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Front Cover
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William Carey Library
Featured book
Sixteen Seasons:
Stories From a Missionary
Family in Tajikistan
How would a young American
missionary family react when immersed
in the heart of remote Tajikistan?
Follow the James family’s adventures
in an ancient Persian city an hour
north of Afghanistan. Through the
humor and pain of these vignettes you
will discover not only a new people
and their culture but will examine
anew your own culture and faith.
James takes the routine and turns it
into the wondrous, humorous, and
sometimes sad—much in the tradition of James Herriot the English veterinarian
surgeon “All Creatures Great and Small” who drew us into his world of animals
with both laughter and pathos.
-Duane H. Elmer, PhD, professor, Trinity International University
Having devoted my life to missionary service, I love a good read that captures
the heart of another culture. Now I have a new favorite—“Sixteen Seasons”
by David James. The author combines the storytelling of Hosseini “The Kite
Runner” with the observation of Dalrymple “From the Holy Mountain” and adds
his own spiritual reflection to the cultural interplay. The result is an insightful,
entertaining account of the infusion of good news into a dark environment.
-Don Eenigenburg, church planting director, Christar
ISBN: 978-0-87808-473-9
David James
WCL | Pages 286 | Paperback 2011
List Price: $17.99
Our Price: $14.39
3 or more: $9.89
www.missionbooks.org
1-800-MISSION
Become a Daily World Christian
What is the Global Prayer Digest?
The Global Prayer Digest is a unique devotional booklet. Each day it gives a glimpse
of what God is doing around the world
and what still remains to be done. Daily
prayer for that still-unfinished task is at
the heart of the Adopt-A-People movement. Condensed missionary stories,
biblical challenges, urgent reports, and
exciting descriptions of unreached peoples provide a digest of rich fuel for your
own times of prayer for the world.
Become a Daily World Christian
The Global Prayer Digest is a key tool in a
movement to help fulfill Christ’s commission to make disciples of all the peoples of the earth. This movement involves
a daily discipline of learning, praying, and
giving to help reach the world’s nearly
10,000 unreached people groups. Unreached peoples are those groups which
do not yet have a strong church in their
own cultural and social setting.
Myanmar, Mothers and the
Frontier Fellowship Movement
The Frontier Fellowship Movement
is an adaptation of a custom among
tribal Christians in Burma (now called
Myanmar) and elsewhere. As the
mother in each family prepares meals
for her family, she sets aside a handful of rice in a special container, and
prays for their church’s missionaries to
unreached people groups. Rice from
families in the church is sold to support
their frontier missionaries.
Loose Change Adds Up!
In adapting the Burma Plan to our culture,
we have simply substituted loose change
for rice and have added this educational
and inspirational Global Prayer Digest. One
person’s loose change will average about
$100 per year exclusively for frontier
missions! When the national goal of one
million Adopt-A-People Prayer Partners is
reached, that will mean $100 million more
per year for the frontiers!
Devotional Ideas
How can you make the most of this
prayer digest:
• Some people use it as a
supplement to their regular
devotional time.
• Others enjoy reading and
praying around the dinner table
with the entire family.
• We encourage you to gather
monthly with other Christ
friends who are involved in this
movement.
• Join the “Frontier Fellowship
movement” (left), a version of
the Burma Plan, to financially
support frontier missions.
Every day at the top of the page
you’ll find the name of an unreached
people group for which to pray. The
small maps will help you locate the
day’s feature.
3
Editorial
September 2013
Dear Praying Friends,
This month we are praying for
the unreached people groups
in Azerbaijan, a nation with a
Turkic language and a Shi’ite
Muslim majority. For many
centuries either the Ottoman
Turks or the Persian Empire
(Iran) dominated this land.
However, in the 19th century the country that is now
Azerbaijan was carved out of Persia and became part of
the Imperial Russian Empire. When Russia established
the USSR in the early 20th century, Azerbaijan became
one of the many Soviet republics. Azerbaijan became an
independent nation when the USSR was dissolved in 1991.
Since independence, this nation has flourished
economically because of its vast oil reserves. With this new
wealth and independence, Azerbaijan now has a chance
to go in its own unique direction. But what direction will
it chose? Will it follow in the footsteps of the neighboring
Shi’ite Muslim nation, Iran? That is unlikely since many
Azerbaijanis view as a meddler. Unfortunately, because
they were mistreated by many people in the Orthodox
Russian Church and are at odds with the Christian nation
of Armenia, many people in Azerbaijan may be hostile to
Christianity. It is also true that like just about all Muslim
countries, Azerbaijan has restrictions on religious change.
It will take believers who bear Christ without the cultural
baggage of their enemies to win Azerbaijani Muslims to
Him. Pray for such a miracle to happen in Azerbaijan.
In Christ,
Keith Carey, managing editor, GPD
RECORDS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS
U.S. Center for World Mission
1605 East Elizabeth Street
Pasadena, CA 91104-2721
Tel: (330) 626-3361
[email protected]
MANAGING EDITOR
Keith Carey
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Paula Fern
WRITERS
Glenn Culbertson
Patricia Depew
Patti Ediger
Wesley Kawato
Arlene Knickerbocker
Esther Jerome-Dharmaraj
Christopher Lane
Annabeth Lewis
Ted Proffitt
Lydia Reynolds
Jeff Rockwell
Jean Smith
Jane W. Sveska
DAILY BIBLE COMMENTARIES
Dave Dougherty, Director of Plans
and Training, OMF Intl.
Keith Carey, Managing Editor, GPD
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Dan Eddy
GRAPHICS
Amanda Valloza
PRINTER
Diversified Printers , La Mirada, CA
WEB SITE
www.globalprayerdigest.org
ISSN 1045-9731
Contents of the Global Prayer Digest © 2013
Pasadena, CA 91104
Contents of this booklet may be
reproduced if appropriate credit and
subscription information are given.
PS—For security reasons, the field missionaries will
only be identified by their initials at the end of the
prayer entries.
4
For subscription information,
call (330) 626-3361.
For comments on content,
call (626) 398-2241.
Feature of the Month
Pray for a Strong Fellowship For Every
People in Azerbaijan
RUSSIA
Caspian
Sea
GEORGIA
AZERBAIJAN
ARMENIA
TURKEY
IRAN
IRAQ
Syria
GEO
RGIA
Caspian
Sea
NIA
ME
AR
Ganca
AZERBAIJAN Baku
IRAN
5
Background
To Help You Pray Better
6
Who Are the Azerbaijanis?
The Azerbaijanis are a Turkic people group located
mostly in the Caucasus Mountains to the west of the
Caspian Sea, in northern Iraq and down through the
Iranian plateau. There are 30 million Azerbaijanis
worldwide, and a majority of them are found in Iran,
Azerbaijan, Iraq, Turkey, Russia, Georgia, and the
United States.
The Azerbaijanis, wherever they live today, share a
common language, history, and culture. The majority
live in Persia which is modern day Iran, and sharing the
gospel with them is a vital need. Over recent centuries
enforced separation has created differing mentalities and
worldviews between Azerbaijanis living in different host
countries. But their location is one of the things that
makes them such a strategic and significant gateway to
other Muslim people groups who live in the region.
The Azerbaijanis have a fascinating history. People
from the lands of the Azerbaijanis were present at the
day of Pentecost in Acts 2:9, though at that time they
were called Parthians, Medes, and Elamites. These
new believers returned to their homes in the east after
Pentecost and laid the foundation of the historic first
churches in their areas.
