Violent protests broke out on Sunday in Pakistani cities after the Saturday assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei by the United States and Israel.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a US-Israeli strike on February 28, 2026 (Wikimedia Commons, CC by 4.0)

Nehemiah with FMI explains that after Iran, Pakistan has the world’s highest population of Shia Muslims.

“There is sadness, there is anger, and there is pain in the Shia population in Pakistan, because Khamenei was their Islamic spiritual leader,” he says. 

Thousands of demonstrators rallied across Pakistan on Sunday, with many attempting to attack US consulates or United Nations buildings. At least 22 people were killed, and more than 120 were injured in clashes with police. The unrest led the US to order the evacuation of non-emergency personnel from its consulates in Lahore and Karachi on Tuesday. 

Meanwhile, local Christians walk on the edge of a sword, says Nehemiah, and Muslim-background believers are the most vulnerable.

“There is a common understanding among Pakistani Muslims — Shias — that we need to understand: They think that every American is Christian, and they think that Pakistani Christians who are living in Pakistan have a soft corner for America and have divided loyalties,” Nehemiah explains.

“Local believers and ministry partners are navigating heightened tensions with public anger fueling large gatherings and anti-foreign sentiment.”

Fear is a natural response to such pressures, but the call to share Christ always remains. Please stand with FMI partners and all gospel workers in Pakistan by praying for their protection, for discernment in crisis, and for a sense of God’s peace. Ask God to open people’s hearts to Christ despite the anger in the nation today. An ongoing conflict with neighboring Afghanistan is also adding to the chaos. 

“If you would like to support our partners who are working in such a hostile situation, please step forward. Pray for them, support them. They would know that they have extended family who are living across the world,” says Nehemiah. 

Learn how you can support one of FMI’s frontline partners by visiting forgottenmissionaries.org. 

A pastor in Pakistan (Photo courtesy of FMI)

Header photo of Pakistan church group courtesy of FMI. 

According to Newman Ministry, some congregations are seeing as much as a 15% increase.

Charlie Kirk speaking at the University of Tennessee. (Photo courtesy of Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0)

Pews are overflowing. Churchgoers are parking on lawns and side streets. Bible sales are soaring, with over one million more sold than this time last year.

Generation Z grew up in a culture saturated by moral relativism and the idea that “your truth” is all that matters. Now, many are realizing they want real. They want authentic. They want Truth.

And people are seeking it in Jesus — the Way, the Truth, and the Life. (John 14:6)

What is Revival?

“I think it’s obvious that God is speaking,” says Stan Key, Minister-at-Large with OneWay Ministries. “It’s not obvious what He is saying. But it’s obvious that through the events of Charlie Kirk’s death, particularly, the whole country is talking about the Gospel in his memorial service. I don’t think I’ve ever heard the word Jesus named more frequently than was named there by our religious leaders and our political leaders.”

Critics were quick to question the motives of those who shared the Gospel at Kirk’s memorial service on September 21, which was attended by 100,000 people and viewed by millions more online.

Yet, as the Gospel is proclaimed, the question of motive is addressed by the Apostle Paul in Philippians 1:18: “What does it matter? Only that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is proclaimed, and in this I rejoice.”

(Photo courtesy of Jon Tyson/Unsplash)

If this is the beginning of a spiritual revival in America, Key encourages believers not to miss what the Holy Spirit is doing.

“A lot of people think revival is enthusiasm. It’s sort of like a pep rally before a big game. ‘Let’s just get everybody in the stands, turn up the music, and have an emotionally charged speech.’ That’s emotionalism. There’s a place for that. I like pep rallies in sports, and I like emotion in worship! I get goosebumps. I sometimes cry. That’s not necessarily revival.

“Revival is when the Spirit of Holiness — the Holy Spirit, the sanctifying Spirit — is manifestly present…. And what does the Holy Spirit typically do? Well, He convicts of sin. He brings people to repentance. There’s a hunger and thirst for God, not for the secondary elements, but for God. The Word of God is present, the spirit of prayer, and the spirit of brokenness.”

Historic examples of spiritual revival in the U.S. include the Asbury Revivals of 1970 and 2023. Key’s wife was a student during the 1970 revival, and Key himself attended soon after.

(Photo courtesy of set.sj/Unsplash)

He recalls, “People just said God was there. It wasn’t about a preacher, it wasn’t about music, it wasn’t about signs and wonders. It was about a palpable awareness that the Spirit of God is here.”

