Isaiah 66:24 — For those who have transgressed against Me their worm shall not die and their fire shall not be quenched and they will be an abhorrence to all mankind.

Today – Ask the Lord to keep reminding you of the seriousness of our mission.  Ask Him to place in your hearts the eternal realities that are at stake when people do not repent and respond in faith to the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Ask Him to keep you faithful until the task is complete!

Sari*, this new friend that I’ve met, obtained her Ph.D. at an University in the States.  She did a lot of her reading while sitting at Barnes and Noble.  She describes herself as a person with a short attention span, hence she said she got up for a lot of study breaks to browse the bookstore.  Always interested in what new books they had to offer, she found a Christian book by Joel Osteen. She found it at a time when she was particularly lonely and discouraged. While we don’t agree with Osteen’s message completely, his book introduced her to Jesus for the first time, and she hasn’t been able to forget about Him!

She later found a Christian in her workplace, another fellow Ph.D. candidate.  This lady was a solid believer with good, sound theology.  The two became great friends and Sari enjoyed time with the lady and her husband weekly as they studied the Word.  Sari has been living in Central Asia for 1 and a half years now and has not met even one Christian.  Her American friend contacted the church in the States where business friends of ours are currently attending and asked if they had anyone connected with the country she lives in.  Now, here we are!  She is not a believer yet, but is convinced that Jesus is the truth.  Being a skeptic, it is hard for her to accept the apparent idiosyncrasies of the Bible, and she is still searching.  However, she is hungry for the Truth and wants to continue studying on a regular basis.

*Name changed for the story

Isaiah 59:1 — Behold the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save neither is His ear so dull that it cannot hear.

Today – Pray that God will continue to place in your heart and the heart of our prayer team the desire to pray for Iranians.  Pray that you will be filled with faith concerning the work among Iranians.

Isaiah 55:10-11 — For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there without watering the earth and making bear and sprout and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater so will my word be which goes forth from My mouth.  It will not return to Me empty without accomplishing what I desire and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

Today – Pray for the Books and media resources that make their way into Iranian provinces. Pray that these materials will find fertile ground to produce much fruit.

1. Recently the Persian Refugee population was rocked by the news that a very strong believing family who had a strong case for asylum with the UN was rejected and then deported back to Iran. Many refugees spoke of the hopelessness and sense of despair at a system that they have trouble understanding and feel that they are being overlooked in all the bureaucratic red tape of filing a case. Pray for the safety of the family who was deported back to their home country. Also pray that other Persian refugees will discover that their true hope is not with any government or human organization, but only in Jesus Christ, who died for us.

2. Recently you prayed for K who lives in a city in Turkey and helps lead a Persian house group there. Give praise because K shared with a Persian family the Good News of Jesus Christ and four members of the family accepted Christ as Lord and Savior. Pray for these new believers’ safety and for K as he begins discipling them in their new faith. Pray for K as he continues to share with Persians in his city.

Isaiah 54:2 — Enlarge the place of your tent and stretch out the curtains of your dwellings – spare not.  Lengthen your cords and strengthen your pegs.  For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left.

Today – Pray that God will advance His kingdom in the difficult places where there is hostility to the Good News.  Pray that the church will spread out across the Iranian provinces.

Isaiah 52:11 — But you will not go out in haste nor will you go as a fugitive.  For the Lord will go before you and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

Today – Pray for the evangelists that make trips to key Iranian areas.  Pray that God will be before them in power and will overwhelm the spiritual entities that stand in the way of His advancing Kingdom.

Isaiah 49:5 — I will bring Jacob back to Him in order that Israel may be gathered to Him.

Today – This passage speaks of the reconciliation of Judah and Israel.  There is much ethnic tension inside Iran.  Pray that the church will display the glory of Christ by living in peace with each other.  Let their reconciliation with each other be a living testimony to the power of the Gospel.

Isaiah 48:6 — I proclaim to you new things from this time.  Even hidden things which you have not known. 

Today – It is common for God to declare the mysteries of the kingdom to Muslims through dreams and visions.  Please ask the Father to bring out visions and dreams in the hearts and minds of Iranians.  Ask God to allow them to see those spiritual truths which are hidden.

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge…”  Ephesians 3:17-19

I find the darkness and despair in this place sometimes overwhelming and my heart breaks particularly for the women.  As I am endeavoring in my relationship with this one young woman I stand amazed as God is at work in her life.  She has boldly started a bible study in her home, however her family has threatened her recently regarding her daughter.  They have told her they were going to work hard to see to it that her daughter is removed from her if she continues following Truth.  There are days she is gripped with fear and times that I want her to trust the Lord more, but I know I cannot relate to this type of threat or fear.  I do not know what it is like to fear losing my child.  Yes, she has times where she backs off and I wonder how spiritually healthy she really is and then out of no where I see her boldly stand for Christ.

Recently she behaved quite cold and harshly towards me.  Two days later, after talking on the phone to my team mate she called my crying.  Apologizing for her behavior.  I told her later that I still loved her and that I was not going to stop loving her no matter how she treated me because I wanted her to know how we love one another unconditionally.  I continued to explain that this is not a natural love, it is the love that the Lord gives us, I in my own strength cannot love like this.  Her response was this, “I believe that I have offended the Lord in the same way.  He too continues to love me and forgive me.  Will I ever understand this love?”

Now, that is a good question.  I do not think any of us can really understand the depth of the love of the Lord.  So, here’s the thing, I really desire for these women to comprehend the love of the Lord because they so much desire to be loved.  I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve here and really learn so much myself about these women, this culture, and the Lord’s great love for them.