Since the Seventh Century, however, the early Church
was progressively swept away in successive invasions, both
Arabic and Turkish. The years following the settling of
these lands by the different Turkish groups were years
when the Persian Empire encompassed much of the
Azerbaijani population. The sharing of these lands by the
different races in Persia meant that several Azerbaijanis
rose to positions of great power and authority in Persia. Even to this day this
remains true. The supreme leader of Iran, the Ayatollah Ali Khameini, is actually
an Azerbaijani from Mashad.
As the strength of the Persian Empire waned in the early 19th Century, the
Russian Czar fought with Persia and conquered a part of what was the northwestern extent of the Persian Empire. It is this piece of land that is now modern
day Azerbaijan. It remained under the rule of the czar until the end of World
War I when it enjoyed a brief period of independence as a republic. Following
the fall of the Czarist Empire, the Soviet Red Army took back control of what
is now modern day Azerbaijan. By the early 1990s, however, tensions in the
Soviet Union meant that Azerbaijanis in the north once again gained their
independence, and this is what is known as Azerbaijan today. It is not, however,
the country that is home to most Azerbaijanis. That distinction belongs to Iran.
Azerbaijanis speak a Turkic based language called Azerbaijani, but also speak
the languages of their host countries as well. This makes them one of the
most significant connecting people groups in the region both culturally and
linguistically. Farsi, Russian, Arabic, Kurdish, Turkish, English, and many other
smaller languages are spoken fluently by Azerbaijanis in their host countries.
Currently only about 10,000-20,000, or 0.05 percent of the 30 million
Azerbaijanis are known believers. Thus they remain one of the largest unreached
people groups in the world and reaching out to them remains a high priority.
The North American Azerbaijani Network (NAM) was created to see
Azerbaijanis reached with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Then, as they learn about
the true and living God, they will be able to reach many others in the region
with the gospel. For this reason NAM believes that Azerbaijanis could have a
significant impact in bringing the gospel to the people of these lands.
How to Pray for the Azerbaijanis
• The Azerbaijani church in the republic of Azerbaijan is small and
struggles with many issues of security, intimidation, and the tensions
that face newly developing churches.
•
Pray for a growing and deepening unity among the new believers that will
show other Azerbaijanis what the Body of Christ looks like in their midst.
This will provide a strong foundation for the growth of the Azerbaijani
Church.
continued on next page
7
•
•
•
•
•
•
Pray for the governments that rule over Azerbaijanis. Many of them do not
allow freedom of religious expression, and it is becoming increasingly hard
to be a practicing believer.
Pray for the different countries where the Azerbaijanis are found, and
where there are few, if any, national churches. Pray for Iran, Iraq, Russia,
Georgia, Turkey, and for the Azerbaijanis in Western countries. Pray that
God will raise up believers who will find their place in the body of Christ
and minister to their own people within the calling of God.
Pray for the ministries involved with outreach and encouragement to the
Azerbaijani people all around the world.
Pray that they will have the spiritual resources to live faithfully for
Christ amongst Azerbaijani people, to show the love of God to all
around them, and to be a light that shines for truth, love, and grace in
their adopted nations.
Pray for the Azerbaijani believers and their desire to reach their own
people in different countries.
Pray for strong, faithful churches to grow amongst Azerbaijanis wherever
they are and for the grace and love of God to flow through those churches.
Prayer Updates on Azerbaijani who live in the Nations
Azerbaijan
Pray for the local churches in the country and for the renewed focus that some
in the media have had on churches and their teaching. Several negative media
articles have been released in Azerbaijan, and some pastors have felt the pressure
of questioning. Other local workers have been contacted in a way that causes them
to be cautious. Pray for the kind of love that casts out all fear and for the Lord’s
presence to be very strong in the churches that are visited by reporters and officials.
Pray for the settling of visa and residency permit difficulties of foreign believers.
Many have had to leave or been put under considerable inconvenience in their
work. It is not beneficial for foreigners or locals who work with them to spend
so much time sorting out their visa formalities rather than working to serve the
people of Azerbaijan.
Iran
Pray for Iran’s most prominent Azerbaijani, Ayatollah Ali Khameini, the
supreme leader of Iran. Pray that God will speak to him and change his heart
8
from repressiveness to the truth of Christ, so that the great nation of Iran can be
led to its true spiritual destiny.
Pray for new believers that are coming out of the context of such violent
repression and brutality. Our partner organization SAZ reported that one man
called in response to their broadcasts to ask how He could know Christ. Pray for
Nasser, our new brother, and for his new life in Christ. Pray for him to learn and
then to find others who can encourage him in his new relationship with Christ.
Iraq
Iraq is home to two million Turcoman Azerbaijanis. There are only a handful
of known believers among them. TAZ, our Iraqi partnership, has had three
teams visit over the last few years; but they want to start an outreach ministry
that is based in Iraq. Pray for them and for sufficient finances and personnel
to begin the work of ministering to the many Turcoman Azerbaijanis in Iraq.
Pray for peace and an end to the terrorism that has plagued the northern
regions of Iraq that is home to the Turcoman Azerbaijanis.
North America
Pray for the Azerbaijani believers in America. As Novruz approaches every
March, many Azerbaijanis will be gathering and coming together to celebrate
the Ancient New Year. This is a wonderful time for believing Azerbaijanis
to reach out to their own people. Pray that they will have the boldness they
need to do this and to share their new-found faith and relationship with Jesus.
Pray for NAM (The North American Azerbaijani Network) as we seek to
find ways to reach the Azerbaijani people here in North America and for the
complexities of nationality and language that can often complicate the process.
Pray for us as we organize a gathering for believing Azerbaijanis in North
America. Pray we will be able to make contact with Azerbaijani believers here
and that they will receive a vision from God to reach their people in North
America and further afield.
Chris Jones, Executive Director
The North American Azerbaijani Network
Office: 763 971 5102
http://azerbaijanipartnership.org,
Skype name: genceman
9
Day 1
Missionary Biography of Isik Abla
Corinthians 2:11
I
No one can understand the
thoughts of God except by
the Holy Spirit. This is why
the Holy Spirit is essential
for turning hearts to Him.
Without the work of God,
people cannot understand
the thoughts of God. Today
we are reading about a
Turkish woman whom the
Lord revealed Himself to in a
special way. What will it take
for the Lord to reveal Himself
to others in the Turkish world?
Perhaps your prayers today
will be an essential ingredient
in turning the Azerbaijani
peoples to Christ.
Pray for God to open hearts
to His Word when workers
tell the peoples about the
Lord of lords.
10
Global Opportunities for Christ
For who knows a person’s
thoughts except their own
spirit within them? In the
same way no one knows
the thoughts of God except
the Spirit of God.
sik Abla was born
in Istanbul, Turkey.
She was raised—and
physically abused—in a
devout Muslim home.
When she looked to
Allah for answers, Isik
found that he too was
angry, impersonal, and
hateful. Nevertheless, she
held tight to the god of
Islam, immersing herself
in Qur’anic studies. She
Isik Abla Today
entered college when
she was only 16 and earned a bachelor’s degree in
literature, followed by an advanced business degree.
She worked as an executive assistant for some of the
largest corporations in Turkey.
In 1996, she fled to America. Overqualified and
struggling with her new language, she drifted
from one dead-end job to another and in and out
of dysfunctional relationships. She slid into severe
depression and became suicidal.
Her dreams of finding love and healing in America
were shattered when she found herself in another
abusive relationship. In 2000, her husband threw
her out of a car on a highway. That same night Jesus
revealed himself to Isik in a miraculous way, and her
life began to change.
She got a job at a Christian company, and her boss
led her to accept Christ. More doors opened, and she
was given a position as chief financial officer, then
as CEO for the North American operations of a
European corporation.
Pray for the Lord to shower His mercy on emotionally
scarred people throughout the Turkish world.
