] are in misery right now.” We pray for God to comfort the aid workers’ families and pray for an end to the war & for peace for the Israeli hostages’ families. (Reported by Katey Hearth – https://www.mnnonline.org/news/lebanon-border-conflict-heightens-need/, 5th April 2024)
Lebanon – An Israeli strike killed a Hezbollah field commander in southern Lebanon on Monday. This tit-for-tat fire between Israel and the Lebanese terrorist group is just one piece in the increasingly fractured Middle East. “Lebanon and the region is a place where injustice rules, if I may say. It’s been like that for years and decades and centuries. The cycle of violence, the cycle of hatred, the cycle of despair, is never-ending,” says Elio Constantine with Heart for Lebanon. “The only solution to break the cycle is through Christ, and Christ alone.” Heart for Lebanon believes that when our relationship with God our Creator is broken, it creates a playground for the devil to bring injustice to the world. But there is a biblical solution. “If we want to talk about how to deal with this injustice, and how to approach it from a biblical justice point of view, the simple answer is ‘Restore our relationship with God,’” Constantine says. Heart for Lebanon builds trusting relationships with families from diverse ethnicities and faiths.
“We work with traditional Christian backgrounds, with Muslim backgrounds, with Lebanese families, with Syrian families, with Kurdish families – all these families that have been preconditioned to hate each other and be scared of each other,” Constantine says. We praise God for growing unity in these two churches. We pray that God will use Heart for Lebanon to spread His love and reconciliation to many people in the region. We pray for more hearts in the Middle East to be transformed by God’s love. Ask God to use Heart for Lebanon to be messengers of reconciliation to many people in the Middle East. (Reported by Katie O'Malley – https://www.mnnonline.org/news/injustice-runs-deep-in-lebanon-whats-the-biblical-justice-viewpoint/, 9th April 2024)
Lebanon – Over a dozen people have died so far in the latest pick-up of cross-border shelling between Israel and Hezbollah forces in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah has been launching rockets toward Israel since October 8; Israel’s tit-for-tat response in the months following has displaced over 120,000 people.
In the meantime, Heart for Lebanon continues its outreach to thousands of displaced families. “What motivates us to care for people in need is the compassionate heart of Jesus Christ,” Melki says. Family Care is about helping families in Lebanon meet their basic needs while also helping them meet Jesus, in very real and practical ways. “The basic food package we distribute monthly is the centerpiece of our work, but we have also provided significant help with winterization, and now [we] are looking at every opportunity to provide educational support.” Indeed, every distribution is a Gospel opportunity. We pray for open and receptive hearts. (Reported by Katey Hearth – https://www.mnnonline.org/news/lebanon-border-conflict-heightens-need/, 2nd April 2024)
Iran – Iran’s role on the world stage today has had ominous overtones. Lana Silk with Transform Iran acknowledges, “Iran has made it very clear their agenda is to wipe out Israel.” But a closer look shows a growing rift between the government of Iran and the people of Iran. Young people have called for the end to the regime which their parents and grandparents once welcomed into power. There are 88 million people in Iran, and Transform Iran’s mission is to spread the gospel to each one of them – literate, illiterate, Persian Farsi speaking, ethnic minorities in their own languages, everyone.
We ask God to lead Iranians to Jesus when they look for answers. We pray for wisdom, effectiveness, equipping, resources and protection for ministries like Transform Iran and others who are spreading the gospel in the nation. We pray for Damascus Road conversions, that God raises up more people like the apostle Paul in Iran. (Reported by Katie O'Malley – https://www.mnnonline.org/news/before-freedom-comes-help-flood-iran-with-the-gospel/, 1st April 2024)
Israel – Israeli forces raided the al-Shifa hospital in northern Gaza this week, killing dozens and taking over 160 suspected terrorists back to Israel for interrogation. In our continued look at the Israel–Hamas war from a Christian perspective, believers from a Jewish background tell Tom Doyle of Uncharted Ministries, “It’s still chaos in Israel because of Hamas in the south and Hezbollah in the north, the terrorist groups that are still attacking.” The Israel–Hamas war began five months ago when Hamas militants raided Jewish communities in southern Gaza. At least 1,200 people lost their lives, while Hamas took roughly 250 hostages. They’re still holding at least 100 people captive today. We pray for the Lord to accomplish His will and purposes through this evil situation. “In one of the most horrific trials Israel’s ever been through, some good has come out of it,” Doyle says. “Many [Jewish people] are believing in God and even turning to Jesus as Savior and asking questions. As sad as this situation was, God’s working, and both sides are more open to faith in Christ.”