The Heart of Revival and Reformation

At the heart of revival, Key says, must be the true Gospel. “To be candid, I think my generation has had a very muddled understanding of the Gospel. We have tended to understand the Gospel in terms of the plan of salvation. ‘God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. He can forgive your sins, so when you die several decades from now, you can go to Heaven.’ That’s not the Gospel. That’s the plan of salvation.

“I think the first priority of the Church today is, ‘Do we have the Gospel right?’” Key emphasizes, “It’s not about helping us go to Heaven. It’s so we can have the image of God restored in our lives…. The world is under new management. Jesus is Lord. That’s the Gospel.”

(Photo courtesy of Joel Muniz/Unsplash)

In light of the Gospel, how then should we live our lives?

“If we can get the Gospel right, not only will revival come, but reformation will come,” says Key.

Reformation happens when revival takes root in daily life by engaging with God’s Word. Cambridge Dictionary defines reformation as “the act of making an improvement, especially by changing a person’s behavior or the structure of something.”

Whether America is on the brink of revival remains to be seen.

But one thing is certain: People are talking about Jesus.

Put simply, Key says, “Revival is when the life of God comes upon God’s people to bring them to life again.”

Pray for this spiritual hunger to deepen across the United States as people give their hearts and lives to King Jesus.

Header photo courtesy of Mitchell Leach/Unsplash.

Churches have noticed a surge of newcomers at weekend services. Even mainstream media has toyed with the word “revival.”

“Historically, moments of national trauma and searching have made a way for a large turning to God. Some have called them revivals, awakenings,” Ron Hutchcraft with Hutchcraft Ministries says.

“We see it individually, even, that someone’s death [can end up] bringing life to a lot of other people.”

(Photo courtesy of Turning Point USA)

Violence and a searching generation

In a generation exposed continually to violence, few find solace in religion. More than 11,000 Americans ages 11 to 26 died from gun injuries in 2023, and gun violence contributed to Gen Z mental-health concerns the following year.

Simultaneously, today’s young people are unlikely to find comfort for their fears within the walls of a church. According to a Pew study, less than half of America’s Gen Z identifies as Christian, though many young people still consider themselves “spiritual.”

However, Kirk’s death appears to be changing the tide, and opportunity follows on its heels.

Opportunity for discipleship

Don’t miss the questions about eternity that young people in your life may be asking. Hutchcraft says making yourself approachable can open the way for discipleship if you are a Christian adult.

“If we live that way, that says to a young person, ‘You matter, and I want to hear what you have to say,’” Hutchcraft says.

“[When] we speak with conviction and Holy Spirit boldness, and we seem to have something solid to offer, I think we can be hope for a young person we know.”

Consider the opportunities God may place before you to model Christ for the Next Generation. Find inspiration here.

“Let’s learn from this [moment in time] that young people are truly looking for leadership, for shepherding, and we can be that for them,” Hutchcraft says.

Header image depicts young people mourning Charlie Kirk’s passing. Photo courtesy of Hutchcraft Ministries.

He was holding not a gun, not a knife, but a microphone.

Kirk was a prominent political figure in America who consistently emphasized his faith in Christ and the biblical values that shaped his worldview and debates.

Greg Yoder, Executive Director of Keys for Kids Ministries, reflects on Kirk’s impact: “He had the uncanny ability, kind of like the Apostle Paul, of taking Scripture and proving Scripture to be absolutely true, but then infusing it into everyday culture and helping young people understand it. I think this is why he was targeted.

“He was actually convincing many of these young people that the ways of Jesus are the right ways of life.”

College students met around the country to pray for Charlie’s family and our nation. (GVSU – Photo: Joe Moss)

Kirk was known for practicing civil discourse and championing free speech on college campuses. His conservative convictions centered on faith, family, the sanctity of marriage, pro-life values, patriotism, justice, and individual freedom.

He willingly engaged with both supporters and critics, inviting students who disagreed with him to come talk at his table first.

Yet, even amidst differences of opinion, Kirk pointed young people to the Gospel. In an X post on September 6, just days before his assassination, Kirk wrote, “Jesus defeated death so you can live.”

Yoder says, “What I’m always amazed at is how he was depicted as some kind of monster and a hateful person, bigoted, etc. Clearly, they never watched any of his interactions with college students because he loved them. I mean, even those that criticized him and called him horrible names. He just smiled and said, ‘Well, you know, you have the right to say that. I love you. Jesus died for you.'”

American Christians are largely unfamiliar with physical persecution. Kirk’s assassination serves as a stark reminder that anyone who is a loud voice for biblical values may become a target for physical violence.

