A mother washes her child in a makeshift settlement in Idlib, Syria.
(Photo courtesy of Ahmed Akacha/Pexels)

Hostility towards refugees grows in host countries like Lebanon as economic conditions deteriorate. Mass cholera outbreaks in refugee camps apply even more pressure.

“It’s a different case in Jordan for a few reasons,” MENA Leadership Center’s Fadi Sharaiha says.

“One, Jordanians are used to refugees. The second thing is that in Lebanon, they have them in refugee camps, while in Jordan, you can be in a refugee camp or integrate into the culture and the community.”

Last year, Jordan gave the highest amount of work permits to Syrian refugees since 2016. Worsening conditions in Syria provide little incentive for refugees to return voluntarily.

Instead of forcing Syrian refugees back into Syria, Jordan makes the process optional. “That’s why you have only a few thousand going back,” Sharaiha says.

“I don’t think most of them (Syrian refugees) are planning to go back. I’ve seen them putting down roots in Jordan.”

Opportunities to succeed exist in Jordan, but it’s not always easy for refugees to find them. That’s where MENA Leadership Center comes in.

MLC helps local churches connect with refugees and support them in their journey. Believers introduce the hope of Christ along the way.

You can help by sponsoring the training for a local church leader.

This ministry is not limited to Syrian refugees. “Around 30 percent of the people who live in Jordan are refugees. They’re coming from Syrian origin, Iraqis, some Yemenis, and some Sudanese, and they have now become a part of the economy,” Sharaiha says.

“It’s funny, but I sometimes miss the Jordanian accent whenever I go to Jordan. What you hear is a Syrian, Iraqi, and Lebanese accent, but you rarely hear the Jordanian accent.”

Header image is a stock photo courtesy of Yazan obeidat/Unsplash.

Associated Press reports that between 70 and 100 young men have disappeared from Tripoli, with a notable uptick tracing back to August. Five Lebanese were among the Islamic State militants killed by Iraq’s military in late January.

“One of the big factors with the crisis in Lebanon is a lot of people not feeling like they belong in this country anymore,” David* from the prayer ministry Cry Out Now says.

“It seems crazy that they would go to something like a terrorist organization, but I guess there’s a sense of belonging.”

Lebanon’s corrupt leaders and economic failure are the roots of instability and dissatisfaction. The GDP fell by $33 billion between 2018 and 2021. Today, poverty affects roughly 75-percent of the total population.

“Lebanon has been extremely divided for a very long time. [It has] always been very diverse; lots of different religious groups [with] different Christian sects and different Islamic sects,” David says, describing Lebanon’s complicated power-sharing structure.

“Their country works whenever the economy works. But whenever the economy does not work, everything falls apart.”

(Photo courtesy Uncharted Ministries)

Restoring the economy and getting money back into people’s hands won’t fix everything. Only Jesus can do that.

“Particularly Westerners, we sometimes feel that the answer to deal with poverty is to throw money at it,” David says.

“People can help organizations do aid relief or development work; okay, that’s one route. However, when it comes down to it, poverty is a spiritual battle.”

Some people escape poverty’s despair by joining terrorist groups. Others compromise their values when they see no other choice.

“Families are marrying off their teenage daughters because they can’t afford to look after them. These things happen because of poverty. It’s a spiritual battle, so we need to pray,” David says.

Use the prompts listed alongside this article to guide your intercession. Or, become a Cry Out prayer partner here. “Pray that God would help us as we disciple these people; that we can help them find hope in Jesus,” David requests.

“People are getting desperate. They aren’t finding the answers in their existing systems and structures. They’re desperate, and they’re searching.”

*Pseudonym

Header image is a 2015 photo depicting Islamic State fighters. (Wikipedia)

Cry Out Now Ministries serves to build God’s Kingdom in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq. Due to lockdowns, curfews, and contact restrictions, it was no longer possible to continue street evangelism or door-to-door Scripture distributions.

Peter* with Cry Out says they had to get creative with Gospel outreach. So they started sharing Jesus online.

(Photo courtesy of Aaron Burden via Unsplash)

“Today with social media, there can be campaigns with thousands of people being connected with a message that goes out that people can click on if there’s a spiritual interest and even start to do a Bible study online…. We hear of people coming to faith just through responding to a message that they get on Facebook or a Facebook ad or some message that goes out through WhatsApp.”