This openness is significant because “many Jews in Israel – because of the Holocaust, terrorist attacks over the decades, and all the wars – have abandoned a belief that there is a God. We would hear this often from Jews: ‘I cannot believe there is a God. During the Holocaust, we cried out to Him; where was He?’” Doyle continues. We pray for remaining hostages to be released. (Reported by Katey Hearth – https://www.mnnonline.org/news/israelis-seek-answers-amid-pain-of-war/, 21st March 2024)
Lebanon – As conflict between Israel and Hezbollah drags on across Lebanon’s southern border, the spiritual landscape of the nation is transforming as one family, one child at a time grasps who God is.
Camille Melki with Heart for Lebanon says, “Christ’s compassionate heart leads us to love on and care for unconditionally without any discrimination to all the people who God puts in our way.” Kurds, Arabs, Lebanese, Syrian refugees, local internally displaced persons, and impoverished local farmers receive the friendship of Heart for Lebanon. The needs truly are massive. More than 90,000 people in Lebanon have been displaced since the Israel–Hamas conflict began last October. “We have a tall order ahead of us as the needs are overwhelming. But more important than that is that we focus on attending to the spiritual loss as much as we are attending to the physical loss,” says Melki.
The Heart for Lebanon team goes out regularly to visit and build relationships with families as Christians. Melki says that rather than argue over politics and religions with these people, “what’s important is to move every conversation into a Jesus conversation.” When people realize God’s unconditional love, Melki says the first change that happens is they start to accept others with whom they don’t see eye to eye. This is a huge shift. “Arguments in the Middle East are not words arguments, they’re not fistfights: they’re wars. For us to change that, we need to have a calmer, a kinder, a more caring individual,” Melki says. With that in mind, Heart for Lebanon is deliberate in what it teaches the next generation. The ministry has the privilege of serving 1,300 children in multiple locations in Lebanon with programs and schools that are formative on a spiritual level.
“We build character formation programs in every lesson. We have ten biblical traits, such as forgiveness, such as love of others, such as generosity, such as accepting people of different faith,” Melki says. “In those biblical character traits, we’re raising a new generation, a generation that does not revert to anger, to hatred, to revenge, but rather reverts to love, forgiveness and acceptance.” We pray for the gospel to launch in Lebanon like never before + for individuals to be radically transformed by God’s love for them. We pray for the gospel to spread in Lebanon like never before. (Reported by Katie O'Malley – https://www.mnnonline.org/news/gods-love-reaches-and-transforms-lebanons-next-generation/, 19th March 2024)
Other Asian Prayer News:
Russia – Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Pyongyang this week with Kim Jong Un, the supreme leader of North Korea. It was Putin’s first visit to the North Korean capital in 24 years. The two world leaders signed a partnership deal – an indicator of deepening anti-Western ties in the region. Growing anti–West sentiments don’t bode well for Russian Evangelical Christians. Although Russia is a largely Orthodox Christian nation, Evangelicals and Protestants are often viewed as extensions of the West, not aligned with Russian values. Slavic Gospel Association (SGA) supports Evangelical churches in Russia. But SGA’s Eric Mock says, “We live in difficult days where it’s impossible for me to meet with them at their churches in their country.” Yet, the Gospel is for everyone! SGA equips these churches not to advance the kingdom of the West but the Kingdom of God. We pray for people in the Far East and all across Russia to follow Christ! We pray for God to encourage these missionary pastors in Russia. (Reported by Lyndsey Koh, – https://www.mnnonline.org/news/anti-west-sentiments-deepen-in-russia/, 21st June 2024 – Mission News Network)
Yemen – The Houthis and an ongoing civil war may bring the most attention to Yemen on the global stage. However, Greg Kelley with Unknown Nations says Yemen’s spiritual need remains overlooked and unknown by most churches today. “[There are] over 34 million people inside Yemen, and most of them have never heard the Gospel, so we need Yemen to be a priority,” Kelley says. The problem is that “Yemen is one of the [most] challenging mission fields today. Because of the civil war and the instabilities, it’s difficult to get aid to the places it’s ultimately needed.” Plus, religious challenges abound. Following Jesus and sharing the Gospel are forbidden in Yemen; these are crimes punishable by death.
Even so, a small number of Yemeni believers live out their faith in utmost secrecy. How do they follow Christ’s instructions in the Great Commission to “go and make disciples”? Training from Unknown Nations helps. “We can’t just show up [in] Yemen on an airplane. We have to use beachheads like Egypt,” Kelley says. “We train Yemenis [in] places like Egypt, and they are going into Yemen raising up leaders, making disciples, or distributing our solar-powered audio Bible in the local language.”