Yoder points to the truth of Ephesians 6:12: Our wrestle is not against flesh and blood.

“This is a time to mourn — not just for Charlie Kirk, but our culture, which is dying without Jesus,” Yoder says. “If the culture can lie and be convincing enough to tell someone they don’t know what gender they are, or that what’s evil is good and what’s good is evil, we know that this is the spiritual battle that Scripture is so clear about talking about.”

According to Barna Research, Generation Z is experiencing a spiritual revival. American churches are seeing young people coming back in droves, seeking out spiritual truth and answers to life’s questions.

At this pivotal cultural moment, young believers are asking, “How am I going to use my voice for truth for Christ?”

It looks like picking up the microphone and engaging in hard spiritual conversations — as Yoder puts it, “sharing your faith boldly and lovingly in this marketplace of ideas.”

Charlie Kirk (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

He asks, “Now the question is, who’s next? Who will join Charlie in declaring the liberating power of the Gospel, and using that to help form a political guide? We as Christians still live in this world. Are we to be influencers in the world? I think we are.”

If you want more biblical resources to encourage young people, check out the Keys for Kids devotionals and Unlocked devotions for teens.

Yoder also urges, “Obviously, we need to be praying for Charlie’s family, his wife Erika, his two kids, his friends, his close family, and those shaken by the event. There were so many young people there that saw this, and they’re not going to ever forget it.

“We need to be praying for ourselves, praying for our churches, and praying for those that are going to be responding in light of all of this that’s happened — and being reminded of the fact that God is still on the throne.”

Header photo: Charlie Kirk speaking with attendees at the 2022 AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. (Caption, photo courtesy Gage Skidmore/Flickr: https://tinyurl.com/4z9jey33)

It was initially believed that Haniyeh was killed in a targeted airstrike. However, a new report from The New York Times says a bomb was smuggled months in advance into the Tehran guesthouse where Haniyeh was often known to stay.

The assassination has sparked outrage and promises of retaliation from Iran, which has vowed revenge against Israel — although Israel has not officially claimed responsibility for the attack.

This latest development has heightened concerns about the potential for escalating regional tensions, with fears that surrounding countries could be drawn into a broader conflict.

Tehran, Iran (Photo courtesy of Khashayar Kouchpeydeh/Unsplash)

Joe Willey with SAT-7 USA explains, “In the Middle East and North Africa, there are countries the size of our states and they are bordering each other. So perhaps listeners could imagine on the East Coast where states tend to be smaller. It would be like saying, ‘Why can’t Delaware and Pennsylvania just have a conflict without spilling into other states that surround it?’ So there is the idea of just the proximity; just the size.”

Many Iranians are dissatisfied with the direction of the country and, by extension, Islam.

“Without the hope of Christ, without the Gospel, without people’s lives being transformed by forgiveness, by what Scripture teaches a Christian to do, there is truly continual strife,” says Willey.

What they need is the Gospel. SAT-7 PARS broadcasts satellite television to Persian speakers in Iran. Willey says their programming “uses biblical reasoning, biblical principles, and Scripture to provide answers to what we will call these existential questions.”

Pray for Iranians to seek Jesus. Amidst growing conflict and uncertainty, ask God to use SAT-7’s broadcasts to connect with people in Iran who need biblical hope.

“Ultimately, SAT-7 says it’s not just about now,” Willey explains. “It’s about eternity.”

Header photo of Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, 2022. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons: http://council.gov.ru/events/multimedia/photo/202324/)

Trump was shot in the ear in the attack. Additionally, two rally attendees were seriously injured, and one was killed. The person who died was Corey Comperatore, a volunteer firefighter who was shot while shielding his family.

Donald Trump ushered off the stage by US Secret Service after taking a bullet through the ear. (Photo courtesy of Evan Vucci – Original publication: https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-photos-secret-service-rushing-blood-ear-2024-7Immediate source: https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-photos-secret-service-rushing-blood-ear-2024-7, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77350262)

For American citizens, the incident was a shocking event. However, for military service members, law enforcement officers, and veterans, the attack had a unique and profound impact.

Steve Prince with Warriors Set Free, a division of Set Free Ministries, recalls, “I got a notification on my phone, and I was in a grocery store and I was highly upset…. At that point, we didn’t know if he was dead or hit or not. It was an odd moment for me because people that hadn’t heard were in this ‘everything’s normal’ state.

“I know that assassinations have started World Wars. So I immediately go into a combat mindset of, okay, what could happen next? If this is a coordinated attack, are there other people attacking other places in a 9/11 scenario? It instantly brought me back to a tactical mindset of evaluate your environment, look around, make good decisions, and expect the worst and prepare for that.”