Missionary Biography, Continued
I
sik Abla’s faith and love for Jesus continued to
deepen and even replace her dependence on men.
Then Isik met a godly man at a church choir, and
in 2005 they were married. They were ordained by
World Bible Way Fellowship, served as care pastors
in a mega-church, then pastored God of Miracles
Church in Florida, which ministers mostly to former
inmates, addicts, and prostitutes.
In 2009 she began hosting a satellite TV program
called Light for the Heart on the Kanal Hayat Turkishlanguage channel. Two years later she added a live callin program that is simulcast on the Turkish and Farsi
channels throughout the Middle East and Europe.
Says Isik, “God is moving beyond our expectations
in this ministry. The hits on our website … are
approaching 150,000 per month.” In one month alone
her show received 4,112 emails, 2,026 new Facebook
fans, 11,407 Facebook Interactions, and 18 people
reported receiving Christ as their savior.
One long-term missionary to Turkey commented
concerning Isik, “She has changed the equation here
in Turkey. She presents a new Turkish face that is
breaking down the belief that all Turks have to be
Muslims. For the first time, every Turk in Turkey
can hear the gospel being presented in a clear,
uncompromising way from another Turk.”
Pray for the Lord to continue to protect and anoint Isik as
she continues her work of leading Turkish-speaking people
to Christ.
Day 2
I Corinthians 1:25
For the foolishness of God
is wiser than men, and the
weakness of God is stronger
than men (ESV).
Have you ever heard a
Muslim tell you about why
Islam is the truth? It sounds
very convincing if you do not
understand the sinfulness
and pride of man. I once
listened to a Turkish Muslim
spend three hours explaining
the virtues of Islam. As he
saw things, Islam offers
rewards for good behavior
and punishment for every
bad deed, resulting in perfect
justice. Thank goodness God
in Christ loves us and does
not judge us for our sins if
we repent and receive Him as
our Lord! The wisdom of man
can only go so far. We need
God’s wisdom, because it is
true and complete.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to
open the spiritual eyes of
the unreached peoples in
Azerbaijan to God’s faultless
love, forgiveness, wisdom
and truth.
11
Day 3
1 Corinthians 1:22-24
Jews demand miraculous
signs and Greeks look
for wisdom, but we
preach Christ crucified: a
stumbling block to Jews
and foolishness to Gentiles,
but to those whom God
has called … Christ the
power of God and the
wisdom of God.
People do change. Today,
Isik Abla is producing gospel
materials for people who
speak Turkish and Farsi who
are looking for the same
things that the Jews and the
ancient Greeks were seeking
in Bible times. She is telling
the people about the lordship
of the crucified Christ. Some
see it as foolishness to preach
a gospel based on forgiveness
of sin through the sacrifice of
God Himself. What obstacles
she faces!
intervene as people with
Muslim backgrounds view
Isik’s programs.
12
I
n 2009 Isik began producing a pre-taped program
called Light for the Heart to air over Kanal
Hayat, a 24/7 Turkish language Christian TV
channel. Her programs rapidly became the most
popular programs on the channel. As a result, a
major Christian TV broadcasting company offered
Isik a full-time position to produce a live show. This
program, The Way, the Truth, and the Life, started
broadcasting in 2011.
A report from International Turkey Network stated
that they were seeing evidence of an awakening
coming to Turkey. But programs are not only
reaching Muslims in Turkey. Her audience extends to
places like Iran, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Bulgaria, Iraq,
and Azerbaijan. Her shows are being dubbed and
broadcast into Farsi and are receiving a tremendous
response from Farsi speakers in Iran. In 2012 her
programs received 25,000 emails, 17,000 downloads
from her website, and an astonishing 85 million visits
to her Facebook page. Her website received 400,000
hits just in the month of December, 2012.
In recent months Isik has been preparing for a new,
multi-language website in Turkish, Farsi, English,
and Arabic. The next phase of her ministry is to begin
producing the English programs. Once the programs
are produced, they will be dubbed into Arabic.
Pray that Isik’s ministry will continue to grow, and that
she will soon be reaching new English and Arabic speaking audiences in Muslim lands and around the world.
To view her website, go to: www.Isikabla.com. Her
Facebook page is: IsikAblaTV
Northern Azeri People in Azerbaijan
A
cross Azerbaijan
and among its
mosques is an important
phenomenon: oil wells!
Azerbaijan in recent times
has become known as
one of the most oil and
natural gas-rich nations
in the region. In 1994,
its leaders signed a 30year contract with several
oil companies. It is not
coincidental that the
name Azerbaijan means, “the place of the holy fire.”
While Azerbaijanis form a single ethnic group, their
culture has been separated mostly between those
who were influenced by the Soviets and those who
were more influenced by the Iranians. There are
definite cultural and lifestyle differences between the
Northern and Southern Azerbaijani groups.
Because of the Russian takeover of their country in the
early 20th century, many Northern Azerbaijanis moved
away from their rural homes into the cities to pursue
oil-related work. Most of these jobs were very low
paying. For many, this condition remains as it was then.
Azerbaijanis have a very strong desire to maintain
their culture, so they primarily marry only within
their own families. Most desirable is a union of first
cousins. Polygamy is only practiced when there is
infertility. Another part of this culture is Shi’ite Islam.
Pray that the Northern Azerbaijanis will not be deceived
into believing that to follow Christ one must violate their
culture or heritage. Pray that they will feel and see the
emptiness of Islam and turn to Jesus to fill the void.—JR
Day 4
2 Corinthians 3:6
He has made us competent
as ministers of a new
covenant—not of the
letter but of the Spirit;
for the letter kills, but the
Spirit gives life.
The most striking contrast
between the basis of faith
in Christ and faith in the
teachings of Mohammed is the
difference between the letter
of the law verses the love of
God and Christ’s forgiveness
of sin. As this verse tells us,
the former kills, while the
latter gives life. As it stands,
Operation World tells us that
only about 3,000 Azerbaijanis
know Christ and His love
and forgiveness. The rest are
devoted to the letter of the law,
an unforgiving, unloving god.
Who will tell them?
Pray for the Northern
Azerbaijanis to find and
embrace the ways of the
Holy Spirit, the love of God
and His forgiveness of sin
so that they can be released
from the law of death.
13
Day 5
Brothers, think of what you
were when you were called.
Not many of you were wise
by human standards; not
many were influential; not
many were of noble birth.
But God chose the foolish
things of the world to
shame the wise.
Like the Corinthians, the
Azerbaijanis have little
influence among their near
neighbors. Paul explained that
God had chosen the “foolish”
Corinthians to reveal the folly
and weakness of the wise and
strong of their world. God has
often used seemingly weak
and foolish people groups to
plant His Church all around the
globe. Why not pray that He
move in the same way among
the Azerbaijanis?
Pray for more “weak and
foolish” Azerbaijanis to
become workers for Christ
among the unreached
peoples who still wait to
hear the good news.
14
Southern Azerbaijanis
I
n an article entitled,
The Southern Azeri
Problem, Karl Rahder
wrote, “Azeris make
up roughly 24 per cent
of Iran’s population,
and Tehran is worried
about just whose side
they are on as rumors
A zerbaijani Men
of U.S. infiltration are
taken seriously, complicating Azerbaijan’s own foreign
policy outlook.” This is simply the latest spat in the
centuries-old arguments between Tehran and Baku, the
capital of Azerbaijan. Today Azerbaijan is also unhappy
over Iran’s close economic ties with Armenia, another
unfriendly neighbor of Azerbaijan.