We pray for clear, biblical dreams, visions, and revelations to draw Yemeni people to Jesus. We pray that the Lord will send more workers into His harvest in Yemen. We pray for believers to have Gospel opportunities as they bring physical help to people who need it most. We pray for God to send more workers into His harvest in obedience to Luke 10:2 and for believers from a Muslim background to be biblically discipled and will grow in Jesus. (Reported by Katey Hearth– https://www.mnnonline.org/news/unknown-nations-trains-and-equips-yemeni-christians/, 11th June 2024)
Sri Lanka – As India grows more intolerant towards Christians, doors are opening in a neighboring country. Helen Williams of World Missionary Press says two of their ministry partners in India plan to begin outreach to Sri Lanka. “They’ve decided to reach out down there. Some of that is because of some of the persecution and the difficulties in India. And they’re still trying to reach the Tamil speaking people, wherever they are,” says Williams. WMP produces Scripture booklets that are distributed freely to make disciples around the world.
Williams says, “The book was so effective in India and in other places where they’re working, so they came to us and said, ‘Okay, we want to go to Sri Lanka, what can you do for us?’” As such, Scripture booklets from WMP have already helped another ministry in Sri Lanka for 25 years. The new ministries will support local pastors, train leaders, and send evangelists. WMP is preparing to send a shipping container of resources to support the work. The resources will be distributed through the three ministries in Sri Lanka to share the Gospel with thousands of more people. We pray for the Scripture booklets to soon reach the pastors and evangelists in Sri Lanka. The new Sri Lankan ministries have also asked for prayer over their leaders. We also pray for God to protect and direct the faithful leaders sharing the Gospel with the unreached peoples of Sri Lanka. (Reported by Emily Roth – https://www.mnnonline.org/news/gospel-outreach-grows-in-sri-lanka/, 11th June 2024)
India – India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi wins a third term in office, securing another five years of Hindu nationalist rule. Modi is only the second PM in India’s history to gain a third term. A3’s David* says the years ahead will not be easy for believers under Modi and BJP rule. “[The BJP has] been systematically working towards establishing a Hindu Rashtra nation, which predominately is going to be a theocratic form of democracy,” David says. “They have also been working systematically to change the constitution to openly declare that India is a Hindu nation.” The oppression of religious minorities rose significantly during a decade of Modi and BJP rule. “We see in the rural parts of India extreme persecution; people have fled, the churches have shut down,” David says.
We pray for the local church leaders to invest in training and discipleship as help from groups like A3 (foreign involvement) becomes more difficult. We pray for the Church to stand firm amid challenges, remain united in support of persecuted churches, and wisely conduct themselves. (Reported by Katey Hearth, – https://www.mnnonline.org/news/modi-bjp-win-troublesome-for-indias-religious-minorities/, 5th June 2024 – Mission News Network)
Iran – Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi unexpectedly died Sunday in a helicopter crash. The announcement yesterday from state media sent shockwaves across Iran and the Muslim world. Iran’s foreign minister and other officials were also killed in the crash. Lana Silk, CEO of Transform Iran, says, “The reality is that the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is literally the Supreme Leader of Iran and controls near enough everything. You could argue that all other extensions of government and authority are an extension of his will. He has now already come officially and made a statement and said nothing is going to change.”
In the meantime, Transform Iran is sharing the Gospel and discipling believers in Iran using every possible media platform – including TV, radio, and social media. Their goal is to ensure that when Iranians are feeling stressed, hopeless, or looking for answers, they will encounter Jesus Christ. “I think the message of hope continues to be our important message to the people of Iran,” says Silk. “These people who are your rulers, these people who are making your lives miserable, they are not ultimately in charge of you. “There is a higher authority – a good higher authority. There is hope. So we continue to point the people of Iran to Jesus.” We pray more Iranians finally seek Christ + ask God to use current and new political leaders in Iran to open Gospel doors. We pray for Iranian Christians to trust in God's sovereignty over their nation. (Reported by Lyndsey Koh – https://www.mnnonline.org/news/following-president-raisis-death-what-could-change-for-iranians-christians/, 21st May 2024)
Syria – It has been reported that the United States is responsible for alleged human rights abuses in Syria, Amnesty International asserts. A recent report claims that because the U.S. set up camps for Islamic State detainees, it is responsible for thousands of people within the camps. Indeed, nearly 17 million people will need humanitarian aid to survive in 2024, up from 15.3 million last year. Indeed, “the whole country continues to subsist on the generosity of people outside the country,” Samuel from Redemptive Stories says. Truly, “Syria is a mess in and of itself; the economic situation only worsens. More issues create more difficulty for Christians to stay.” Before war broke out in 2011, extreme poverty was virtually nonexistent in Syria. Today, over half of all Syrians live in extreme poverty, while 90 percent are below the poverty line.
