25 ways to pray with Iranian Christians

The escalating conflict between the United States and Iran is having a devastating impact on Iranian citizens. Airstrikes continue, and fear of a wider war has grown once again as Iran’s attacks on neighbouring countries have continued and an Iran-backed group in Yemen has started their own military actions.

Iranians are facing shortages of food, fuel and medicine, while rising oil prices and economic instability are driving up the cost of living, which is already very high. Many families live in fear of further attacks; damaged infrastructure has already disrupted access to electricity, clean water and healthcare. Businesses have been forced to close, jobs lost and thousands of people displaced from their homes.

For millions of Iranians, the conflict is not just a military crisis but a humanitarian one, bringing uncertainty, financial hardship and constant anxiety about what the future holds. And for Christians, many of whom already live difficult and dangerous lives in Iran, the conflict adds more uncertainty and risk.

And yet, we’re hearing remarkable stories of God’s work in Iran—and we’ve received prayer requests from Iranian believers throughout the military action and instability of the past six months.
 

Prayer for the persecutors

Naomi* is a good example of how Iranian Christians continue to boldly live for Jesus, even as they risk arrest and follow the Lord amidst war. She is an active Christian from southern Iran. She was arrested during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She managed to keep her hope alive while she was detained. “Throughout my time in the detention center, I was the only prisoner who kept smiling,” Naomi says. She believes her joy frustrated her interrogator. “He kept forcing me to repeat Islamic prayers because he, along with other guards, couldn't understand why I still had peace and joy.”

Recently, Naomi learned that her interrogator, whose face she remembers very well, had been killed in the recent war: “I heard from one of my former cellmates that he had been killed in one of the airstrikes.”

  While attending a relative's funeral with her husband, Naomi asked to visit the section of the cemetery where those killed in the war were buried. “I told my husband, 'Let's go to that section, I want to visit my interrogator's grave,’” she says. “By God's grace, I was able to forgive the man who persecuted me. I forgave him. My only wish at that moment was that he could rest in God.”


 

Pray for the Iranian Church

Although the situation is very difficult inside Iran, we still see the light of Christ shine among Christians there. We pray that God would protect His people in this time of unrest and uncertainty.

You can join in their prayers right now, breaking down the walls of culture, language and geography. 

Here are 25 ways to stand with your Iranian brothers and sisters in prayer:

1. Pray for Naomi, her family, and the Iranian church as they continue to faithfully serve the Lord inside Iran today, sharing His hope.
2. Pray for God's protection over Iranian families affected by the conflict and for an end to the violence.
3. Pray for those who have lost loved ones, homes, or livelihoods, asking God to bring comfort, hope, and strength.
4. Pray for provision of food, clean water, medicine, and safe shelter for those facing hardship.
5. Pray for wisdom for leaders and humanitarian workers, and for a peaceful resolution that brings lasting stability.
6. Pray for Christian parents in Iran as they seek to obey Proverbs 22:6: “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Ask God to give them wisdom, strength, and opportunities to teach their children His Word despite opposition.
7. Pray for Iranian Christian children to be firmly grounded in biblical truth through the faithful teaching of their parents. May the lessons they learn about Christ in their homes shape their character and sustain their faith throughout their lives.
8. Pray for Iran’s vulnerable children who have been affected by war, displacement, injury, and loss, that God would protect them physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and provide them with safety, healing, and hope.
9. Pray that the church in Iran would reflect God’s compassion and become a source of hope, healing, and restoration for those affected by the conflict.
10. Pray for provision and daily sustenance for families facing unemployment and food insecurity.
11. Pray for reunited families—those who returned home during the ceasefire period—and strength for those separated by work, fear, or instability.
12. Pray for young people wrestling with hopelessness.
13. Pray for healing and access to medical care for those physically affected by stress and hardship.
14. Pray for the shalom peace that guards hearts and minds where fear and uncertainty dominate. May the Lord continue to bring people to Him in these difficult days as the church inside Iran grows.
15. Pray for young Christians in Iran who are following Christ in challenging circumstances. Ask God to strengthen their faith and encourage them through His presence.
16. Pray for those who feel isolated or forgotten, that they would be reminded that the global Church remembers them and stands with them in prayer.
17. Pray for young leaders and believers who are discipling others and creating opportunities for fellowship despite restrictions and uncertainty.
18. Pray for wisdom and courage as Christians in Iran seek to strengthen one another and develop local leadership that can endure through seasons of disruption.
19. Pray for Iranians who are questioning old beliefs and searching for truth, that they would encounter Jesus Christ and discover lasting hope in Him.
20. Pray that believers both inside Iran and around the world would not become accustomed to injustice, suffering and brokenness, but would continue to pray, care and respond with faith and compassion.
21. Pray for protection and courage for Iranian Christians, especially converts and house church members.
22. Pray for hope and healing for the people of Iran, many of whom are experiencing fear, grief, anger, and despair after ceasefire.
23. Pray for greater religious freedom and justice, that authorities would respect the rights of all Christians communities.
24. Pray for persecuted Christians in prison, that God would strengthen them and help them see His face.
25. Pray for God’s peace to reign across the region, that attacks on innocent people would cease and the leaders of every nation involved in the conflict would hear the good news of Jesus and turn to Him.

*Name changed for security reasons