For years Iranian leaders have loudly proclaimed that no foreign adversary could prevail against them. Recent reports from believers within Iran paint a far more realistic picture. Over the past few days we have been receiving text and voice messages from members of the house church. They describe uncertainty as they watch the conflict around them unfold. Damage to infrastructure has left many in need as they simply try to live day by day.
“One by one, everything is destroyed. They can’t even send missiles anymore,” a brother in Iran told us. In some areas where people’s homes have not been bombed, neighbors are filled with suspicion. Many are also climbing to the roofs of apartment buildings in an attempt to view their surroundings. Some are seeking refuge in schools while bombings occur near by. As with any war, there are casualties. But what we see revealed most through these messages are not political opinions. They are requests for prayer. Prayer that God would cover their families, their neighbors, and give them the strength to follow Christ through fear and uncertainty.
These are scary and exhausting days for the Christians inside Iran. Many of these believers are already members of underground house churches and have been persecuted for years due to their faith. Now they find themselves burdened with the weight of war. Shortages, displacement, and the unknown of what each day will bring weigh heavily on them.
Here at Back to Jerusalem we want to respond in a manner that shows Christ’s heart for these brothers and sisters. That means standing in prayer with them while also seeking to meet their needs during this time of crisis.
