Pray for Displaced People In Middle East

Violence and political conflict are the overwhelming catalysts for the widespread displacement in the Middle East. Ninety-nine percent of internally displaced people in Syria, Yemen, Palestine, and Lebanon are left homeless for this reason. Many of these conflicts are fueled by extremist groups that aggressively oppress their people, such as ISIS operating across Iraq and Syria. Yemen faces constant instability due to civil war between its government and warring rebel groups, such as the Houthis.

This political instability often leads to starvation and destroyed homes, giving people yet another reason to leave. Political unrest often persists for a long time, leaving people displaced for years or even decades. Displaced people will seek asylum in a neighboring country, despite the fact that these host nations often struggle with their own share of political violence and unrest.

Before the civil war in Syria, Mahir ran a consulting company, and Mouna taught high school science at the best school in Aleppo. Life was good, and their five children were doing well. Even for the first three years of the war, they were able to remain in their home.

However, since serving in the army is compulsory, they decided to flee to avoid losing their three teenage boys to military service. They packed a few of their most valued possessions, took all the money they could, drove to the coast, and hired a local tour operator to take them across the Mediterranean to Turkey. Unlike many poorer refugees who risked death at sea, they could afford to pay the high prices for a safe boat.

After traveling along the Turkish coast, they crossed to the Greek island of Lesbos and registered with the UN at the Moria refugee camp. They arrived at a camp that was massively overcrowded, unclean, and rampant with violence. Mouna, Mahir, and their family would wait five years there, hoping to build a new home in Brazil.

God is at work in amazing ways among the displaced people in the Middle East. Unprecedented numbers of Muslims are coming to faith in Christ. In Jordan and Lebanon, foreign workers are free to work with the churches ministering to refugees.

All across Lebanon, churches and agencies are serving Syrian Muslim refugees. God is using the work of their hands to touch the hearts of these refugees, especially the Kurds from Syria. The Church is overflowing with new believers!

Likewise, churches and agencies in Jordan have been working among both Iraqi and Syrian refugees for years, and the response to the Gospel has been encouraging. In Egypt, numerous ministries and churches serve Sudanese refugees.

Some churches in Syria are boldly reaching out to needy refugees and nominal Christians. Now, Muslim-Background Believers often outnumber the original church members.