Available evidence points to this being a lone-wolf attack. But more information continues to emerge about the leadership and security lapses that allowed the attack to occur.

“We’re all trained to think like the enemy,” says Prince, a veteran himself. “If we were to get an attack, where would we set up? You put your mindset in the enemy’s head of like, ‘If I knew what I knew about us, where would I set up?’ Then you go and you take out that opportunity.”

Prince says through the ministry of Warriors Set Free, he often talks with veterans and law enforcement who struggle in the aftermath of events that end in tragedy or near-tragedy — due to either personal error, red tape from leadership, or other circumstances outside of their control.

The weight of guilt, trauma, and grief can sometimes be too much to bear. Warriors Set Free steps in and bears up these veterans, law enforcement, and military personnel with the unwavering support of biblical truth while helping them create a support system.

(Photo courtesy of Martin Jernberg/Unsplash)

Prince says, “I’ve been in houses with intoxicated veterans with firearms on the table, and we’re having the conversation. In that moment, I get to be a part of that person’s personal protection team. I’m there to protect them from themselves and God shows up and the Holy Spirit has given me words to say in an effort to be that guy who lays my body in the way in an effort to save a brother”

Amidst conversations surrounding the shooting of President Trump, Prince says it emphasizes the critical need to pray for our law enforcement and military personnel who put their lives on the line to confront evil.

“It’s our responsibility and their responsibility to fight that evil nose-to-nose…. When most people run from the gunfire, first responders and military run towards it,” says Prince.

“When we pray for law enforcement and you think about the worst places that the worst times, that’s where they have to be. Pray for divine protection, pray for divine decision-making, [and] pray for them to be alert.”

Please also pray specifically for Comperatore’s family as they grieve his loss. Ask God to surround and comfort them.

Connect with Warriors Set Free here.

Header photo courtesy of Israel Palacio/Unsplash.

Donald Trump ushered off the stage by US Secret Service after taking a bullet through the ear. (Photo courtesy of Evan Vucci – Fair use, Wikimedia Commons: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77350262)

Greg Yoder, executive director of Keys for Kids Ministries says, “My wife and I were actually watching it on TV when it happened, and we were struck by it. Obviously, when you see something like that happen, it took me all the way back to Ronald Reagan when I was in high school hearing about his assassination attempt.”

Many are saying the attempt on Trump’s life is evidence of how vicious the rhetoric against political leaders has become.

“We’re in a place in the United States where that that anger and frustration between both sides of the aisle has taken just a fevered pitch,” says Yoder.

There are still many questions that need answers. But now is a critical moment in US history, and American Christians have a choice to make that will strike a chord across the country.

Will our actions represent Christ in this time of fear, anger, and division?

“When we see what happened with President Trump and you see what’s even happening right now at the convention, there is a cry for unity — not a cry to go after the Democrats, but a cry for unity because this political situation has gotten so high-pitched and has become so dangerous really.”

Yoder says, “This is a situation that now everybody’s trying to kind of ratchet it down. I think this is a good thing. This is a good time for us to be able to share what Jesus says about having no fear.”

Remember that true peace comes from Jesus Christ today. No political leader can provide Heaven on Earth. And no political leader can steal your eternal hope.

(Photo courtesy of Priscilla du Preez/Unsplash)

From there, we are called to spread the hope of Christ to others in love and truth. That means engaging people we may sharply disagree with.

“The most unloving thing that we can do is not tell them about the Gospel or tell them about why we need a Savior. So as followers of Jesus Christ, you have to earn the right to be able to share that,” says Yoder.

“We were just talking about it in devotions today. When was the last time that we prayed that God would put someone in our lives that we can share the Gospel with?

“I think that’s the important thing that I’d like to share here. If we’re not focusing on sharing the Gospel with people around us, whether it be our neighbors or family or whoever — and doing it out of love — we’re never going to have an opportunity.”

Keys for Kids has Gospel resources for your family to seek Christ in this tense time. Visit Keys for Kids website!

(Image courtesy of Keys for Kids Ministries)

For relevant encouragement, Keys for Kids offers a seven-day devotional called Conquering Fear that you can do with your children.

Then, pray for America. Ask God to protect political leaders and give them godly wisdom. Pray for unity in the American Church that rises above political lines and allows for Christ-centered conversations.

Ask God to use Christians in the US to be His light in a lost and broken world.

Header photo courtesy of Levi Meir Clancy/Unsplash.

