10 Prayer Points For Iraq - Hope For The Middle East

Tree and Arabic painting on the wall in Bashiqa saying: Tomorrow will be more beautiful (will be better) Many of our persecuted brothers and sisters in Iraq are struggling to find employment and rebuild their businesses. Others are still displaced due to war and threats of persecution for their faith. Iraq has recently experienced deadly political protests against the government. The need for hope and encouragement is great. These are 10 prayer points to help you understand and pray for Iraq. 1. Please pray for family and friends mourning over the death of a Christian family in Ankawa, Erbil. A mother and her two children were suffocated by carbon monoxide poisoning caused by the kerosene heater in their house. The family was displaced from Batnaya in 2014. The security situation isn’t stable their still. Together with many other Christians from Batnaya, they were hoping to return to their house one day. Thank God that He prepared a place for them in His eternal house in heaven. Please remember those close to this family and ask the Lord to comfort their souls. 2. Please pray for the family and the parish of father Dinah in Koya, who died in a tragic car accident. Father Dinha Yousif Toma served the Chaldean Catholic church in Koya. He served his parish for 16 years. Thank God that he now may rest in His hands. 3. Pray that the demonstrations in Iraq that started to demand reforms from the government will not be hijacked by Iranian-backed forces of the Al Hashed Al shabii in Iraq that call on their followers to protest the American presence in Iraq following the assassination of the Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. Pray that the voice of the Iraqi people asking for reforms will not have been in vain. 4. Pray for all the sick in Iraq especially those who suffer from chronic diseases or those who had accidents. The cost of medication and medical care are high and there is no insurance system. Meanwhile, the economy is deteriorating. Many Iraqis are simply no longer able to pay for the treatment they need. Pray that God may use his miraculous ways to heal them. 5. The Nineveh plains have been liberated for three years now, but the returnees continue to struggle with their daily life. Basic services such as electricity supply are not working properly yet and the destroyed infrastructures often aren’t fixed. Many streets still don’t have pavements, the situation gets worse with the heavy rains of this season that make the streets muddy and difficult to pass. Pray for the Christians to be able to restore their life and find stability and security in in their liberated villages. 6. Pray for the safe return of 4 missing employee of SOS Chrétiens d\'Orient, a French Christian charity. The NGO has been working with persecuted Christians in Iraq since 2014. On the 20^th of January they disappeared in Baghdad. No group has claimed responsibility for their disappearance. Ask God that they can return to their families in peace. 7. Pray for an end to corruption in the Iraqi government bodies. The lack of regular supervision of the government offices fosters corrupt practices, such as the demand for bribes rather than the application of law. Many Christians in the Nineveh Plain find it difficult to get to Mosul without having to pay bribes. 8. Thank God for the women’s committee in Bashiqa: a group of women organizes a weekly gathering to coordinate programs and trainings for women to educate them through lessons from the Bible. Pray for their service and ask God to give them the strength to work. 9. Traffic accidents are increasing in Iraqi highways. The maintenance of the streets is neglected, which causes big holes. The use of big trucks makes the roads even worse. Pray for the safety of people travelling on the roads. Also pray for the staff of our local partner who are often on the road. 10. Pray for the families in Iraq who are suffering from the high cost of living while earning low salaries. Many of them are facing difficulties to pay the rent, pay their children’s tuition fees, or buy medicines. Finding a (good) job has become more difficult. Pray for peace in their hearts and pray for God to provide them with what they need. Iraq ranks no.15 in 2020 WORLD WATCH List. ------ In cooperation with local partners and churches, Open Doors supports the persecuted church in Iraq through:

• Bible and Christian literature distribution
• Biblical, trauma counselling, and leadership training
• Socio-economic development
• Structural aid
• Emergency aid relief

TO STAND WITH THEM

Open Doors’ goal is to “strengthen what remains and is about to die” (Rev 3:2). Your PRAYER and DONATION is valuable to our persecuted brothers and sisters. Monthly Donation or One-Time Donation