“We’re back in that doldrum where you have places that are supposed to have thousands of visitors daily – amazing places like Petra and Wadi Rum – which have very few tourists coming; and so that is having a deep effect on a massive swath of the population of Jordan,” Samuel says. 

The dearth hits acutely for more than 300,000 Jordanians whose livelihood is directly tied to tourism, the traffic of which is facilitated primarily by budget airlines. 

“As soon as action happens in our part of the world, those budget airlines shut off and don’t travel,” Samuel points out. “So a part of it is also just trying to communicate that the region is safe again.”

Until the situation cools, a diminished tourism sector will have ripple effects throughout society. In the church’s case, believers will have to grapple with fewer formal outreach opportunities. 

Still, there is a hopeful side of war and its consequences.

“It creates opportunity for more spiritual dependency, and an opportunity in the moment to engage families that are suffering and struggling that maybe weren’t before,” Samuel says. 

In addition to encouraging tourism to Jordan, Samuel calls for people to be the hands and feet of Jesus through partnerships with organizations like Impact Middle East, CRU, and many others serving in the area. 

“One of the deep prayers that I have for Jordan is that the church would be a light in the midst of this dark time, and that they would have wisdom, resources, and courage to show up for their greater community.” 

Wadi Rum, or Valley of the Moon. Courtesy of Lior Dahan. Featured photo courtesy of Ahmad Qaisieh.

The U.S. decision follows similar designations by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain. The Kingdom of Jordan banned the Muslim Brotherhood in mid-2025.

The Trump administration says the Muslim Brotherhood’s support for Hamas played a leading role in the designation.

“Their (Muslim Brotherhood’s) push has historically been, ‘If we were just good Muslims and follow the way correctly, then God would bless us by giving back the land of Palestine,’” Samuel with Redemptive Stories says, explaining the connection.

“As long as there continues to be fighting and frustration between Israeli settlers and Palestinians, then there will continue to be a push for the [Muslim] Brotherhood or people like them.”

Ministry impact

While the Muslim Brotherhood’s new label won’t significantly affect everyday life in the Middle East, Samuel says, “The importance is to remember that political decisions in every part of the world have consequences on ministry.”

He adds, “The ongoing conflict in Israel and Palestine has ripple effects that hit every part of the lives of Arabs and Muslims across the region” – meaning that the people believers minister to are greatly affected by events in Gaza and the West Bank.

Representative AI photo of Palestinian Christian created by ChatGPT.

Samuel urges Christians in the West to follow the news through a Kingdom lens, focusing on more than just political outcomes.

“Unblinding support for Israel has implications on the Gospel in our part of the world,” he says.

“Every story has two sides. We need to consider how decisions made on one side can affect believers in Palestine and around our region.”

How to help

As you learn about current events and how they affect both Israeli and Palestinian Christians, let that knowledge inform your intercession.

“Pray for our brothers and sisters who are there, standing strong in the midst of ongoing strife, to communicate hope with their neighbors,” Samuel says.

Pray for peace in the Middle East, so that political decisions won’t distract people from the Gospel.

“We should long for peace that would create space for people to begin to dream about a future with the Lord, and create opportunities for the Gospel to go forth,” Samuel says.

“People are often continuously distracted by the political affairs, which don’t give them space to imagine a relationship with God and what that might be for them.”

Header image depicts the Muslim Brotherhood flag. (Wikimedia Commons/public domain)

It is a long-awaited step toward a broader peace deal to the two-year war. But Nuna with Triumphant Mercy Lebanon says candidly, “This peace treaty that is in the Middle East, I’m not so sure it’s going to stand. I think it’s a false peace, but at least it will give us a bit of a relief for a time.”

Significant questions remain about Gaza’s government, Hamas’s disarmament, and Israel’s military presence in Gaza.

In a beautiful “coincidence” only God could have arranged, believers from Lebanon and around the world have gathered today to pray for the Middle East. Months ago, the Beirut House of Prayer planned a 50-hour international assembly for October 9-11.

“We will be praying day and night, with people rotating and praying and worshiping and just asking the will of God for not only this nation, but also the whole Middle East,” says Nuna.

“It’s [a] strategic time for Syria, for Turkey, for Jordan, for Lebanon, for the Palestinians, for Egypt, for all these areas here. We’re coming and pouring our hearts before God, asking for His will and for the knowledge of His glory to be released in these nations.”

Nuna says these Muslim, Jewish, and nominal Christian countries are not seeing the glory of God. Instead, they are seeing “religious politics,” factions, closed borders, people separated, and changes in power such as the fall of the Assad regime in Syria or the decrease of Hezbollah’s power in Lebanon.

