Pray for Christians living under pressure
Some Christian Believers must exercise great discretion about their faith. Pray that fear will not silence them and that wisdom will guide every decision.
Lord Jesus, strengthen Your people in Iran. Give them courage, wisdom, and peace. Protect Christian Believers and their families, and let their lives quietly shine.
And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
John 1:5
Pray for Christian families
Pray for Christian parents who are raising children in an environment where openly discussing their faith may be complicated.
Father, strengthen Christian families. Give parents wisdom to teach their children to love Christ, and let the next generation grow deep roots of faith.
The Lord gave the word;
Great was the company of those who proclaimed it:
Psalm 68:11
Pray for Iranian young people
Iran has a large and educated younger generation. Pray for students and young professionals who are searching for purpose, identity, and hope.
Lord, meet Iranian young people at the point of their deepest questions. Give them a new identity in Christ and surround them with wise and trustworthy Christian Believers.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Pray for a multiplying Iranian Church
Pray not merely for individual conversions, but for communities of Iranian Christian Believers that reproduce disciples, develop leaders, and carry the Gospel into places where Christ is not yet known.
Lord Jesus, build Your Church in Iran. Give Iranian Christian Believers one another for encouragement, discipleship, and mission. Let faith multiply from one household to another.
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
Hebrews 10:24
Region: Middle East
Capital: Tehran
Population: 81,824,000
Dominant religion: Islam, predominantly Shia Islam
Christian population: estimated at a small minority
Evangelical Christians: estimated at around 1.2%
People groups: approximately 91 identified
People groups with very limited Christian presence: approximately 85
Life expectancy: approximately 78 years
Iran is a country of extraordinary cultural and linguistic diversity.
Persians form the largest ethnic community, with Persian as the dominant language. But Iran is also home to Azerbaijanis, Kurds, Lurs, Gilaks, Mazanderanis, Arabs, Baluch, Turkmen, Qashqai, Armenians, Assyrians, and many other communities.
Each carries its own history, language, traditions, and sense of identity.
The mountains of the northwest are home to Kurdish communities. The southwest includes Iranian Arab communities. Baluch communities live across the southeast. Turkmen communities live in the northeast. Along the Caspian coast are peoples whose languages and cultures differ significantly from those of central Iran.
In the middle of this immense diversity are millions of ordinary Iranian families—parents raising children, students pursuing education, workers building careers, grandparents passing down stories, and young people searching for meaning and direction.
Iran has also become home to large numbers of displaced people, particularly Afghans.
In 2026, humanitarian agencies estimated that around 1.65 million refugees and other people requiring international protection were living in Iran, including large numbers of Afghans.
These communities add another dimension to prayer. People who have already experienced displacement may be living far from their original homes, separated from relatives, and uncertain about their future.
At the same time, 2026 brought significant internal movement within Iran amid regional hostilities. Government estimates cited by humanitarian agencies indicated that millions of people were temporarily relocated from their homes during the crisis.
Iran needs prayer not merely for political circumstances, but for the people.
Iran has a long Christian history. Ancient Christian communities—including Armenian and Assyrian Christians—have existed in the region for centuries. Yet the presence of historic Christianity does not mean that every community has clearly heard the Gospel. For Persian-speaking converts and other Christians without a recognized historic Christian identity, openly practicing or sharing their faith can carry significant personal risk. Christian converts have faced arrest, detention, and prosecution, particularly where authorities regard Christian activity as proselytizing or a security concern.
This creates an unusual challenge:
There may be Christian witness in the country, while many people still have little opportunity to encounter a local Christian community.
A very large proportion of Iran’s people groups have little access to an established, locally multiplying Christian witness.
Among the communities needing prayer are:
- Persian Iranians
- Iranian Arabs
- South Azerbaijani communities
- Kurdish communities
- Qashqai
- Baluch
- Turkmen
- Mazanderani
- Gilaki
- Luri communities
Some communities have access to Christian media or Scripture resources, while others have far fewer opportunities to encounter the Gospel in their own language and cultural setting. The Persian language has substantial Christian media and Scripture resources available. Yet access to a resource is not the same thing as a disciple-making community.
The prayer is not merely that people will receive information about Jesus. It is that they will encounter Him, believe in Him, follow Him, and become witnesses to their own communities.
Pray especially for Christian Believers who quietly follow Christ in homes, workplaces, universities, and communities.
Pray for courage without recklessness. Pray for wisdom without fear.
Pray for the Gospel to travel through relationships that cannot be controlled by geography.
Pray for the Persian people to encounter Christ
Persian culture carries an ancient literary and intellectual heritage. Pray that the message of Jesus will reach Persian hearts through Scripture, dreams, conversations, digital media, and personal relationships.
Father, reveal Your glory to Persian men and women. Let them recognize Your voice when they encounter the truth about Jesus.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Psalm 19:1
Pray for those searching for truth
Pray for Iranians who are questioning inherited beliefs, searching for spiritual answers, or quietly asking whether there is more to life than what they have known.
Lord Jesus, meet those who are searching. Lead sincere seekers toward truth, and remove the obstacles that keep them from recognizing You.
“Look to Me, and be saved,
All you ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.
Isaiah 45:22
Pray for Iranian Arabs
Iranian Arab communities in the southwest have their own linguistic and cultural identity. Pray that Arabic-speaking communities will have meaningful opportunities to encounter Jesus.
God of every language and culture, open doors for the Gospel among Iranian Arabs. Raise up people who can communicate Christ naturally and faithfully within their communities.
A wise man will hear and increase learning,
And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,
Proverbs 1:5
Pray for the Kurdish communities
Pray for Kurdish families and communities across Iran, particularly where political, social, or economic pressures create additional uncertainty.
Father, become a refuge for Kurdish families. Let people discover that their ultimate security is found in You.
The Lord is good,
A stronghold in the day of trouble;
And He knows those who trust in Him.
Nahum 1:7
Pray for displaced Afghans living in Iran
Many displaced Afghans have spent years away from their homeland. Pray for safety, dignity, provision, education, and opportunities to encounter compassionate Christian witness.
Father, protect displaced families. Provide what they need, protect them from exploitation and fear, and surround them with compassionate Christian Believers.
He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing.
Deuteronomy 10:18
Pray for Scripture in every language
Iran’s linguistic diversity means that Persian alone does not represent every community. Pray for Scripture, Christian teaching, and trustworthy discipleship resources to become increasingly accessible in the languages people actually understand best.
Lord Jesus, place Your Word into the hands and hearts of people across Iran. Raise translators, teachers, and communicators who will serve faithfully.
For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
Romans 15:4
Father,
We bring Iran before You.
You know every city, every village, every mountain community, and every family. You know the Persian, the Kurd, the Azeri, the Arab, the Baluch, the Turkmen, the Qashqai, and every people whose name may never appear in our news.
You know every young person is searching for the truth. You know every believer is praying quietly. You know every family carries fear, uncertainty, or grief. Give Your Church courage. Give Your people wisdom. Give Scripture a clear path into hearts.
Raise up Iranian disciples who will make disciples. Protect those who follow Jesus. Comfort those who are displaced. Give hope to those who have lost it. And let the Name of Jesus become known among people who have never truly heard.
In the Name of Jesus Christ,
Amen.