For example, a Muslim man in Jordan was disillusioned with Islam. But he didn’t know where else to turn. Then Cry Out contacted this man on social media and he was intrigued enough to reply.

Peter says, “This guy has gone all the way through from just debating and looking at comparing the Quran with the Scriptures…to the point where he recognizes he doesn’t want to talk about the Quran anymore because he really believes that he’s found the truth.”

This Jordanian man has not yet taken the next step to begin a relationship with Jesus Christ. Please pray for him and others in the Near East to embrace joy in the Gospel.

If you want to learn more about Cry Out, click here!

“God’s promises are still valid,” Peter says. “God is not on hold. That’s one of the lessons that we sense. He’s not on hold. He hasn’t said, ‘Okay, we can relax a bit on the commitment to disciple nations and to see people come to know Him.’ God is still working.”

*Name changed for security purposes.

Hungry for Hope

Jane of Cry Out Now explains that ministries in these countries have been working hard to reach people even in a time when in-person conversations aren’t always possible.

It’s beautiful to see how God is orchestrating the things that are happening,” she says. “Some of the stories that I’ve been hearing over the last couple of weeks are [about] online outreaches. Different groups [are] getting involved in Facebook campaigns, Instagram campaigns, and Twitter to really see if there are people interested in knowing more about Jesus, His life, and what He’s done for us.”

Photo courtesy of dole777 via Unsplash

“It’s been beautiful to hear so many positive reports [about] people responding.”

These online campaigns have also opened up the opportunity for collaboration among the Church in these countries.

“I’ve had people from different organizations contacting me saying, ‘We’re having people respond in a different area from where our team is. Are there workers in that area that could follow up with these people who are interested in having face-to-face meetings?’ or ‘We have people in this area who want Bibles. Do you know if somebody in that area that would be able to give Bibles to them?’” Jane says.

Jane also believes that this trying year has pushed many to become more receptive to Jesus.

“It’s been really exciting to see how there’s an openness that there hasn’t been before. We often talk about when the world is shaking, and when people are shaken in their normal ways of life, then their hearts start to break open to actually long for God.”

Prayer for Lebanon

Jane asks for prayer for these people seeking God and hungering for hope and peace through a relationship with Him. She also requests prayer for the people in Lebanon specifically.

Photo courtesy of Hasan Almasi via Unsplash

Lebanon has faced great struggles. From the pandemic to the economic fallout to the explosion at the Port of Beirut, the country and city of Beirut have endured a year full of hardships. Amidst all the suffering, many native Lebanese people are still not open to the Gospel.

“I was speaking to somebody that lives in a part of Lebanon that’s harder to reach. She was saying that their Facebook campaign is having a lot of fruits, but it’s all among the Syrian refugees living in that area. It’s not actually among the local Lebanese,” Jane explains.

“Even though the Lebanese have been shaken with everything happening from COVID, to the economy, to the political situation, they’re still not the ones that are actually responding to the Facebook campaigns. I would ask people to continue to pray for hearts to really be open, and I would especially encourage people to pray for the harder to reach areas.”

Visit Cry Out Now’s website to learn more about how you can be praying for Lebanon and other countries in the Near East.

Header image courtesy of Marten Bjork via Unsplash

Along with helping its Near East neighbor, Iraq is learning from Lebanon’s tragedy. Samuel* with Redemptive Stories says officials recently cleared Iraqi ports of all hazardous material.

“The government mandated the Port Authority in Iraq; they only had 72 hours to deal with the task,” Samuel says.

Representative stock photo.
(Photo by Hamed Foroutan on Unsplash)

Iraqi officials cleared the ports, he adds, “Mainly because [they feared] that, with one activity of Iran, an explosion [could] occur in their country as well.”

Iran’s growing power and presence cast an ominous shadow across the region.

“Iran has a huge influence in Iraq; they have military bases that they’ve developed as the U.S. pulled out more and more. That influence also plays into militias that are controlling certain geographic locations throughout Iraq. [This] has Christians very fearful,” Samuel explains.

In this ICC report, Iraqi believers voice their unease. According to Samuel, it’s connected to a broader trend.

