Day 3 – Iran

For decades now, the Islamic regime in Iran has wrapped itself in religious language while ruling with fear. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, everything—beliefs, behavior, clothing, speech—has been monitored by the government. People grow up hearing grand promises about righteousness, renewal, and national change, but what they actually experience is corruption, pressure, and pain.

So it is no surprise that many Iranians, especially among the younger generation, feel profoundly disillusioned with Islam—not because they have studied theology, but because the version of faith they have been handed feels nothing like good news. When a government claims to honor God yet crushes its own people—women, students, protesters—it creates a crisis of the soul.

I think about Mahsa Amini’s death in 2022 and how that moment made this reality impossible for the people of Iran to ignore. Her story was not simply about a dress code or whether she was wearing a hijab; it was about a regime using religion as a weapon.

When people reach that level of disappointment, they begin asking honest questions: “If this is really God—if it is really all about Allah—why does it feel so cruel?” And that is often exactly where they find Jesus. Even with internet blackouts and surveillance, people find cracks—VPNs, satellite television, secret house gatherings—and they hear the gospel. They find a Farsi Bible and suddenly encounter a God who heals, who carries burdens, who lays down his life instead of taking theirs.

The Iranian church needs discipleship and strong leaders, and God is moving. Underground fellowships are multiplying. Hearts are waking up. Psalm 34 tells us that the Lord is near to the brokenhearted—and that is Iran: broken hearts finding the One who never breaks them.

So will you pray with me for the people of Iran?