Before 1813, the land currently known as the state
of Azerbaijan was part of a wealthy oil rich province
of Persia called Azerbaijan. Persia ceded much of the
province to Russia, so the Azerbaijanis were divided.
The north came under Czarist/Soviet control until
independence, and the province of Azerbaijan stayed in
Persia, to become Iran.
Many writers, poets, and composers perished in the
Soviet purges, and many people suffer under the harsh
rule of Tehran. To this day, Southern Azerbaijanis in Iran
are questioning their role in Iranian society. Russian reacquisition of the north and government repression in the
south, are real fears for the southern Azerbaijanis on both
sides of the border.
Pray that their culture and history will no longer hold
them back from the Lord. Pray that Azerbaijanis and
Iranians will cease their hostilities. Pray that southern
Azerbaijanis will have a chance to hear the good news and
begin opening up their hearts to the gospel of Jesus. Pray
that the deception of Islam would fall away.—JR
Day 6
Persian in Azerbaijan
“K
eep praying,
my daughter,”
the grandmother
whispered. “But
very quietly—we
don’t want the
others to hear us
praying to Isa.
Only Isa will hear
our prayers. Isa
will soften your
father’s heart and
the hearts of your
older brothers.
Then one day we will all pray together out loud!”
The old woman quietly shut the door and returned
to her duties in the kitchen. She will gladly serve
her husband and sons while her daughter continues
to pray that they will turn from darkness to light,
that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and a place
among those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus.
As Persians, they are immigrants in Azerbaijan.
This Persian family left Iran after the 1979 revolution
seeking refuge in the neighboring country when
they could no longer stand the edicts of the new
revolutionary government. Soon after they arrived,
Jesus appeared to the woman in a dream and told
her to follow Him because He is the way, the truth,
and the life. Afraid to tell her husband, she told her
daughter, and together they pray for the salvation of
the rest of their extended family.
Pray for God’s anointing for the tiny minority of believers
among the Persians in Azerbaijan. Pray that they will
be filled with the power and the fruit of the Holy Spirit
so that God can extend His Kingdom to Persians in
Azerbaijan and nearby Iran.—JWS
But their minds were made
dull, for to this day the
same veil remains when
the old covenant is read.
It has not been removed,
because only in Christ is it
taken away.
Have you ever tried to tell
someone about Christ, and all
they could do was put up a
faulty reason to not believe?
If so, this verse explains
why. Their minds and their
spirits are made dull. But the
good news is that Christ can
take away the dullness. In
today’s entry, we are reading
about believing family
members praying for their
husbands and brothers to be
enlightened by the Holy Spirit.
They are Persians from Iran,
and this process is happening
every day in that land.
Pray that the Holy Spirit
will remove the spiritual
dullness that prevents
Persians in Azerbaijan from
embracing Him.
15
Day 7
I Corinthians 15:14
And if Christ has not been
raised, then our preaching
is in vain and your faith is in
vain (ESV).
I know someone who has
lived in the Turkish world
for many years. One of the
things that is alarming is
that Turkish Muslims don’t
know that Christ rose from
the dead. When they hear
about it, they usually doubt it
since the Qur’an sheds doubt
on the matter. However,
every Muslim knows that
the resurrection is a very
important issue. What would
happen if they understood
that Jesus was resurrected?
It would lead to Him being
sovereign over death itself,
and essentially they would
understand that He is indeed
the Lord of all.
Pray for Turkish Muslims to
understand that Jesus rose
from the grave, and He is
indeed who He said He is in
the gospels.
16
Meskheti Turks in Azerbaijan
B
oxcars, each
filled with 50
women and children,
rolled slowly
eastward in the
frigid winter of 1944,
not stopping for 36
hours. Then the train
stopped only for
one hour, just long
enough to give two
buckets of borscht
soup and some bread
to those crammed
inside. The trip continued for three weeks. These people
were not Jews being taken to concentrations camps, but
they were Meskheti Turks being deported from their
homeland in Georgia.
Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, under the ruse of saving the
Turks from the advancing German army, was actually
deporting Muslim populations to expand and fortify
his empire. Forced from their homeland, the Meskheti
Turks lived like slaves in Uzbekistan until the next Soviet
leader, Nikita Khrushchev, liberated the deportees from
their military style forced labor in 1953. Chechen, Ingur,
and Tatar deportees made their way back home, but the
Meskheti Turks were the one people never allowed to
return, so many settled in Azerbaijan. Adjustments were
as smooth as could be expected since their languages and
cultures were similar, and in 1989 they were given the
same rights as Azerbaijani citizens.
Pray for Christ’s followers, who are few in Azerbaijan,
to “offer a cup of cold water” in Jesus’ name to these displaced Turks and demonstrate Christ’s love and acceptance to them. Pray that the Lord will help the Meskheti
Turks to heal from the lost years and thrive in the 21st
century.—JS
Afshari People
“Y
ou shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem and in
all of Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest
part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Jesus’ last words to His
disciples declared that the good news of salvation is for all
peoples, even those in “the remotest part of the earth.”
One of those “remote” people groups is the Afshari
who are descendants from the larger Azerbaijani people
cluster that occupies a wide area from the Caucasus
of southern Russia to the Iranian Plateau. Like many
other people groups in Central Asia, the Afshari, a
nomadic group, have traveled and lived in areas that are
today eastern Turkey (the Anatolia), Iran, and Armenia,
as well as Azerbaijan.
We know very little about them. They are Shi’ite
Muslims, though some from rural regions retain preIslamic animistic practices such as the reverence of
specific sites and the worship of certain trees and rocks.
The Turkic dialect spoken by the northern Afshari is
closely related to the language of Azerbaijan. Since they
still remain a largely nomadic group, evangelization is
challenging.
Pray that God will reveal Himself to the Afshari Muslims
through dreams and visions, and pray for workers who
will devote long-term service to them. Pray that their
hearts will be prepared to hear and respond to the good
news. May this “remotest part of the earth” people group
hear and believe the gospel message.—JS
Day 8
For we did get as far as
you with the gospel of
Christ…. Our hope is that,
as your faith continues to
grow, our area of activity
among you will greatly
expand, so that we can
preach the gospel in the
regions beyond you.
Was the apostle Paul too proud
to preach the gospel where it
had already been proclaimed?
No, that was not the issue. He
simply wanted to make the
best use of his life and spend
his energies in planting the
church where it had not yet
been established. To keep
that vision, one contemporary
mission board has even
placed its goal prominently
in its name: Regions Beyond
Missionary Union.
Pray that the Father will
keep us from complacency
and satisfaction with
what has already been
accomplished in world
evangelization. Pray that He
will raise up missionaries to
go to the regions beyond.
17
Day 9
2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear
before the judgment seat
of Christ, so that each of us
may receive what is due us
for the things done while
in the body, whether good
or bad.
Notice that it is the
judgment seat of Christ, not
the judgment seat of any
other. He is the One who
determines our eternal fate.
Often throughout history
people have made spiritual
decisions for political
reasons. Some have made
their choices based on how
it will affect their ability to
get along with whoever is in
power. As a result, religions,
Christianity included, can be
misused as a power base.
But in the end, it won’t be
adherence to a religious
system that will matter. It
will be adherence to Jesus,
and nothing else.
Pray that the Tatar peoples
will see their need to
embrace the cross, so that
they will not be found
wanting on the Day of
Judgment.
18
Tatar People in Azerbaijan
T
heir physical
features may
vary from blueeyed blondes to
Mongoloid features;
although most
speak Russian, they
also speak a unique
These Tatar men might have been
language called
victimized by Stalin 70 years ago
Kazan Tatar. The
Tatars, a group of Turkic people, have sizable colonies
in virtually every republic of the former Soviet Union,
including Azerbaijan, where 30,000 reside.