“There are continuous strife and stress between the major three factions in the Middle East: Christians, Sunni Muslims, and the Shia Muslims,” he explains.

“You see this playing out in Yemen, where there’s an ongoing war between Saudi Arabia (Sunni) and Iran (Shia) through the auspices of the Yemeni population. [It is] happening in Syria. You see these little proxy wars taking place in Iraq as well.”

Iranian control looks a little different in Lebanon. “Not so much a war as just political strife and influence,” Samuel says.

“Iran has a huge influence in Lebanese politics, Lebanese dynamics, because of the relationship that they have with Hezbollah.”

On the ground in Iraq, believers helped by Redemptive Stories face increasing pressure from Iranian-backed militants. “Even now, as the Shias have taken control of many different areas and locales, they’re actively persecuting Christians,” Samuel says.

Ask the Lord to strengthen His Church in Iraq. Find more prayer needs here.

“Pray that the Church would stand strong. We know that God works through prayer, and He is faithful to do that.”

*– Name changed for security purposes.

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy @mhrezaa via Unsplash.

“What I’m hearing from people on the ground is frustration and disappointment with the situation in the country,” Jane* from the prayer ministry Cry Out says.

“The instability that has always been part of Iraq is continuing, and, although there are glimpses of hope, there’s still the underlying concern [and] stress.”

Large-scale anti-government protests began last October and quickly escalated. See a full timeline here. Tired of government corruption and neglect, demonstrators demanded change. As described here, three different Prime Ministers took the helm between October and April.

“The new[est] prime minister [has] had a positive effect on the country. He’s made more changes in the last three months than many of his predecessors [did] during their positions,” Jane notes.

Last week, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi announced compensation for the families of protestors killed by security forces. Yet, trouble remains. Falling oil prices and the pandemic have made Iraq’s economic crisis even worse. No money means no electricity, which means no relief from the sweltering desert heat.

And yet, Jane says, hope remains.

“Amid the heaviness of the situation and so many people overwhelmed by despair, there’s also this golden opportunity. Hearts are opening up to receive the Gospel, to receive the truth of who Jesus is.”

Find your place in the story

Read our past coverage to understand the spiritual needs and atmosphere in Iraq. Then, take action as the Lord leads.

(Photo courtesy Chaldean Archdiocese of Erbil/Adiabene)

“It’s good, on the one hand, to read the headlines and to be aware of what’s happening in the news. At the same time, use that as fuel to pray for people affected by these massive things happening across Iraq,” Jane suggests.

Use the prompts below to guide your intercession:

• Pray Iraqis will find relief in some form from the sweltering desert heat.
• Ask the Lord to strengthen and encourage His followers in Iraq as they proclaim the Gospel.
• Pray that God will give believers renewed vision and a renewed passion for engaging in the hard-to-reach places and the hard-to-reach hearts.

More about Cry Out’s ministry here.

*– Name changed for security purposes.

Header image depicts Iraqi protests in Tahrir Square on October 25, 2019.   (Photo courtesy FPP via Wikimedia Commons)

Jane serves alongside the Near East prayer ministry, Cry Out Now, and communicates with ministries and churches throughout the region.

“We’re all experiencing the impact of [the pandemic] and how that has radically changed our lives from being outside and being with people and around people to suddenly living our lives online,” she says.

“But in the midst of this upheaval and upside-down life, we’re also seeing some beautiful things happening.”

What’s happening in the Near East?

Yesterday, ministry partners in Lebanon described how pandemic restrictions worsen pre-existing struggles. In Iraq, tens of thousands of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) just received emergency help from global agencies to meet basic daily needs. Jordan faces comparatively fewer problems than its neighboring nations, while challenges surround Syria.

“Different countries between Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq are having levels of lockdown, different levels of movement restrictions [and] social distancing rules,” Jane says.

In some places, “People [are] saying, ‘I would rather die of a virus than die of hunger, so I’m going to go out and break the curfew laws because I need to find a way to get money’,” she shares.

“I don’t want to take away from the desperation that people are experiencing, but at the same time, I do want to say that Jesus is meeting people in their desperation.”

