Pray for Iran
(Info from Operation World, 7th ed.)
Population 75.1 million. Christians 0.5%. Evangelical Christians 0.2%.
Largest Religion Muslim.
Fastest Growing Religion Muslim.
• Massive numbers of Iranians came to Jesus in recent years! From only 500 Muslim-background believers in 1979, estimates suggest the number is now at least 100,000, and some say as many as 1 million. The Church in Persia has not grown this fast since the 7th century. In Iran, a person can receive a death sentence for apostasy (abandoning religious faith). This growth is a remarkable move of the Holy Spirit, with many signs and wonders, dreams and visions.
• The 1979 Islamic Revolution promised peace and prosperity, but 30 years later it still has not come. Instead, a legacy of bloodshed, cruelty, injustice, corruption, and economic hardship left many disappointed with the conservative religious leaders and their narrow version of Islam. An estimated 13 million Iranians live below the poverty line. Around 200,000 of Iran’s best-educated young people emigrate every year. Iran has one of the highest rates of opium addiction in the world, 200,000 street children, and widespread (but hidden) prostitution. Iran is an ancient, noble, and proud civilization. But in the modern era, these struggles have made many people, especially young people, very open to the gospel. Pray that Iranians’ desires for greatness, prosperity, freedom, and even for righteousness might ultimately be met through worship of Jesus.
• Religious persecution grew more intense since 2005, especially toward the Baha’i, Sufi Muslims, and Christians (particularly believers from a Muslim background). The government rules that only Armenians and Assyrians can be Christian. Ethnic Persians must be Muslim. This makes almost all Christian activity illegal, especially in Persian languages. Yet the regime’s harsh treatment of Christians only seems to increase church growth! Pray that the body of Christ might continue to multiply and mature despite persecution.
• The majority of the wider Christian community are Christian Armenians, with a smaller number of Assyrians and Chaldeans. They have different cultures and languages from the Muslims around them. They live with a measure of peace in their communities, but often emigrate to give their families a more stable life. Pray that Jesus might shine through their lives, and that they might have a burden for their Muslim neighbours.
• Evangelical churches before the revolution were mostly small and struggling. The traumatic changes and suffering that followed gave these churches a brief period of renewal, outreach, and many conversions! Many then adopted house church models because of intimidation from the government and the martyrdom of several church leaders. Pray for creative access to programmes that will develop capable, well-trained leaders for the underground Church.
• Iran contains some of the largest unreached, unengaged peoples in the world. Missions are not free to minister in Iran, but some tentmaking opportunities exist. Pray for the door to Iran to open in God’s perfect timing.
• The Zoroastrians (Parsees) follow an ancient Persian religion founded 1,000 years before Christ.
• The Baha’i religion started in Iran, but the government seeks to drive its followers out. Very little Christian love and witness to them exists among either the 300,000 in Iran, or the 5– 7 million worldwide.
• The nomadic and semi-nomadic Luri, Bakhtiari, and Qashqai live in the Zagros Mountains. Only a few dozen known believers exist from these groups. Persian Christians have begun to reach out to them.
• The Turkic Azeri and Turkmen in the north have had almost no positive contact with Christianity. Azeris form the largest minority group within Iran.
• The Gypsy communities have no Christian workers committed to outreach among them.
• The Persian-speaking Jews descend from those exiled to Babylon 2,700 years ago. Their numbers decline as more and more move away to escape harassment, but a number have become active, witnessing Christians!
• Ministry to Iranians increased greatly, both inside Iran and abroad. Christian satellite-TV broadcasts and Christian websites in Persian languages have an incredible impact, and even reach to remote villages with the gospel. Millions listen to Christian radio despite government restrictions, and send in thousands of response emails and letters. Scripture has become more available, mostly smuggled into the country. Several ministries reach out to the Iranian diaspora (around 4 million) through evangelism, outreach training, church planting, discipleship, and leadership training. Many diaspora Christians visit Iran and powerfully minister to Iranians there.