Unlike many ethnic minorities of Central Asia, the
Tatars are a settled people who have completely
lost their traditional tribal structure. They have
survived many invasions—first the Mongols, then
the Russians, and more recently Stalin’s “relocation”
strategies during World War II. This effort resulted
in thousands of them dying because of one man’s fear
of losing power.
The Tatars generally are well educated and enjoy the
arts. Although they are Muslim, they remain more
liberal than most orthodox Muslims of Central Asia,
even inviting women to pray in the mosques instead of
at home. Unfortunately, the Tatars’ view of Christianity
has been scarred by their interactions with the Russian
Orthodox Church and its earlier attempts to convert
them through un-Christ-like means.
Pray that nominally orthodox Tatars would be open to
the gospel message and come to know Christ. Pray that
the large Tatar church in Kazan, Russia, will be moved
to reach out to the Tatar community in Azerbaijan.—JS
Network of Azerbaijani Partnerships
M
An Azerbaijani Boy
ost of the world
is familiar with
the name Ayotollah Ali
Khameini, the Supreme
Leader in Iran, but few
would know that ethnically
he is an Azerbaijani.
There are 30 million
Azerbaijani people in the
world, and only 20 percent
of them reside in Azerbaijan.
The remaining are found in
Iran, Russia, Iraq, Turkey
and North America.
The North American Azerbaijani Network, NAM for
short, is an organization that seeks to coordinate efforts
of churches and mission agencies to reach the Azerbaijani
people for Christ. With only 0.02 percent out of nearly 30
million as known believers, Azerbaijanis remain one of
the largest unreached people groups in the world. Many
informed authorities believe that reaching the Azebaijanis
could be an important key to reaching the other Muslim
peoples in Central Asia with the Word of God. But
ministry effectiveness can easily be diminished or stalled
by lack of knowledge. NAM has field partnerships
that can advise on the effectiveness of mission agencies’
initiative and projects. NAM makes it possible for
churches, individuals, and interested agencies to learn
about Azerbaijanis worldwide and work together to reach
them with the gospel.
Pray that NAM can raise awareness in the churches in North
America and other parts of the world for the need of a ministry to
the Azerbaijanis. Pray for more effective partnerships that seek to
start church planting movements in various Azerbaijani communities throughout Central Asia.—JS
Day 10
1 Corinthians 9:22
I have become all things
to all men so that by all
possible means I might
save some.
One of the greatest lessons we
can learn from the apostle Paul
was the way he adapted to the
people whom he tried to win
to Christ. In this passage Paul
explains how he made himself
a slave, put himself under
the Jewish law, and became
weak—all to win certain
people groups to Christ. One
of the biggest challenges for
missionaries to the unreached
peoples of the world is how to
adapt to the cultures of those
they want to win. We can be
confident that God will grant
wisdom to those who try to
become all things to all men in
order to save some.
Pray that workers sent
out through the efforts of
NAM will have wisdom and
creativity for their work
among Azerbaijanis.
(For more information, go to: http://azerbaijanipartnership.org/)
19
Day 11
2 Corinthians 1:10
He has delivered us from
such a deadly peril, and he
will deliver us again. On
him we have set our hope
that he will continue to
deliver us…
As the hymn said, “Our
hope is built on nothing
less than Jesus’ blood and
righteousness.… On Christ
the solid rock I stand, all
other ground is sinking
sand.” He alone is our hope.
He is the only solid rock,
and all others are as faulty
as quicksand. What do the
Muslims put their hope in?
Obedience to the laws of the
Qur’an. Don’t we owe it to
them to tell them about the
One who offers true hope?
Pray that the Muslim Avar
people in Azerbaijan will find
the true hope found only in
Jesus as we pray for them
this month.
20
Avars in Azerbaijan
P
eaks soar over 14,000 feet high. Steep and
rugged mountains produce rugged and
determined people. Such is the case of the Avars who
live in the Caucasus Mountains between the Black
Sea and the Caspian Sea. The Avars have lived here
for centuries. But the Soviets divided their land.
The Samur River runs through the heart of Avar
territory. Now it has become the border between
Russian Dagestan and Azerbaijan, creating a division
among the Avars. The pressure has mounted to
eliminate them as a distinct people. The struggle to
maintain their identity becomes especially severe in
Azerbaijan, where Sunni Avars feel far outnumbered
by Shi’ites. Even in their ancient home provinces,
government authority rests with Azerbaijanis instead
of Avars. The Avar language is ignored in school as
well as any other official expressions of Avar culture.
These conditions have resulted in a fortress
mentality that guards them fiercely against any
outside influence. In addition to the Sunni/Shi’ite
division, their historical conflicts with “Christian”
Russia make them guard against that faith as
well. A fortress mentality keeps them distant from
both beliefs. The Bible, JESUS Film, and gospel
recordings are all available in their Avaric language.
Still, it will take an Avar believer to reach other
Avars for Christ.
Pray that the Holy Spirit will melt the defensive barriers
against Christ among the Avars. Pray that the Lord Jesus
will prepare the spiritual soil for a great harvest. Pray for
wise boldness among the few believers.—GEC
Day 12
Chechens in Azerbaijan
2 Corinthians 4:4
W
hen we hear
the term
“Chechen,” many
people think of
mass killings: the
bombing of a theater;
a school attack that
killed 300; and
more recently, we
have heard about
A Chechen Man
the bombing at the
Boston Marathon. But there is more to the Chechen
people than violence.
As early as the eighth century the Chechens were
largely Christian. Islam did not arrive until seven
centuries later. Today the Chechens are among the
most loyal Muslims in the region. This comes partly
from their opposition to Christianity as represented
by the Orthodox Russian Church. During WWII the
Soviet Russians “rewarded” Chechens’ loyalty with
forced relocation. Then the government attempted
to stamp out Islam by destroying the mosques in
Chechnya. When the Chechens were allowed to
return to their homeland, their resentment against
such cruelty fueled nationalistic-religious fervor.
After they have spent centuries fighting for their
independence, they have become very antagonistic
to their persecutors. Perhaps what the Chechens
ultimately want is to be recognized as a people of
worth in their own right.
The god of this age has
blinded the minds of
unbelievers, so that they
cannot see the light of the
gospel that displays the
glory of Christ, who is the
image of God.
We must remember that
where there is spiritual
blindness, the enemy is at
work. People groups like the
Chechens walk in darkness
rather than seeing the light
of the gospel. Instead of
seeing the glory of Christ, they
look elsewhere for spiritual
answers, and Satan leads
them to his evil ways. Instead
of understanding who Jesus
is, they deny Him.
push back the work of the
enemy who blinds the minds
of Chechen unbelievers.
Pray that the relatively few Chechen believers will stand
firm in their faith. Pray for JESUS Film teams as they
bring the story of Jesus to the Chechen people. Pray that the
Lord of the harvest will call workers into this needy field.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to impress upon Chechens the need
for Jesus as Savior.—GEC
21
Day 13
2 Corinthians 1:11
…as you help us by your
prayers. Then many will
give thanks on our behalf
for the gracious favor
granted us in answer to the
prayers of many.
Notice how important our
prayers are for ministry. All
of us, even those who cannot
travel to distant lands, can
help missionaries by praying
for their work. It will not
require a visa or a passport,
but it will require faithfulness
and perseverance. Do you
have what it takes to help
workers with your prayers?
Pray that we will have the
faithfulness and perseverance
to uphold workers who are
laboring among Dargins and
other unreached people groups
in this part of the world.