(Image courtesy of Triumphant Mercy Lebanon)

“We’re asking God to [open] people’s eyes to see His glory, because it’s a really difficult time,” says Nuna. “So many people are depressed, skeptical, in disbelief, and in hopelessness. So many people are feeling like ‘[It is] better for us to leave.’ So it is strategic to pray at this time.”

Join in praying for eternal things. Learn more about prayer movements in the Middle East and how you can be part of gatherings like the Beirut House of Prayer. Connect with Triumphant Mercy Lebanon, or visit the Beirut House of Prayer on Instagram or YouTube.

“Jesus is coming back, and He’s coming back here. This region is so dear to His heart —whether it is Israel or Lebanon or the whole area, it is dear to His heart,” says Nuna. “If you want to be part of this, and you want to have more news about the Middle East and more direct contact with houses of prayer, contact us.” 

Header photo of Beirut House of Prayer gathering October 9-11, 2025 courtesy of Triumphant Mercy Lebanon.

“The Muslim Brotherhood, for a long, long time, [has] been a recognized [political] party in Jordan,” says Samuel* with Redemptive Stories.

Emblem of the Muslim Brotherhood
(Wikimedia Commons)

After Jordan’s 2024 elections, nearly one fourth of the nation’s parliamentary seats went to the Islamic Action Front, political party linked to the Muslim Brotherhood. Samuel believes this shift toward Islamic leadership comes from Jordanians’ frustration over the war in Gaza.

But things changed in April when security forces sniffed out a Muslim Brotherhood cell that had been building short-range rockets for unstated purposes. The group denied ties to the alleged plot, but the government still banned it and stripped all its assets. It is basically eliminated as a legitimate organization in Jordan, says Samuel.

“It’s been a long time coming that the king and others have wanted to get rid of the Muslim Brotherhood here in Jordan, and then this recent planning of the terrorist activity on its own soil has given them the impetus to be able to do that. They view them as an extremist organization, which they are.” 

Even though the Muslim Brotherhood is no longer a legitimate political entity, Samuel doesn’t expect there will be significant changes in what gospel ministry looks like in Jordan. “There’s one less player on the table to fight against the work of the gospel in the region, but many of those people that still had leanings that direction are still here,” he says. 

With that in mind, please pray for God’s mercy on those aligned with radical Islam. (Learn how to pray specifically for the Muslim Brotherhood here.)

“[Pray] that people will be put in their path to be able to share with them what the true picture of the Kingdom of God looks like, and ultimately that this would create more space for boldness, bold sharing, and bold testimony for the gospel in our region,” Samuel says. 

*Name changed for security

Header photo of boy walking on street in Jordan. (Photo courtesy of Craig Boudreaux/Unsplash)

“The position of our region has always been that Palestinians deserve the right to stay in their land, and that to simply move them out because of their security issue or any reason really – even by international law – has been determined to be an inappropriate action,” he says. 

Trump’s recent rhetoric has changed the region’s geo-political game. Regarding Trump’s head-to-head with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Samuel says we need to pray for divine intervention that would lead to a palatable solution for Jordan’s king. Trump has threatened to cease aid to Jordan and Egypt if the leaders of those countries do not agree to take in Palestinians. In deciding whether to comply with this request, King Abdullah II must weigh the interests of his countrymen against his relationship with the US. 

“His tenure as king of this land would be in deep jeopardy if he were to say yes and accept them because his country is populated by 70 percent Palestinians,” Samuel says. 

Most Palestinians in Jordan are not in favor of more refugees joining them there. This is not because they are upset to see more people from their homeland, Samuel says. Rather, they see the move to accept refugees as a cave to pressure.

“It is an acquiescence to a forcible denial of their right to their own land, which has already been denied to them for 75 plus years,” he says.

Image courtesy of hosny salah via Pixabay.

The UN Refugee Agency describes Jordan as “one of the world’s largest refugee-hosting countries per capita.” It hosts approximately 2 million Palestinian refugees, defined as people “whose normal place of residence was Palestine” between June 1, 1946 and May 15, 1948, and “who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict.” Because this distinction is extended to descendants, the total population of nearly 6 million Palestinian refugees represents a broad demographic with varying histories and levels of current need. The unique background and challenges of Palestinian refugees can muddy the waters of dialogue and decision surrounding them. From a ministry standpoint, Samuel is clear: 

“We are ready to care for more refugees always. It is part of the DNA of this country. That being said, this is a situation that feels very different than other ones that we’ve dealt with in the past.” 

