Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Yesterday we had news of the bombing of the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza and our partners report that three people have died from their injuries. In Iran, the Iranian regime is drastically intensifying the pressure on Christians, linking them directly with Israel and ‘their Zionist friends’. Since 25 June, 43 believers across 21 cities in Iran have been arrested. And in Syria, three weeks after dozens of Christians died in a church bombing in Damascus, another church has narrowly escaped a similar suicide-bomber attack.
Seventy years ago, Brother Andrew was called by God to “Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die” (Revelation 3:2). And we know that, as he said, ‘prayer is the real battle’. The church in the Middle East is facing an existential threat, but also has the immense opportunity to be the light of Christ in one of the darkest places on earth.
So I am writing to ask you please to intensify your prayers for this region. Pray for the church in Iran, Syria, Israel and the Palestinian Territories; that believers remain courageous, rooted in Jesus, and a living testimony of Christ’s peace.
Just after Easter I travelled to Bethlehem with some other Open Doors leaders to sit alongside, encourage and pray with the Palestinian Christians there. It was one of the most painful trips I have ever made because our Palestinian brothers and sisters feel abandoned and forgotten by the global church. They face so many challenges - many have had no work since the devastating attacks on Israel in October 2023. Their movement is tightly restricted - the wall is an ever-present reminder of the extreme limitations they face. They feel that nobody is speaking out on their behalf and hundreds of Christians are emigrating. There are fewer than 500 Christians left in Gaza and fewer than 40,000 in the West Bank.
Two stories particularly struck me. One brother who has family in Gaza said, “They have lost everything - they are even sharing their underwear.” Another brother asked his colleagues where they took their families if they want a day out from Bethlehem and a picnic. They looked at each other for a moment and then said, “Nowhere. There is nowhere we can go.”
I know the situation is complicated. Our colleagues in the Middle East and North Africa are begging us to remember that there are followers of Jesus caught up on all sides of this conflict. The body of Christ is in extreme pain - I have felt their pain first-hand. Please join us in continuing to pray:
- For Christians across the region to know God’s loving protection and feel the prayers of the global church surrounding them
- That leaders on all sides will pursue wisdom and restraint – may the Prince of Peace rule where fear and violence try to take hold
- That, in these days of crisis, many would encounter Christ through the courageous witness of His people.
Let’s not give up because the situation is so difficult. Now is the time to press in - nothing is impossible for God!
Thank you for praying with us and for enabling us to assure our brothers and sisters that they are neither forgotten nor standing alone.
God bless you,
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