(Photo courtesy of Cry Out Now)

Church leaders tell Jane they’re seeing more responses to online sermons. Prayer gatherings across the Middle East are multiplying and growing. “I know of one group that is praying five hours every day for revival in one of our neighboring nations,” she says.

Furthermore, “groups that have never, in the past, been open to studying the Bible are suddenly saying, ‘we want to study; we want to know what Jesus says’,” Jane adds.

“All of this is happening in the context of Ramadan.”

Ramadan is one of the holiest months of the Islamic calendar, observed by millions of Muslims worldwide. Here’s how you can pray daily for the Muslim world throughout Ramadan.

Want to change the world? Pray.

Pray Near East believers will share their faith with people seeking to know God. “God is going to surprise us with the harvest that is going to come out of these four nations, and that He’s going to use very creative ways to reach them,” Jane says.

Sign up here for regional updates from Cry Out Now.

(Photo courtesy of Ben White via Unsplash)

This movement goes beyond the Near East. “A part of what we’re going to see as a fruit of the season is how Jesus broke through into people’s lives in new and miraculous ways during this time,” Jane says.

“As believers, are we ready to respond? Will the global Body of Christ be ready to take in the harvest and be faithful with what God is doing in this season?”

Header image is a representative photo courtesy of Cry Out Now via Facebook.

“They are living in close proximity to each other; they can’t self-isolate as we can in Western nations. So, when it (COVID-19) arrives, then it can actually just go through the camps very, very quickly,” Peter* from Cry Out Now says.

Furthermore, experts say the global economy faces its worst fallout since the Great Depression. These factors hit Middle East refugees especially hard. Refugees already suffered from poverty and poor health before the pandemic hit, Peter explains.

“It’s trauma upon trauma.”

Refugees struggle under lockdown

Refugees from Idlib fleeing the Syrian Civil War in a camp in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon.
(Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Most Middle East governments won’t extend help to refugee populations. In Turkey, Syrian refugees cannot receive financial or food assistance, or the facemasks that are given freely to Turkish citizens. Lockdown measures in Lebanon brought business to a standstill, so most refugees lost their jobs and only source of income. Jordan stands out as an exception to the norm, but its resources and capacity are stretched extremely thin.

Typically, local churches help refugees in crisis by providing food and medicines in Jesus’ name.  Now, forced inside by lockdown orders, believers are frustrated. “We feel helpless,” they tell Peter.

However, the Gospel workers found a different way to support vulnerable refugees.

“During this lockdown, we’re taking five hours a day, every day, six days a week to pray for Syria and pray for refugees.”

Believers use Zoom to organize their prayer efforts, Peter adds.

How to help

Use this Prayercast video to pray over the global coronavirus crisis. Plus, sign up here for regional prayer updates from Cry Out Now.

(Graphic courtesy of Cry Out Now)

“Pray that there would be just an increase among the refugee populations of dreams and visions and that God would, in supernatural ways, just provide for these people. Ask God to intervene [and] bless these refugees, but also prepare the way for what [He] will do in the coming days, especially in a place like Syria,” Peter requests.

“Jesus is revealing himself more and more to refugees who have nowhere else to turn.”

*— Name changed for security purposes.

Header image depicts COVID-19 infected countries and territories as of April 28, 2020. (Graphic, caption courtesy Wikimedia Commons) 

A worker we’ll call “Jane” serves with prayer ministry Cry Out Now. She says believers are staying put despite Baghdad’s unrest. “There is a growing Church in Iraq. Yes, Iraq has been devastated in the past and a lot of believers had [left],” Jane says.

“At the same time, there are still believers in the country that [have] chosen to stay, and continue carrying the light of Jesus in the city.”

How to pray for Iraq

This image was taken in April 2017 during a UNESCO mission to Nineveh, Iraq, which was heavily destroyed and excavated by ISIS.
(Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Iraq sits at #13 on Open Doors’ World Watch List – a ranking of 50 nations with the worst persecution of Christians. The territorial defeat of ISIS reduced nationwide persecution, and some believers are returning to their homeland. However, Islamic oppression remains a threat to all Iraqi Christians.

“The Church in Iraq is specifically a group that we can be praying for, that God will continue to strengthen them, continue to give them the perseverance,” Jane says.

“They want to see God’s kingdom come into the land…they definitely need our prayers, and especially in this time.”

