Pray for renewal among Christians
Christianity has a long presence in Kazakhstan, mostly through Russian Orthodox communities. But Christian identity is not the same as Christian discipleship. Pray for Orthodox, Protestant, and other Christian communities to grow in biblical faith.
Lord Jesus, renew Your Church in Kazakhstan. Move Christian Believers beyond inherited identity into living faith, deep discipleship, and compassionate witness.
Will You not revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You?
Psalm 85:6
Pray for isolated Christian Believers
Some Christians live far from any congregation or struggle to find other Christian Believers. Pray that geographical distance would never become spiritual isolation.
Father, connect isolated Christian Believers. Give them Christian friendships, healthy churches, and opportunities to grow together in Your Word.
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
1 John 1:7
Pray for rural Christian Believers and workers
The Church needs to think beyond city centers. Pray for rural Christian Believers, house churches, and small fellowships, and for Christian workers willing to travel long distances across the steppe.
Lord, give Your servants endurance for long journeys and harsh winters, and raise up local Christian Believers to serve their own villages.
But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31
Pray for multiplication across the steppe
Pray for Kazakh disciples who will make other disciples rather than depending permanently on outside workers: one Christian Believer becoming two, two becoming ten, ten becoming a church, and churches multiplying throughout the land.
Father, raise up a multiplying Kazakh Church, and give local Christian Believers courage to carry the Gospel into cities, villages, and remote communities.
Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem,
Acts 6:7
Capital: Astana
Major ethnic communities: Kazakh 71.5%, Russian 14.4%, Uzbek 3.4%, with Ukrainian, Uyghur, Tatar, German, and many others
Primary languages: Kazakh and Russian
People groups: 39
Unengaged and unreached people groups: 25
Engaged but unreached people groups: 9
Kazakhstan is enormous: the largest country in Central Asia and one of the world’s largest landlocked nations, stretching across vast grasslands, deserts, mountains, and semi-arid plains. For centuries, movement across the steppe shaped its people, with nomadic traditions, horse culture, hospitality, strong family ties, respect for elders, and a deep connection to the land.
Modern Kazakhstan looks very different. Astana rises from the northern steppe with striking modern architecture, Almaty sits beneath the mountains, and Shymkent and the south keep strong Central Asian cultural ties. Oil and gas, mining, agriculture, technology, and trade shape the economy, and young Kazakhs live in a world of smartphones, universities, and global culture.
Kazakhs
More than 14.6 million people, with a strong heritage of nomadic life, family, hospitality, and respect for ancestors and elders. Islam is an important part of Kazakh identity, though practice varies widely: deeply personal for some, primarily cultural for others, and increasingly secular for many.
Russians
More than 2.9 million people. Many identify with Orthodox Christianity, though religious commitment varies widely.
Uzbeks
Nearly 700,000 people, concentrated particularly in the south, with their own language, family structures, and traditions.
Smaller communities
Uyghurs, Tatars, Germans, Ukrainians, Koreans, Chechens, Azerbaijanis, Kyrgyz, Tajiks, Belarusians, Dungans, and others. Some are large enough to have their own institutions; others are tiny and scattered across cities and towns.
Refugees and others in need of protection
UNHCR supports more than 600 refugees and asylum seekers, and identifies more than 65,500 people in refugee-like situations and around 48,400 others in need of international protection, including people from Afghanistan and Ukraine.
Of Kazakhstan’s 39 people groups, 25 are unengaged and unreached, with no known effort under way to bring them the Gospel, and another 9 are engaged but still unreached. Millions of people live in communities where evangelical witness remains very small, among them Kazakh, Uzbek, Uyghur, Tatar, Dungan, Kyrgyz, Tajik, and Azerbaijani communities.
Distance is part of the challenge. A person may live hundreds of kilometers from a major city, winters can be severe, and communities are scattered across huge territories. Yet distance is no longer measured only in kilometers. A person in a remote village may have a smartphone, and a Kazakh speaker may encounter Christian content online without ever meeting a Christian face to face.
Identity is another. Many Kazakhs see Islam as part of who they are, whatever their level of practice. Many Russians and Ukrainians have inherited Christian traditions without understanding the Gospel personally.
The younger generation stands at a crossroads, inheriting traditions while living in a rapidly changing society. Some respect their Islamic heritage while questioning it; some identify as secular; some are searching intensely for meaning. They are asking what it means to be Kazakh, whether faith still matters, and who Jesus is. They need Christians who can engage these questions with truth, friendship, and patience, not pressure or stereotypes.
Pray for the Kazakh people
Pray for the largest people group in the country, and for families whose Muslim identity is bound up with culture and heritage.
Father, draw Kazakh men and women toward Yourself. Give them opportunities to encounter Jesus Christ and the truth of Scripture, and lead sincere seekers into genuine faith.
Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
Psalm 37:5
Pray for young Kazakhstanis
Pray for students and young adults living between inherited traditions and a rapidly changing society.
Lord, give young people wisdom. Help them ask honest questions about life, faith, and purpose, and bring faithful Christians into their lives.
So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Psalm 90:12
Pray for Uzbek communities
Remember Uzbek families, particularly in southern Kazakhstan.
Lord Jesus, make Yourself known among Uzbek communities, and give Christian Believers opportunities to build genuine friendships and share the Gospel naturally.
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Psalm 100:1
Pray for Uyghur communities
Pray for Uyghur families, and for Christian witnesses who understand their language, culture, and history.
Father, place Your Word within reach of Uyghur communities, and raise up people who can serve with humility.
Your Word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
Psalm 119:105
Pray for digital ministry in Kazakh
Pray for Kazakh-language Scripture, websites, podcasts, video testimonies, online Bible studies, and digital discipleship that answer hard questions and point people to Scripture, and for digital encounters to lead to real Christian community.
Lord, use technology to open doors that geography has closed, and lead those searching online to trustworthy teaching and genuine Christian Believers.
Your testimonies also are my delight And my counselors.
Psalm 119:24
Pray for refugees and displaced people
Pray for those who have arrived in Kazakhstan after leaving war and loss behind, and for Christian Believers to notice people who might otherwise remain invisible.
Father, give displaced people safety, dignity, and community, and let Christian Believers become a source of practical help and genuine friendship.
Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.
Hebrews 13:2
Heavenly Father,
We bring Kazakhstan before You. You know the endless steppe, the mountains around Almaty, Astana, and every village and distant settlement. You know the Kazakhs, the Russians, the Uzbeks, the Uyghurs, the Tatars, the Germans, the Ukrainians, the Kyrgyz, the Tajiks, the Dungans, and every smaller community in this vast land. You know every family, every student, every child, every Christian Believer, and every person who has never heard.
Strengthen Your Church. Renew Christians who have inherited faith but need fresh life, and encourage those who feel isolated. Raise up local pastors and disciples, and give Christian workers wisdom and endurance. Open the Scriptures in Kazakh and every language that needs them. Use digital ministry, friendships, families, universities, workplaces, and unexpected conversations.
Reach the villages beyond the cities, the young people searching for meaning, the families whose faith is only cultural, and those who have never encountered the Gospel at all. Raise up a generation of Kazakh disciples who will reach their own people, and may the Gospel travel farther than any road across the steppe.
In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
