Interceding for the Middle East Together
By JANELLE STOOPS, U.S. PRESIDENT OF A3
Imagine settling down into your chair as you wait for the orchestra to begin their performance. A hush falls over the audience, and you feel anticipation as the pianist’s fingers begin to dance across the keys. These sounds are joined by the lilting notes of a flute, followed by the bold beats of a drum.
Just when you thought it could not get any better, the piercing notes of a trumpet chime in! You may laugh and cry all during the span of a singular piece of music.
Just as the splendor of a symphony increases as each instrument joins in, so the symphony of prayer we experienced as over forty people from around the globe gathered with the A3 community was rich and beautiful. Jesus followers from across the globe joined our prayer calls - from Ecuador, India, the United States, Bangladesh, and Japan.
Understanding Iran’s Context
Together we dove into a very brief history of Iran to set the context for what is happening today.
The 1979 Islamic Revolution overthrew a 2500-year-old monarchy, giving rise to a Shi’ite Muslim, cleric-controlled state. While turning to Jesus can lead to a death sentence, the church in Iran is said to be the fastest growing church in the world, with an estimated 800,000 to 1 million believers!
How to Pray for Iran
An Iranian Muslim Background Believer gave us insight into how to pray for her people.
More prayer requests listed at the bottom of this page.
Together we wept before the Lord as we remembered those who died for their faith in Iran. We remembered God’s promise in Psalm 34:18 that says, “He is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
We asked God to protect the children, the weak, and the powerless. We prayed for wise, discerning, and Godly leaders to step into leadership positions throughout the country. We interceded for global leaders to use their power for good.
The Urgency of the Gospel in Iran
We discovered from Joshua Project that of Iran’s ninety-one people groups, eighty-five are unreached, meaning they are less than 2% Christian. The weight of 99.5% of the population of Iran - nearly ninety-two million people - lost like sheep without a shepherd, fueled us to cry out to the Lord for salvation! We prayed for his kingdom to come and his will to be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).
We reminded ourselves that there will be people from every tribe, tongue, and nation before the throne (Revelation 5:9) and asked for people from all ninety-one people groups in Iran to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus! We boldly asked for salvation not just to come to one or two people, but for whole families to come into the Kingdom together.
Participants Reflect on the Power of Prayer
Murmurs of “Yes and amen!” could be heard as men and women poured forth the cries that the Lord put on their hearts. We wept together. We rejoiced in the promises of God together. And together we made an eternal difference in God’s kingdom through our symphony of prayer.
One participant said of the time,
“It was good to pray together. It made me feel like I was doing something about it, much more significant than praying alone.”
Another said,
“It was nice to see many people praying from different parts of the world. I've always felt that prayers from different parts around the world cover all the distance like a warm embrace.”
One woman who joined the prayer time at 5 am said,
I felt the Lord wanted me to be there this morning…but only if He would wake me up. He did. He is faithful. Thank you for providing the opportunity to pierce the darkness so Light will shine.”
Did you miss our prayer time?
I would encourage you to gather a few friends together at Starbucks or on Zoom for 30 minutes to pray for Iran and the greater Middle East. Your prayers are vital, and together, you will create a symphony of prayer.
Janelle Stoops
U.S. PRESIDENT OF A3
JANELLE STOOPS has been serving as A3's U.S. President since January 2026. Janelle graduated with honors from UCLA with a B.A. in communication studies before studying Bible for a year at Talbot Seminary. At 23 she moved to Kazakhstan as part of a church-planting team. There she met her husband, and after marrying and having two kids, they moved sight unseen to Uzbekistan where they saw a church planted. Since returning to the U.S., Janelle has served in a variety of roles with Frontiers, including as the Director of Strategy Coordination for the International Office as well as Co-Director of the U.S. Sending Base. She has an M.A. in organizational leadership and serves on the board of Cafe 1040.
@janelle.stoops
@janelle.stoops
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