CHRISTMAS PRAYERS FOR IRAQI CHRISTIANS
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CHRISTMAS PRAYERS FOR IRAQI CHRISTIANS
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Christmas music is in the air. If you’re listening to tunes on the radio, you have probably heard once again the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) song “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo.” It’s a reboot of older carols that was inspired by the story of a lone cello player in Sarajevo at the height of the Bosnian War in the mid-1990’s. In a 2003 interview with Christianity Today, TSO founder Paul O’Neill said, “He came every night and began playing Christmas Carols from that same spot. It was just such a powerful image—a white-haired man silhouetted against the cannon fire, playing timeless melodies to both sides of the conflict amid the rubble and devastation of the city he loves.”
The message of Christmas is powerful. The hope, peace, joy, and love that come to us in Christ are not limited to places that seem tranquil. In fact, those elements of this season can be most potent in places of unrest and among hearts that need our Lord’s help and healing.
As we reflect on this, may I challenge you this Christmas to take time to intercede on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Christ in Iraq? We all remember America’s experience there a decade ago. Then came the battle against the evil and genocidal regime of ISIS. Now the country is in a period of severe unrest again with protests that started in October and have led to nearly 500 fatalities and thousands more wounded. Just days ago, Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi resigned and the tumult continues.
In the midst of this unrest, Iraqi believers are playing a key role on behalf of the ancient land they love. During the years of war and genocide, the Iraqi Christian population that had once been about 1.5 million people dwindled to about a tenth of that size. The U.S. Institute for Peace (USIP) numbers evangelicals as only about 3,000 strong now. However, Christianity Today reports that this small group is making a big impact showing the love of Christ to their neighbors in practical ways in the midst of the struggle. Moreover, the Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, who is significantly respected across religious lines according to USIP, recently announced the cancellation of celebratory Christmas activities in favor of days of prayer and fasting. And last month, Pastor Joseph Francis, President of the Christian Alliance Churches in Iraq, told a program on Christian satellite TV channel SAT-7, “The crisis has awakened our hearts as believers to pray for our precious nation. We encourage all believers to pray for us.”
Our brothers and sisters in Christ in Iraq are asking for our intercessory help, and we need to support them. Let us pray together for their safety, security, and renewed flourishing. Moreover, let’s pray that their Christ-like acts of grace and mercy in this difficult time will bring hope, peace, joy, and love to the hearts, minds, and spirits of their neighbors.
Are you willing to pray for our brothers and sisters in Iraq this Christmas? Leave a comment.
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[…] are not only historic residents in Iraq, they remain active and compassionate citizens looking out for their neighbors. Would you intercede for them and for all our brother and sisters in Christ seeking to live […]
I will pray for them daily.
We will pray for the church in Iraq. May this land be awakened to the call of God for them, may the church grow and may many people come to know Jesus the Prince of Peace over Iraq.
Amen and amen to each prayer!
Yes will pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Along with my brethren of Iraq, I lift up this Nation. May Your people continue to be a light shining brightly the beauty and power of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls the nations to Him will be glorified once again throughout the world. Oh, God! Let the Church be the Church! As Jesus prayed. Amen!!
Father, I pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ in Iraq to be fed and led by Your Spirit. I pray that they would be heard as You impart to the people of Iraq Your message of truth. May Your presence flood the atmosphere wherever these Christian’s go, and may it be unavoidably noticeable to all those around them. May Your light draw the Iraqi people, and I pray You would present them with the gift of repentance before Your throne of grace.
Yes and amen!
Amen and amen!
I sometimes forget that God has established remnants of believers all over the world to be His light in the dark places, even in countries that are considered Faith’s other than Christian. I have decided to add to my daily prayer list a fervent appeal for their light to burn even brighter, until the whole world sees their presence.
Thank you for this notification. It is a privilege to pray for these special brothers and sisters in Christ,for protection, strength of spirit and courage. Also I pray for their neighbors, that there will be a mighty move of the Holy Spirit, bringing many into relationship with the true savior, Jesus. I pray that, although the Enemy has tried to put out the Light of Christ in this area,Jesus’ light will shine, warm, protect and draw many to Himself, that God will graciously hold in check the enemies of His People, and bind to silence and impotence the lying spirits that have deceived so many. We pray that out of the devastation of the last 20 years a powerful experience of the Light of Christ will be given, a light that will shine into neighboring countries.I pray the the Spirit of Peace will breathe into the whole population, bring an end to the useless demonstrations and bring ideas for solving their practical problems. I ask for the blessing of Joshua 1:3 – that the ground where the feet of our military “boys” has tread will be given to the LORD, that God Himself will honor our “boys” suffering and efforts there, and claim Iraq for Himself.
Amen and Amen
I say “Amen” to all the beautiful prayers above.
Father we want our brothers and sisters in Iraq to know they are not forgotten and we all join our prayers and praises with them to cause a revival and massive harvest of souls out of the darkness in JESUS NAME! Psalm 107:1 they cried unto the Lord in their trouble and He delivered them out of their distressed.
I agree.
In prayers for decades, since came in contact with a Iraqi church in Fairfield/Sydney AUS in 1986. They had [peoples from five Nations and our English from another six or seven.
WE also had two Assyrian Churches begin.
Current minister is from ME
Close friends from my home in USA began going into Kurdistan more than 20 years ago,
much intercessions and praises ….
Father I thank lift up to you our precious sisters and brothers in Iraq I pray for divine protection around them (Psalm 91) you give your Angel’s charge over them to keep them in all their ways.Father help them to see their enemies through your eyes of love because we know that love never fails. I stand with them believing for your Word (Jesus Christ) to be revealed and made known to them through our precious Christians brothers and sisters in Christ. They are a light to them and that light is greater than the darkness and will prevail. I proclaim that Jesus is Lord over Iraq! Amen!
Father God,
May those walking in darkness see and say “yes” to the great Light of the world, Yeshua, through the love and miracles which come via our courageous Christian brothers and sisters in Iraq.
In Your Son, Yeshua,
Amen.
Christ came for all nations…
What a powerful testimony of the cello player
Yes, may peace spread with a warming, welcoming fire of God’s Presence among the believers and citizens of Iraq.
Your will be done in Iraq Lord. Bless Iraqi Christians and give them strength to pursue the calling you put on their lives. Let their lights shine brightly in all of Iraq. Change hearts Lord, as only you can do. We ask all this in Jesus’ mighty, holy name.
I am reminded of a period in Jamaica (the country where I learned to pray for nations) and I rejoice at the decision of their Church leader to call for a season of Prayer and Fasting at THIS time. Prayer and fasting for Jamaica in the 1980’s reversed the trend towards communism. Let it now reverse a similar trend of the enemy in IRAQ. We lift up especially the Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church. To God be the glory for the things He is going to do.