Agony and Hope in Iran

Don’t you love a holiday? Today is my amazing, sadly departed Dad’s birthday. He would have been 82 and I miss him a ton. It’s also World Smile Day. Share one in honor of my dad. If that’s not your jam, you might be looking forward to National Grouch Day, Oct. 15th. Looking wider, October is National Pasta Month, Clergy Appreciation Month, and germane to Muslim Connect, it’s the annual Praying Through The Window campaign, calling for sustained prayer for the peoples of the 10/40 Window through October. 

For the next few weeks, I’ll highlight a country or two in the 10/40 Window for us to pray for, sharing briefly about its significance. I’d also like to lay this challenge on you: Do the leg work to facilitate your church praying for the 10/40 Window on one Sunday in October. This might include up front time on Sunday morning, a mention in the newsletter, a shout out in the pastor’s blog. You know your church better than I do. I’m going to do this when I preach on Luke 10 (The Sending of the 70) on Oct. 23rd. 

This week’s country of emphasis is Iran. Surely you’ve heard the news: Following the death in custody of Masha Amini, some of the most significant post-revolution protests continue to grow around the country. Since living in Holland in 2000 and hanging out with Persians there, I’ve prayed for a regime change in Iran. For sure, the number of believers has grown stunningly during the reign of the clerics, but I wonder if God might be ready to really turn them loose.  

The path through these protests to lasting peace is fraught with peril. Many will die, more will lose dear friends and family. Please join me in praying for Iran. Our countries may be enemies, but the Persian people are not ours. 

Prayer guide here. Beautiful video here. Curated information here (scroll to “South + Central Asia).