Pray for Iraq

Often known as the “cradle of civilization,” modern Iraq occupies what was once ancient Mesopotamia. Ancient sites such as the Ziggurat of Ur, a massive temple, are thought to be 4,000 years old. The Sumerian, Assyrian, and Babylonian empires once made their home in the region, and in the early Middle Ages, Iraq became the heart of the Islamic Empire. Yet today, the world knows Iraq less for its vibrant history and more for its bloody battlefields. The people of Iraq have suffered from decades of violence while under the terrible rule of Saddam Hussein and the oppressive hand of the Islamic State that came after him. Now, after the defeat of the Islamic State in 2017, the Iraqi people are gradually moving toward peace. Those who once feared going outside, even in the middle of the day, can now walk in their towns safely at night, and families are finishing and furnishing the half-completed homes they once abandoned.

Still, Iraq has a long road to recovery. While neither a dictator nor the Islamic State controls the nation, their memory lingers in the minds of those affected by trauma and loss. About a million Iraqis still have not returned home. Though slowly declining, poverty still affects a fifth of the population. Divisions between religious and ethnic communities, especially Shiites, Sunnis, and Kurds, continue to fracture the nation. Members of minority groups can be treated as social outcasts by their neighbors, and this alienation can make it hard for them to find jobs, secure housing, and access essential services. Iranian-backed Shiite militias wield great power over communities in the South and often act harshly or violently toward those who do not share their beliefs. The government is also a place of division, as national leaders usurp power for themselves and their own communities at the rest of the nation’s expense. It has been slow to protect and provide opportunities for women, at least 20 percent of whom are illiterate and many of whom are abused.

More than 95 percent of Iraqis are Muslim, and an alarming 98 percent remain unreached by the Gospel. Christians and other religious groups have long suffered kidnappings, property destruction, rape, and murder, leaving many weary from decades of persecution. The government does not directly oppose the Church, but it strictly prohibits evangelism targeting Muslims. Muslims who do convert face severe opposition from their friends and family. Pray that Iraq’s Christians would faithfully live among healthy church communities where they can be strengthened and encouraged by the Body of Christ. In the north among the Kurdish people, God has given believers greater freedom from persecution and social opposition, and Christians are beginning to plant churches there. Iraq is also a very young nation, with roughly 60 percent of its people under 25 years old. Pray that the Spirit would move in the hearts of this large, young generation, inspiring them to spread the Gospel throughout the nation.