We ask the Lord to have mercy on Syria + for people to receive help for today and hope for tomorrow. We pray for people to experience healing and restoration in a right relationship with God as they become disciples of Jesus Christ & for our brothers and sisters in Syria to communicate the hope of Jesus with those around them. (Reported by Katey Hearth – https://www.mnnonline.org/news/christians-face-increasing-hardship-in-syria/, 23rd April 2024)
We pray for the distribution of Bibles and Christian books in India to soften hearts to the Gospel as the Mission Cry shipment is currently en routing to resource a seminary in eastern India, arriving over the next couple of months. We pray for a growing Gospel impact in India + for the Lord to grant Indians wisdom as they head to the polls over the next several weeks. We also pray for Godly leaders to be elevated in India. (Reported by Lyndsey Koh – https://www.mnnonline.org/news/indias-election-kicks-off-tomorrow-how-will-it-affect-christians/, 18th April 2024)
China – They made it! Bibles for China has received word about 50,000 Mandarin Bibles meant for seekers and believers in Russia. Kurt Rovenstine with Bibles for China explains, “There’s actually quite a large Chinese population (in Russia). They kind of live together within Moscow, but also along the border up above in extreme northeastern China.” We praise God for His living Word, and pray for more open doors for Bibles for China to reach Mandarin– speaking families. We pray for the power of God's Word to transform lives despite opposition + open doors for ministry work and obedience for God's people. (Reported by Katie O'Malley – https://www.mnnonline.org/news/bibles-reach-mandarin-speaking-communities-in-russia/, 11th April 2024)
Russia – On Sunday, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin won a fifth term in office after nationwide elections that have received mixed international attention. Joel Griffith with Slavic Gospel Association (SGA) affirms that during this season there has been a significant crackdown on any opposition to the government, as well as freedom of speech. “In terms of the churches, what they’ve tried to do is really focus on their ministries as much as possible,” Griffith says. SGA comes alongside local churches in their ministries. Russian believers have a history of perseverance under pressure, and God has a history of preserving the Church in Russia. “The churches continue on as discreetly as necessary to be able to not only continue their worship (and) their normal ministries, but also to send missionary pastors out to proclaim the gospel,” Griffith says.
For example, there are areas within Russia where the gospel has not yet fully penetrated, such as in the Arctic Circle and Far East Russia. Believers are praying for continued open doors to reach these regions with the hope of Christ. “If things continue to tighten up in Russia, I have no doubt in my mind that they’re resourceful people, and they will find a way to continue to obey the Lord, share the love of Christ and the gospel going on,” Griffith says. We pray for the pastors, the missionary pastors, the children’s workers, the regional pastors across Russia, to walk through this situation with wisdom, be able to function and continue to share the gospel with wisdom & speak Christ to others in times + place where God has planted them in. Ask God for wisdom for church leaders in Russia. (Reported by Katie O'Malley – https://www.mnnonline.org/news/churches-in-russia-resourceful-and-persevering-in-politically-charged-times/, 19th March 2024)
Iran – The nation of Iran is an unprecedented, exciting field for the gospel to advance. As young Iranians reject Islam, their awakening to who Jesus Christ is could change the entire Middle East. Dr. Hormoz Shariat with Iran Alive says there are three subcultures within Iran. There is the Islamic Revolution generation (over 50), a middle generation (30 to 50), and the young generation (under 30). Shariat calls these Milennials and Gen Z-ers “the generation of the fatherless and fearless.” They are the ones Iran Alive’s ministries especially focus on. “Fatherless means they have nobody over them who cares for them. Anybody older than them, they don’t care about them,” Shariat says. “They have (been) raised in a society that doesn’t care for them. There’s a unity among them. Nobody cares for them, but they care for each other.”
He calls them fearless because “they’re free from the spirit of Islam. (The) spirit of Islam is fear, control by fear. So they’re not afraid of government, they’re not afraid of Allah. They have no fear.” Shariat continues, “They have lost everything. They have no hope for the future, so they don’t have even fear of death, many of them. They said, ‘We are dead anyway.’” This fearless hopelessness is what Shariat says made so many young people willing to come out on the streets in protests in 2023, even when many of them were being killed or arrested. We pray for the church to discern what God is saying to them as they seek to change the direction of a nation for eternity and for Middle East/ the whole world to be impacted by Iran’s faith in God; and for Iran Alive’s faithful ministry to create every possible opportunity as they evangelize + distribute Bibles out at this critical time & use their influence to transform Iran. (Reported by Katie O'Malley – https://www.mnnonline.org/news/irans-fatherless-and-fearless-genz-poised-for-gospel-ignition/, 19th March 2024)