Dargins of Azerbaijan
“T
utesh [father], I have a question,” the boy
announced. “Where does the Qur’an teach
about the ‘rite of the first furrow’?” The father stroked
his beard and admitted, “Years ago, I asked the
same question to our imam. He informed me that it
actually began long before our ancestors learned the
truth about Islam.”
This simple exchange reflects reality for the Dargin
people group. While they claim allegiance to Islam,
in fact many of their important events trace their
roots to pre-Muslim ages. Rules about marriage,
divorce, and burial arise from Islamic sharia. But
many other aspects of daily life, including the
agricultural calendar, can be traced back before
sharia existed.
The Dargins’ homeland lies just north of Azerbaijan,
in the lowlands and foothills of Dagestan. The people
follow a largely agrarian lifestyle mixed with raising
livestock. Many Dargins live in Azerbaijan. They
form another instance of Sunni Muslims living in a
predominantly Shi’ite country.
The Slavic Gospel Association is an agency working
to bring the good news of Jesus to the Dargins in
Azerbaijan and nearby areas. They indicate that even
some former militants have come to faith in our Savior.
Pray that these new believers would show boldness for the
gospel of Christ. Pray that God will protect and expand
ministries reaching out to the Dargins in this area. Pray
that the Holy Spirit would reveal Himself to Dargin
leaders, compelling them to embrace and proclaim Jesus
Christ.—GEC
22
Day 14
Kryz People
I Corinthians 6:19
H
er parents were
asleep so the
teenage Kryz girl
tiptoed out the door
of the house into the
moonlight. Cows
mooed as she dashed
down the dirt street
into the bushes. Her
boyfriend was there
to meet her, and they
kissed. They weren’t from the same village, and they
weren’t cousins. The couple knew they would never
be allowed to marry. The customs of the Kryz people
wouldn’t allow it.
The Kryz people live in Azerbaijan which was once
under Soviet Communist rule. Most Kryz speak
Azerbaijani as well as their own language. This
people group worships Allah, but they are not good
Muslims; they have no qualms about drinking
alcoholic beverages. There are no known followers of
Christ among the Kryz. Only a few short portions of
Scripture have been translated into their language.
Ask God to break the hold that Islam has on the Kryz
people group. Pray that their bondage to alcohol may also
be broken. Ask God to send faithful workers to translate the
Bible into the heart language of this people group. Pray for
the Holy Spirit to give them a spiritual hunger that will
lead them to the cross.—WK
Do you not know that your
bodies are temples of the
Holy Spirit, who is in you,
whom you have received
from God? You are not
your own; you were
bought at a price.
Our bodies are a temple of
the Holy Spirit! We carry
the Holy Spirit within us
wherever we go. He is a gift
from the Father. We should
not defile this privilege
through misuse. Paul gives
the stark example of sexual
immorality. Are there other
areas where we might be
taking the privilege of having
the Holy Spirit too lightly?
Pray that we will take the
privilege of being Holy
Spirit bearers seriously
enough to allow Him to
affect our daily lives.
23
Day 15
1 Corinthians 9:20
Georgian Jews in Azerbaijan
To the Jews I became like a
Jew, to win the Jews.
“W
Again we see in Paul’s pattern
of ministry how Jesus Christ
acted to identify with man.
Jesus not only took on human
form, but actually became a
member of one people group.
He was born and grew up
within the Jewish culture.
God became a Jew in order
to win the Jews. When Jesus
commissioned His followers
to disciple the non-Jewish
nations, He expected these
disciples to become all things
to all men so that by all
possible means (they) might
save some (9:22).
Thank the Lord Jesus for the
example He gave us. Pray
that He will lead today’s
workers among the Jewish
peoples to live like those they
hope to reach for Christ.
e’re real Jews who came out of Israel!”
Ikhilov, a Georgian Jew, was talking to
an interviewer about his people. “We acquired the
name ‘Mountain Jews’ because we settled in the
mountainous region of Azerbaijan when we came
from Georgia.” A genetic study led by researchers
in Israel and Estonia tells us that these Georgian
Jews share a common origin with other Diaspora
Jewish communities in the Levantine region of the
Near East.
According to estimates, there are between 8,000
and 25,000 Jews living in Azerbaijan. One reason
for the wide range of this number is because many
of them live in Israel or Russia, but they still retain
Azerbaijani passports. The need for work and
education has caused many of their young people
to leave.
Most of these Jewish people do not follow a serious
or orthodox form of Judaism. Atheism from the
long years under Communist Russia has contributed
to this. They have their synagogues, including a
new one that opened in Baku in 2011. Georgian
Jewish people in Azerbaijan are very resistant to
Christianity, and there are no known followers of
Christ among them.
Jeremiah 31:35-37 speaks of the everlasting nature of
God’s promises to the Jewish people. His promises
are as sure as, “the sun that shines by day and the
moon and stars that glow in the night.”
Pray that messianic Jewish believers in Israel and Russia
will be guided by the Lord to reach the Georgian Jewish
people so they will know how God has fulfilled His promises in Jesus.—PD
24
Yiddish Jews in Azerbaijan
T
he MC at the podium said, “It is my honor to
introduce our guest speaker Larisa Reikhrude,
President of our Humanitarian Association of Jewish
Women for Azerbaijan. Her achievements have been
many, including receiving the French Order of the
Legion of Honor.”
Reikhrude opened her talk by saying, “Only a few
years ago I stated that for many years Azerbaijan
had neglected our most needy people, the old and
the children. We began to study how places like the
United States, France, and Germany helped these
vulnerable ones, and now we are progressing. We
are now able to assist many elderly people and feed
homeless people twice weekly. This includes our own
Ashkenazi (Yiddish) Jewish people, as well as some
Muslim neighbors. So many of our grandparents are
alone. Their children and grandchildren are living in
Israel. We also have made good progress in helping
many of our children’s homes in Baku.”
Economic and political instability between 1989
and 1993 forced thousands of Eastern Yiddish
(Ashkenazi) Jews to leave Azerbaijan for Israel.
According to information from the leaders of the
religious communities, there are only about 4,300
Ashkenazi Jews living in the country of Azerbaijan
today. Although some people are making efforts to
encourage them to follow the teachings of the Torah,
for the most part they are secular Jews.
Pray that these Jews will be reached by the growing number of Messianic believers in Israel. Pray that they will
become witnesses to their own people in Azerbaijan. May
these Jewish people soon know the saving grace of their
Messiah.—PD
Day 16
2 Corinthians 3:18a
And we all, who with
unveiled faces contemplate
the Lord’s glory, are being
transformed into his image
with ever-increasing glory.
Here is one of the many
rewards for allowing the
Lord to remove the veil. One
can start being transformed
into His image, and finally
enjoy living in His glory. Do
you want to experience His
glory? Do you think that the
unreached peoples would
want to know the true God if
they only knew the way?
Pray for the peoples of
Azerbaijan to start the
transformation into His
image so they too can
bask in His glory. Pray
for a transformation that
will bless the peoples of
Azerbaijan in such a way
that they can’t help but give
Christ the glory and honor
due His Name.
25
Day 17
2 Corinthians 5:15
And he died for all, that
those who live should no
longer live for themselves
but for Him who died for
them and was raised again.
This is why our faith is so
demanding. Jesus told us
that we can no longer live for
ourselves. We cannot give
Him our Sunday mornings and
take the rest of the week to
live for ourselves. He wants
us to live for Him at all times.
What a demanding message,
and what a great reward He
has for us!
Pray that this message of
lordship will be clear to
the Jewish Tat people of
Azerbaijan when they hear
of the One who died and
rose again.
Jewish Tat People of Azerbaijan
I
t’s an all-Jewish
town, but it’s
not in Israel.