Pray for an end to violence in Iraq and pray for Gospel growth. Pray Iraqi believers can courageously stand firm in their faith despite persecution and terror.

“Things are going wrong, but they will be the ones that keep on shining the light in the midst of the darkness.”

Here’s another prayer resource from our sister ministry, Prayercast.

Prayer warriors need prayer, too

1871 painting depicts Aaron and Hur supporting Moses as he intercedes for the armies of Israel.
(Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Cry Out is a network of prayer warriors interceding for the Near East region – Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. “There’s always horrible things happening in this region. Lebanon is having financial crises; Iraq had riots – people got shot at and killed. Syria’s in the news with Turkey wanting to set up a safe zone,” Jane says.

“The intercessors that carry these lands on their hearts are weighed down because of the brokenness. We need to pray for them that they won’t be overwhelmed.”

Exodus 17:10-13 describes the importance of intercession in spiritual battles. Just as Moses prayed for Joshua and his warriors fighting a physical battle, “the intercessor is the one standing on the hill with his hands in the air, and praying and interceding for the (spiritual) battle that’s going on [below] him in the valley,” Jane says.

“But, the intercessor’s arms get tired, and then you need the Aaron and the Hur [who] can come alongside [to provide help and support].”

So, pray for the prayer warriors, Jane requests. Pray “that they will continually sit at the throne, and at the feet of the Father, to see what He sees when He looks at these lands and to pray the things that are on His heart.”

Then, commit to praying alongside them for the Near East region. Get prayer requests and resources here.

Header image is a screenshot courtesy of Prayercast | Iraq.

Saudi officials expect over two million Muslims to gather in Mecca and begin the Hajj on Friday night; some 2.38 million Muslims made the journey last year. The Hajj is an annual pilgrimage to Mecca with an accompanying set of specific religious actions. It begins on the 8th day of the 12th month of Dhul Hijjah in the Islamic calendar.

Watch a short video about the Hajj here.

“It’s one of the five pillars of Islam and all Muslims who are physically [and] financially able need to do it at least once in their lifetime to comply with their religious requirements,” explains Jane* with Cry Out Now, a prayer ministry focused on the Near East region.

“It is a major event in the Muslim world.”

What is the Hajj?

Last week, the League of Arab Nations praised Saudi Arabia’s Hajj planning and logistics. The Hajj requires a tremendous amount of organization and manpower. As described here, the Saudi government appoints a specific committee to handle everything Hajj-related: safety, sanitation, crowd management, and more. The event’s complexity requires detailed planning.

Hajj route – PD courtesy of the Perry-Castaneda map collection
(Graphic, caption courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Each step of the Hajj requires specific actions; if people do not complete the day’s requirements, they must start over again the following day. These infographics developed by Al-Jazeera News depict the Hajj journey.

Muslims seek forgiveness of their sins on the Hajj, Jane says, but that’s not all.

“Muslims are, once again, open spiritually to having an experience with God. They want to dream dreams; they want to see visions.”

God’s Spirit moves often in Muslim hearts, and He seems to move in especially powerful ways during special days or seasons on the Muslim calendar. For example, “we pray during Ramadan, and we actually heard [about] a guy having a dream (about Jesus) during this year’s Ramadan,” Jane says.

“A lot of people from the Near East are also intentional about going to the Hajj, and we really want to encourage believers to stand with us and to pray that God would show up in miraculous ways during this year’s pilgrimage.”

Jane recalls several Muslims who began the Hajj with a real desire to meet God. These individuals dreamt of Jesus, she says, and placed their faith in Him as a result.

“This seems impossible, but with God nothing is impossible.”

Next steps

Now that you know, will you save the date? Set a reminder on your calendar to join Cry Out’s team on Friday as they begin praying through the Hajj. Cry Out offers free resources here to help inform and guide your prayers.

“God says that those who seek Him with all their hearts and all their minds will find Him and will be found by Him,” Jane observes.

“Pray that those passionately seeking an encounter with God will have an encounter – even if it’s in the middle of Mecca, in the middle of Saudi Arabia.”

* – Name changed for security purposes.

Header image depicts a crowd of people touching the Ka’aba Stone in Mecca.  Photo by Haidan on Unsplash.