Japan remains in a state of national mourning. Abe was the longest-serving leader of modern Japan. “The entire country’s in shock, still,” Takeshi Takazawa of Asian Access says.

Abe was giving a political speech on Friday when a man shot him in the back with a homemade gun. Police immediately apprehended the killer, a 41-year-old former member of Japan’s Self Defense Force.

“We don’t call it military; even though [soldiers have guns], those are for defending our country,” Takazawa explains.

Japan strictly regulates firearms, and political violence is extremely rare. “We do not think killing is the answer; that’s part of our Constitution as a nation,” Takazawa says.

“Nobody wishes even political rivalries to be killed; lives shouldn’t be taken just because you don’t agree with them.”

Pray for Asian Access staff in Japan as they mourn alongside their fellow citizens. Pray believers find an opportunity to share the hope only Christ can offer.

Then-Prime Minister Shinzō Abe arriving in the United States together with his wife Akie Abe on November 17, 2016.
(Wikimedia Commons)

Several years ago, “Mr. Abe’s wife, Akie, visited our missionary, Sue Takamoto, and they became good friends,” Takazawa says.

“We will pray for Sue Takamoto to be able to comfort Mrs. Akie Abe [during] this critical moment.”

Ask the Lord to guide Japan’s newly-elected government leaders. “We’re encouraged to pray for our leaders. We pray for all those people who will be receiving the seat in Congress so that they may fear God,” Takazawa says.

A pastor connected to Asian Access decided to campaign in this year’s election. “We were praying that God [would allow] him to have a voice in the national political scene as a Christian. At this point, we have no one,” Takazawa says.

“In the past, we had one pastor who [became] a national Congress member, but now we do not have anybody as a pastor serving there.

Header image depicts former Prime Minister Shinzō Abe bowing during a 2020 press conference announcing his resignation. (Wikimedia Commons)

Haiti lost its president in an assassination last year, creating a power vacuum.

Roseline DeHart of For Haiti with Love says, “The gang violence is causing everybody to disperse. People are leaving the South to come up to the North. Cap Haitien is filling up with people. There were rumors of the gangs coming up to Cap Haitien. But the police went in and cleaned them out.”

Crisis

Despite the lack of gang violence, DeHart says many people in Cap Haitien are desperately hungry. “The harder it gets in America, it’s even harder in Haiti. Because nobody is going down and nobody is sending anything. Donations are down. Food is getting very expensive. A lot of people go hungry.”

“For Haiti with Love has food packets that we distribute, but we can’t help everybody.”

Plus, Cap Haitien has a fuel shortage. People tend to stock it up in their homes whenever they get a chance to buy it. Sometimes it causes fires, leading to more people visiting the For Haiti with Love burn clinic.

Ministry

For Haiti with Love also provides houses for single mothers and their children. Dehart says they helped one mother with five kids who were living in a shack with a leaky roof. “She asked us why. We said God sent us to her. And she wanted to know more about God. So we told her, and she became a Christian.”

Pray many Haitians would see Jesus in this ministry. Pray also that the gang violence in Haiti would stop. You can support For Haiti with Love’s work on their website.

The header photo shows an aerial view of Port-au-Prince. (Photo courtesy of NASA Astronauts, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Greg Yoder with Christian World Outreach says, “The political situation in Haiti has always been volatile. Having gone there for the first time in 1978, and being back and forth ever since, I have seen a lot of changes. I’ve seen good times and bad times. Nothing takes me by surprise anymore.”

History of unrest

In 1986, Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier fled the country after 29 years in power. Ever since then, a parade of different leaders has struggled for control over the country and support from the United States.

The unrest continues today as gang violence has become rampant. “At our feminine training center, the ladies can’t travel in town, in Port-au-Prince, to get to the classes,” Yoder says. “But even during COVID-19, we found some ways for ladies to still have class, whether that’s through WhatsApp or some other means of seeing videos.”

CWO ministry

CWO trains women so they can work different jobs and provide for themselves. Yoder says the school is officially recognized by the Haitian government.

The ministry also supports eight churches, scattered across the country. Yoder says the unrest gets especially bad near Port-au-Prince, but some of their churches in the mountains don’t see much of it.

In addition, Yoder says, “We do have a health center in Léogâne where we’re working with expectant mothers and mothers with newborns. We just give them some assistance as they get started with having a newborn in their family.”

Ask God to sustain this ministry during uncertain times in Haiti.

The header photo shows Prime Minister Ariel Henry. (Photo courtesy of Voice of America, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)