“What? “Where is
this place?” The
Israeli student was
fascinated by the
title of an article
he saw in his
newspaper. It was
about the town of
Jewish Tat Elders
Gudiaicy, home to
over 3,000 Tat speaking Jews located in Azerbaijan.
The writer had interviewed Rabbi Rav Adam from
Gudiaicy. The Jews came to this area from what would
later become southern Persia around 720 BCE. They
were originally Jewish military colonists sent by the
Parthian rulers to guard against Mongol invasions.
Some call them “Mountain Jews” because they settled
in towns all throughout the eastern Caucasus
Mountain region. In 1742, Gudiaicy became known
as “Little Jerusalem” and a center for Torah learning.
The town thrived. Today each house has a Mogen
David (star), and the people are faithful to their Jewish
faith. They have good relationships with their Muslim
neighbors. They manage to live the Jewish life in a
Muslim country.
In Azerbaijan there are over 10,000 Tat (Old Persian
dialect) speaking Jewish people. A large number of
them are secular, and some have intermarried with
Muslims. There are no known Messianic believers
among them.
Pray that the Jewish Tat people in Azerbaijan will come
to know the fulfillment of the promises God gave about the
Messiah as they read the Scriptures. Pray that God will
send believers to tell them about the wonderful God that
loves them.—PD
26
Shi’ite Muslim Tat People of Azerbaijan
W
hat a pleasant surprise!
Ali just arrived from
Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan
with two suitcases, and
everyone greeted him warmly,
especially his mother. This
Muslim Tat family lived on
a small farm in an eastern
mountain range in Azerbaijan.
Now he had some explaining
A Muslim Tat Woman
to do. Why was he carrying all
the suitcases? After his mother
made some tea, the whole family sat down to hear his
story about why he was leaving the capital city for good.
“Things are becoming difficult for us Shi’ites. The
government is now forbidding certain Islamic
literature from coming into Azerbaijan. We need
these books so we can know the importance of our
Islamic rules. They are arresting our leaders and even
some of the women who wear scarves.”
Up to 87 percent of the people of Azerbaijan are
Shi’ite Muslims, making it the second largest Shi’ite
country in the world after Iran. Both the Sunni and
Shi’ites have been nominal Muslims for decades. The
Azerbaijani government is concerned that a revival
that started among the Shi’ites will lead to violence
and instability. Most of the country’s small number
of Christians are Russian Orthodox. With little
evangelistic outreach, there are no known believers
among the 22,000 Shi’ite Muslim Tat.
Day 18
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in
Christ, the new creation has
come. The old has gone, the
new is here!
It takes much more than
saying a rote prayer to
follow Christ. It requires
us to be transformed into
a new creation! This is
what workers in the Turkic
World are bringing to the
nations—a chance to cast
out the old and become new.
Then the lifelong process
of transformation begins. It
happens both at once and all
throughout our lives. What
an exciting prospect for the
unreached nations!
Pray for the unreached
peoples in Azerbaijan to
yearn to cast out the old
man and become new
beings, re-created for
Christ’s purposes.
Pray that God will open the way for Christ’s ambassadors
to bring His Word to the Shi’ite Muslim Tat. May they
come to know that true peace is found in
embracing Jesus.—PD
27
Day 19
2 Corinthians 9:6
Remember this: Whoever
sows sparingly will also
reap sparingly, and
whoever sows generously
will also reap generously.
At this point Paul deals
with some areas of financial
support that we are often not
comfortable talking about
openly. But Paul says that
when we give generously, we
receive from Him generously
as well. This does not mean,
as the prosperity gospel crowd
tells us, that we will have
more physical wealth. Instead
it means that when we give
sacrificially, God will bless us
in ways that might include
finances, or it might mean
other blessings.
Pray for the Lord to
encourage you to give
as He sees fit.
28
Khinalug People in Azerbaijan
A
s darkness descended on the quiet hamlet atop
the mountains of Quba Rayon in Azerbaijan,
frigid sub-zero temperatures drove the people into
their homes. Not a soul was seen on the deserted,
winding streets that were lined with stone houses.
Soon yellow light flickered in every house. As food
was prepared, grandparents told the children stories of
the ancient Khinalug people.
“People have lived here for the previous 5,000 years,”
wheezed the old man. “Grandfather, if our people
lived here for 5,000 years, when did we become
Muslims?” chimed the keenest child. “Originally we
were followers of the Prophet Zoroaster, but later the
people of these mountains converted to Christianity.
In the 7th Century, the entire village became
followers of Islam,” narrated the grandfather.
Before the children could ask him another question,
they heard their mother calling them to a supper
of hearty broth with small dumplings stuffed with
minced lamb and herbs. That did it; they all ran to the
dinner table, and the conversation was over!
The Khinalug people of Azerbaijan are Sunni
Muslims. This devout people group says that Islam
plays an important role in their lives. They spend vast
amounts of time in religious activity.
Pray that the Khinalug people will get to hear the good
news of Jesus Christ and come to know Him intimately.
Pray that they will recognize and embrace the truth, the
holiness, and the righteousness of the Savior.—EJD
Day 20
Kurds of Azerbaijan
2 Corinthians 9:11
T
he lines on the face
of the hunch-backed
woman were the result of the
many years she had lived.
She remembered the stories
of her ancestors coming to
Azerbaijan—stories that
were passed on from one
generation to the next. Even
though years of rigorous
A Kurdish mother and child assimilation tactics had
forced the Kurdish people
to speak the Azeri language of the locals, a true
Kurdish heart beat within her breast.
The earliest Kurdish settlement in Azerbaijan dates
back to the 7th Century AD. However, this group
gained prominence when Shah Abbas, the ruler of Iran,
deployed the Kurds to guard the northwestern edges
of the kingdom. A vast majority of Kurds lived in the
Lachin area of western Azerbaijan. This region, known
as ‘Red Kurdistan,’ enjoyed autonomy until 1930.
According to an Azerbaijani census, there are now
only 13,100 Kurds remaining in Azerbaijan. They
constitute just 0.2 percent of the population. An
enormous number of Kurds have assimilated into the
local culture, and most of them identify the Azeri
language as their native tongue. Even their religion
is affected by the Azerbaijani majority; almost all
Kurds worldwide are Sunni Muslims, but those in
Azerbaijan adhere to Shi’ite Islam.
You will be enriched in
every way so that you
can be generous on every
occasion, and through us
your generosity will result
in thanksgiving to God.
Have you ever considered that
when you are generous with
frontier mission efforts, the
Lord is using you to spread
the knowledge of Christ to
the unreached? Think about
it. Those who once ignored
Jesus Christ will now be able
to have a chance to give Him
the thanks and praise that He
so richly deserves!
Pray that the Lord will direct
you to be generous with
those who are spreading
the Lord’s fame and glory to
unreached peoples.
Pray that the Kurds of Azerbaijan will find their identity
and sense of belonging in Christ Jesus. Pray for a movement to Christ among the Kurds in Azerbaijan.—EJD
29
Day 21
2 Corinthians 9:7
Each of you should give
what you have decided
in your heart to give,
not reluctantly or under
compulsion, for God loves a
cheerful giver.
When the economy is
sluggish, it’s easy to think of
places where we could cut
back our spending. Some
may even want to cut back
on their giving. However, one
of the best ways to become
a cheerful giver is to think
about what God will do
with what you give for the
Kingdom of your Savior. Then
you will be encouraged to
give and give again!
Pray for a giving heart so that
the gospel can be proclaimed
throughout the world.
Lak People in Azerbaijan
T
he middle-aged Lak
woman dug potatoes
from the tiny patch of land
adjacent to her house. Her
friend from the neighboring
farm yelled, “Are you
cooking potatoes tonight?”
