Pray for the Church that remains
Before the civil war, around 2.1 million Christians lived in Syria. Today an estimated 300,000 remain. Many have left because of violence, insecurity, and economic hardship, and church leaders report that emigration has risen again since 2025.
Father, strengthen the Christian Believers who remain in Syria. Encourage those who stay to serve, and renew the churches that have been emptied.
Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die,
Revelation 3:2
Pray for those who grieve
In June 2025, a suicide bombing at the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox church in Damascus killed at least 25 worshipers. Pray for the families who lost loved ones, and for every Syrian family carrying grief from years of war.
Lord, walk with the grieving through the valley of the shadow of death, and comfort them with Your presence.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me;
Psalm 23:4
Pray for churches serving their neighbors
When fighting broke out in Aleppo in January 2026, displacing about 150,000 people, a Kurdish evangelical church sheltered more than 50 families. Pray for churches that serve all their neighbors in the midst of crisis.
Father, let Syrian churches be known for their love and generosity toward everyone in need.
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
Galatians 6:10
Pray for peace between communities
Since the fall of the former government in December 2024, violence has struck Alawite, Druze, Kurdish, and Christian communities, and many Syrians live in fear. Pray for protection for every community and for a lasting peace.
Lord Jesus, make Your people peacemakers, and bring healing between Syria’s communities.
Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.
Romans 14:19
Capital: Damascus
Dominant religion: Islam, predominantly Sunni
Primary language: Arabic, with Kurdish, Syriac, Armenian, and others
People groups: 31
Unreached people groups: 20
Unreached frontier people groups: 10
Syria is one of the oldest inhabited lands on earth. Damascus and Aleppo are among the world’s most ancient cities, and the story of the early Church runs through this land. Saul of Tarsus met the risen Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus.
Syrian Arabs
About 16 million people, almost all Sunni Muslim.
Alawites
About 1.9 million people, living mainly along the coast and in the western mountains.
Druze
About 826,000 people, concentrated in the south around Suwayda.
Kurds
Living mainly in the north and northeast.
Christian communities
Syrian Arab Christians, Assyrians, Armenians, and others, belonging to ancient Orthodox, Catholic, and other churches, along with small evangelical congregations.
Syria is emerging from more than a decade of civil war, which displaced around 12 million people. About 1.3 million refugees returned home during 2025, but 4.9 million Syrians remain refugees abroad. The economy is in ruins, electricity is available for only a few hours a day, and more than 90% of the population lives below the poverty line.
Of Syria’s 31 people groups, 20 are unreached and 10 are frontier. More than 96% of Syrians live in unreached groups.
Syria has ancient churches and a long Christian history, yet evangelical Christian Believers make up about one tenth of one percent of the population. Most of Syria’s Christians belong to historic Christian families, and few Muslim, Alawite, or Druze Syrians have ever had a Christian friend explain who Jesus Christ is.
For most Syrians, faith is bound up with family and community. Leaving one’s inherited religion can bring serious pressure and danger.
Years of war, displacement, and economic collapse have scattered churches and families. Yet the crisis has also opened hearts. Some churches report new Christian Believers coming to faith, often through practical love shown in times of need.
Pray for Syria’s Muslim majority
Pray for the 16 million Syrian Arabs, that they would encounter the risen Jesus Christ as Saul did on the road to Damascus.
Lord Jesus, shine Your light on Syrian hearts.
As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.
Acts 9:3
Pray for the Alawites and the Druze
Pray for Alawite and Druze communities, many of whom have suffered violence and live in fear, that they would find refuge in God.
Father, shelter these communities under Your wings, and reveal Jesus Christ to them.
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by.
Psalm 57:1
Pray for the Kurds of Syria
Pray for Kurdish families in the north and northeast, and for the Kurdish churches that are reaching their neighbors.
Lord, call Kurdish families by name, and let them know You.
I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the Lord, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel.
Isaiah 45:3
Pray for those returning home
Pray for refugees and displaced families returning to damaged homes and uncertain futures, and for those still waiting to return.
Father, give returning families hope for the future, and let them meet Your people as they rebuild.
There is hope in your future, says the Lord, That your children shall come back to their own border.
Jeremiah 31:17
Pray for young Syrians
Many young Syrians see no future at home. Pray for students and young adults searching for hope and purpose.
Lord, meet young Syrians who are seeking, and give them hope in You.
The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him.
Lamentations 3:25
Heavenly Father,
We bring Syria before You, the land where Saul met the risen Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. You know every city and village, every returning family, every grieving mother, and every person who has never heard the Gospel. You know the Syrian Arabs, the Alawites, the Druze, the Kurds, and every Christian community that has endured.
Bring peace between Syria’s communities, protect the vulnerable, and provide for those who are rebuilding. Strengthen the Christian Believers who remain, comfort those who grieve, and let Your Church serve all its neighbors with love.
Shine Your light again on the road to Damascus. Let Syrians of every background encounter Jesus Christ, and raise up a new generation of disciples who will carry the Gospel through this land.
In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