He says many organizations are praying about and preparing to help on the ground in Gaza. 

“There are various conferences coming up that were planned in order to come together to discuss what organizations can do by going in and helping rebuild and restore everything that has been broken because of the war,” Samuel says. 

Whether imminent decisions are an outgrowth of political power plays or sincere regional investment, Samuel sees God’s sovereignty as a firm standing ground for believers. Still, he hopes the Gazans will retain their current position. 

“It to me would be a missed opportunity for the Gospel if ultimately [the Palestinians] are forcibly removed again. And it would create different opportunities for the Gospel because God is always working. But ideally for our region, and for the stability of our region, there would be some solution that would allow the Gazans to stay in Gaza.”

Featured image courtesy of hosnysalah via Pixabay.

While the Assad regime marred relations between Jordan and Syria, its fall has produced a mutual desire in the nations’ leadership for collaboration on topics ranging from border security to energy supply. According to the Middle East Eye, “For Damascus, Amman can assist in lobbying for the lifting of sanctions, which would help revive the economy. On the other hand, Jordan sees Syria’s reconstruction as a potential economic opportunity, generating investment, trade, jobs, and boosting its export and logistics sectors.” 

Samuel from Redemptive Stories says jubilance in Jordan is tempered by uncertainty. 

“Often times, when we talk about a new normal, we’re not really sure what that new normal is going to look like.” 

The same is true for many Christians living in Syria. Among that group, there is widespread concern over the new administration’s history of ties to ISIS and Al Qaeda. Many fear persecution and discrimination at the hands of leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa. Samuel says contrasting this reality is evidence that the administration might be more tolerant than originally expected.

 In December, a Christmas tree in Syria was burned – allegedly by Uzbek fighters. 

“The Syrian leaders of the new government came and apologized, paid to rebuild the space, paid to fix everything, and said, ‘We are going to stand for Christians and for Christians within our country,’” Samuel says. 

But with the leaders’ mixed histories, doubt remains.

Courtesy of freeusandworldmaps.com

“How long will they hold that line?” Samuel asks. “When the country is back on its own two feet, will they then take another turn?” 

Regardless of direction, Samuel says he and his ministry partners will take spiritual opportunities at every bend in the road. Redemptive Stories is currently focused on working with youth: training, developing and empowering them, Samuel says. 

Fostering reconciliation is another ministry goal. 

During Assad’s rule, people feared to communicate freely, he explains. 

“Now that they’re open and able to articulate and communicate what took place in the past, it has allowed for some more healing.”

He hopes reconciliation programs will be a springboard for true forgiveness. 

“When we talk about emotional health, it creates opportunities to then really talk about the ultimate spiritual health of salvation,” he says. 

Please pray for the ministry of Redemptive Stories: that young people especially would respond to the Gospel message being shared. 

Pray too for both Syria and Jordan. Pray that there would be true reconciliation among groups that have been at war, and that Christians would not passively wait for reconciliation but, in the words of Samuel, “would be peacemakers: agents of change and reconciliation within their community.”

Featured photo: Aleppo, Syria. Courtesy of DianneKet78 via Pixabay

It’s the latest demonstration of the hot-and-cold relationship between Israel and Jordan.

The two nations have had a formal peace treaty since 1994. At times, they coordinate on security issues, and Jordan even depends on Israel for natural resources.

Boy walking on street in Jordan.
(Photo courtesy of Craig Boudreaux/Unsplash)

Samuel with Redemptive Stories explains, “A large portion of our drinking water in Jordan comes from Israel — so from desalination plants that are in the Mediterranean that pump water over to us for us to survive.”

Yet the Jordan-Israel relationship is also strained. The Jordanian government has often criticized Israel in the wars with Hamas and Hezbollah.

Additionally, Jordan has a large Palestinian refugee population. And with many Arab countries normalizing relations with Israel, “The Palestinians, in particular, as well as some other countries…wanted that to not occur, particularly Iran, in order to continue to keep the undertones of hatred towards Israel. But more and more Arab countries historically than ever before to this point are wanting to normalize relationships with Israel in order to bring about peace.”

Despite complex political relations, Samuel says the Lord is at work through the local Church in Jordan.

“Even in the midst of all this mess, God is again bringing Muslims in contact with Christians in a way that creates opportunities for them to care and love their neighbor.”

Samuel encourages, “Be praying that God would bring healing through this and healing in individual’s lives, but ultimately healing on a grander scale where the Prince of Peace would reign.”

Header photo courtesy of Yazan Obeidat/Unsplash.

