Day 19 Forty Day ‘Pray for Iran’ Campaign.

"You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you and you shall love him as yourself…" Leviticus 19:34

Not only is the Lord doing a remarkable work in Iran, but He is also working among the 5 million or so Iranians who live outside of the country. Most have been forced to leave Iran since the 1979 revolution and find themselves on the refugee highway seeking a place of refuge. However, not all are refugees as some have emigrated to the West, and others are visitors, businessmen, medical patients and also international students. In addition many Iranians travel abroad for tourism and in order to visit their families.

On June 4th (Day 11) we noted that three Iranian people groups were present on the day of Pentecost. They were in Jerusalem, outside their country, and yet they heard the message of Christ in their own language. As a result the Gospel went to Iran and the Church grew. History is being repeated as Iranians today find themselves in foreign cities and are hearing the message of the Gospel. Thousands of Iranians have now become Christians outside Iran, and as a result many family members back in Iran hear the Gospel and are saved. In one case, an Iranian lady in Canada was miraculously healed and accepted Christ. Within five years, about forty members of her family in Iran also repented and were saved because of her testimony.

There are concentrations of Iranians in Turkey, UAE, the USA and Canada and as far away as Australia, New Zealand and the Far East. In Europe there are particular concentrations in the following countries: Greece, Germany, Austria, France, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and the UK.

If the Church in these countries extends a warm welcome to Iranians and reaches out with the love of Christ, then many will be saved and there will be great strategic impact back in Iran. So today we want to ask the Lord to continue working among Iranians in Diaspora:

* Pray for Iranian refugees living in other countries that their disillusionment with the past and the resulting vacuum will lead them to find fulfillment in Christ. One of the dangers of this climate of disillusionment is that a "change of religion" will take place rather than true Christian conversion.
* Pray for more churches and Christians to reach out to Iranians with the love of Christ, and pray that they will lovingly help Iranians find true refuge in Jesus. Pray for the effective distribution of Scriptures, literature and other resources.
* Pray especially for outreach to Iranian students studying abroad. Many are mature students taking post-graduate and doctorate courses and will soon return to Iran. Pray they will return having experienced true Christian love and hospitality.