The Hashemite Kingdom has sent more than 2,100 aid trucks to date, and Jordan’s King Abdullah advocates frequently on the global stage for Gaza’s Palestinian people.

In Jordan, “People carry this ongoing heaviness of the war because many still have ties back into Palestine; 70 percent of them, as a matter of fact,” says Samuel* with Redemptive Stories.

“Everything that happens in Gaza, and even the West Bank, has direct emotional, spiritual, and familial effects.”

Daily headlines keep the Gaza war front and center for most Jordanians, heightening unrest and anxiety. “It’s not just a matter of economics or the unsettledness, but even like simple things where we haven’t been able to celebrate anything since October 7,” Samuel says.

“Often at weddings or even graduation ceremonies, we love to shoot off fireworks, but we have not had any fireworks or celebration except for the Jordanian Independence Day. It’s a loss to the community in the sense of an ability to celebrate the moments of life.”

The war is also affecting Gospel work. “There’s been even more closure to the Gospel because of what’s taking place in Gaza,” Samuel notes.

“Evangelical Christianity is often associated with the United States, and political decisions made by the United States affect people’s realities.”

Ask the Lord to empower and strengthen Gospel workers in Jordan. “Encouragement is number one. Number two would be continued boldness,” Samuel says. “Pray for wisdom and boldness in sharing and speaking truth into the situation.”

*Pseudonym

Header image depicts a worker loading humanitarian aid onto a truck in Jordan. (Wikimedia Commons)

The United Nations is cutting monthly cash aid to refugees in Jordan due to an “unprecedented funding crisis.” At the same time, Lebanon is moving forward with its plan to force all Syrian refugees back across the border.

“Busses are picking up the refugees, taking them to the border, and pushing them into Syria,” Heart for Lebanon’s Tom Atema says.

“What you don’t hear is about 98 percent of them are back in Lebanon within 24 to 48 hours because the regime doesn’t want them [and] there’s nothing to go home to.”

The ministry offers holistic help to refugees in the name of Jesus. More about that here.

“We don’t differentiate between refugees and the local population. Hungry people are individuals created in God’s own liking (image), not after any political leader in Syria or a political leader in Lebanon.”
(Photo courtesy of Heart for Lebanon)

“We have several different ways to help them. We have the family care package filled with the essentials for survival; children have access to education for free,” Heart for Lebanon’s Elio Constantine says.

“Most importantly, they can enroll in our Bible study programs to hear the [Gospel] message [and] engage with others that have accepted Jesus as their personal Savior.”

Heart for Lebanon helps 2,500 Syrian refugee families. None of them have been forcibly deported, but the refugees’ friends have. Pray that desperation leads to Gospel opportunities.

“While they were on the bus going into Syria, their tents, or wherever they were living, were bulldozed down, cleaned up, pushed away, and now they have nothing to return to,” Atema says.

“The despair starts all over again. It’s like the third or fourth round for some poor people.”

Header and story images courtesy of Heart for Lebanon.

Many host communities in the MENA view refugees as a “blight” or the scourge of broader society. In Lebanon, for example, the blame for government corruption and mismanagement often falls on Syrian refugees.

An emerging trend turns this concept on its head. Instead of being a societal detriment, many refugees want to give back.

“[It is] very interesting to see (Christian) leaders from Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan, Syria, [and] Lebanon looking at volunteer management,” Fadi Sharaiha with MENA Leadership Center says.

“They’re [saying], ‘We have refugees who want to be volunteers. How can we do this (train them)?’”

Refugee volunteers seem like a simple solution to meet increasing demand. “Because of the economic crisis [in the MENA], Christian ministries want to do more,” Sharaiha says.

“Whether it’s a food bank or outreach, they want to do more. They want to help people in the streets.”

Distributing aid to refugees.
(Photo courtesy VOM USA)

There’s only one problem. “It’s very tricky [working] with refugees regarding volunteering. You need not to build [refugee] expectations [of paid employment] but also be realistic” about the needs of your organization, Sharaiha says.

Gospel workers turned to MENA Leadership Center for help. “The MENA Leadership Center is a one-stop shop for capacity-building, training, and coaching for Christian leaders in the Middle East and North Africa,” Sharaiha says.

Earlier this month, nearly 40 leaders representing 18 Christian ministries attended a refugee management course orchestrated by MLC. Pray the course will help believers organize and orchestrate refugee volunteer management programs throughout the MENA.

MLC needs help from believers like you to keep enrollment costs low for Christian leaders. More about that here.

Header image depicts a sticker on a street lamp in Sebnitz, Germany on March 22, 2022. (Wikimedia Commons)