“Yes, I am making some
potato gruel for my
husband,” she replied.
Her husband, like the other Lak men, was out in
the pasture where their herd of goats was grazing.
Her husband’s family, just like hers, had relocated
frequently. As a result they had become very versatile.
They spoke many languages and had acquired
various customs. Perhaps they also gained some
versatility from the days when they lived and worked
in extended family units. But today these units are
being eroded by modernization.
She and her husband are among the 1,300 Laks who
live in Azerbaijan. The majority of the Lak people
live in southern Russia’s Dagestan region. Hundreds
of years ago Christians from the nearby nations of
Georgia and Armenia brought the gospel to the Lak
people, but few accepted their message. Today almost
every Lak person is a Muslim. This people group has
no Bible, radio broadcast, or JESUS Film available in
their language.
Pray that these resources may soon become available in
the Lak language. Pray that God would prepare their
hearts and minds to hear and accept the gospel message. Pray that God would raise up believers to take the
love of Christ to the Lak people, both in Dagestan and in
Azerbaijan.—EJD
30
Lezgian People in Azerbaijan
T
he small crowded
watering hole,
the only one in the
mountainous Lezgian
village, somehow allowed
space for the traditional
dance that the music
Lezgian musicians
demanded. One of the
village leaders confidently stepped forward with his
sword as he and his partner began the complicated
steps and precise movements.
Performance entertainment and elaborate craftsmanship
are important for these people who live in deep
isolated canyons and gorges.
Although the Lezgians have only 178,000 people in
Azerbaijan, they represent one of the larger Caucasian
people groups. Most still live in the Caucasus
Mountains, working as herders and subsistence
farmers. Women are known throughout this region
for their fine carpet weaving.
Islam invaded their land many centuries ago, and
all Lezgians now claim to be either Sunni or Shi’ite
Muslims. Many are only nominal, however, with a
strong emphasis on ancient beliefs and customs about
nature and magic. Some Lezgian people are settling
in larger cities and have been exposed to the person of
Christ by observing the Lezgi JESUS Film. But no
Scripture has been printed in the Lezgi language, which
only became written in the mid 19th century. At that
time Russia tried to eliminate tribal loyalties among their
subjects. Instead the Lezgians became more unified with
the creation of their own written language.
Pray that the Father will prepare the hearts of the
Lezgians who may meet followers of Christ in the cities.
Pray that teams of people will bring the JESUS Film to all
Lezgian villages.—LR
Day 22
2 Corinthians 3:5
Not that we are competent
in ourselves to claim
anything for ourselves, but
our competence comes
from God.
The Lord God Almighty
alone gives us the ability to
do His will. Because of this,
we cannot claim anything
for ourselves, because God
gives us the abilities in the
first place. Are you using the
talents He gave you to glorify
Him and extend His rule? Or
are you using His gifts for your
own purposes?
Acknowledge before God
your total dependence on
Him. Thank Him for what He
has given you. Dedicate your
abilities to His use.
31
Day 23
2 Corinthians 3:18a
…which comes from the
Lord, who is the Spirit.
We must always remember
that God the Holy Spirit is
the source of everything. We
must not try to take credit for
what the Lord does by the
power of His Spirit. It is the
Holy Spirit who calls members
of unreached people groups
to His side. It is the Holy Spirit
who gives them faith. It is the
Holy Spirit who gives courage
and perseverance to stand up
to opposition.
Pray that workers in
the Turkic world will
understand that God gives
the victory. May they be
encouraged by the things
God does by His Spirit. Pray
that God will be glorified as
His Word goes forward to
the Rutul people, and they
will embrace their Savior!
Rutul People in Azerbaijan
P
lop, plop! The shepherds had just finished
gathering their sheep behind the fence when the
first raindrops began falling. From high up on the
mountain they could see their village below before
they pulled the door shut on the shelter. The older
men pulled loaves of bread and jerky strips from their
bags for lunch while they waited out the autumn
storm. “You see?” they shouted to the teenagers as
they darted outside to check on the livestock, “Last
night’s ritual did summon the rain!”
Although the Rutul converted to Islam centuries ago,
a strong connection to nature and magic makes up
their worldview. Dotted along the steep mountainous
landscape, above gorges and torrential rivers, you can
find small Rutul villages. In each village and in each
family’s compound, there is a small mosque, leftover
evidence of Arab imperialism centuries earlier. But
the 40,000 Rutul people of Azerbaijan live in such
remote mountainous areas that little outside influence
has changed their culture. These Rutul enjoy the
traditional life of animal husbandry, weaving, growing
wheat, pottery making, and leatherwork.
The Rutul have not yet been given a clear
presentation of the gospel, and there are no followers
of Christ among them. No JESUS Film or radio
broadcast is available to them. Their language, also
called Rutul, was not in written form until the 1990s.
Pray that Scriptures will be translated into their language, and that the Rutul people will recognize the
Creator in His Creation.—LR
32
Budug People of Azerbaijan
H
ow would you like to have a name which means
“angry” or violent”? The Budug people, who live
in Azerbaijan and southern Russia’s Dagestan region,
have such a name.
The Joshua Project estimates that this pastoral people
number 1,000, while Wikipedia estimates their
population at 516. The 1926 census figures lumped
them together with Azerbaijanis. Whatever their
numbers, the Russian Soviets, “stifled the natural
development of the people; ... the old structures of
the community have disintegrated ... mixed marriages
have increased (and) ... people migrated to the plains”
from the mountains, according to The Red Book of
the Peoples of the Russian Empire. Since the collapse of the USSR, change has
accelerated among the Budug people creating a
generation gap. The younger Budug population is
more open to change, and Islamic traditions are
disappearing among them. Although the Budug
are bilingual, those who are literate read only in
Azerbaijani. Furthermore, they are isolated in three
villages, only accessible during the summer. Therefore,
the web site “Prayer Guard” asks us to pray for the
creation of “relevant, culturally sensitive Christcentered radio and TV programs.” This people group
does not have any part of the Bible in their language.
Nor is the JESUS Film available in Budug.
Day 24
2 Corinthians 4:15
All this is for your benefit,
so that the grace that
is reaching more and
more people may cause
thanksgiving to overflow to
the glory of God.
I have said this before, but
it’s worth repeating. Worship
involves acknowledging who
He is, thanking Him for what
He had done, and giving Him
praise! Imagine if you will, all
the unreached people groups
we are praying for this month
doing this for the glory of God!
Pray for thanksgiving and
praise to go out among the
unreached in Azerbaijan to
the true King of Kings.
Pray for radio and TV gospel broadcasts in their language
and for the JESUS Film to be produced in Budug and
made easily available. Pray for Bible translation to begin
and be welcomed by the Budug people. Faithfully pray for
this group.—TP
33
Day 25
…that God was reconciling
the world to himself
in Christ, not counting
people’s sins against them.
And he has committed
to us the message of
reconciliation.
Reconciliation with the God
of Creation is what workers
bring to the nations. They
are, as the next verse says,
ambassadors for Christ. What
could be a higher calling
than to take the message of
reconciliation and the offer of
a pardon for sin to the world?
Have you considered what an
honor this is for the workers
you support with your
finances and prayers?
Thank Him for the privilege
of being part of taking the
message of reconciliation to
unreached nations like the
Tabasarans. Pray that God
will enable you to increase
your financial and prayer
support for the missionaries.
34
Tabasaran People in Azerbaijan
T
he old man had seen a lot of change in his
lifetime. His people had once lived in extended
family households. Now his grandchildren lived
by themselves. Unplanned highland housing had
increasingly given way to planned communities in
the lowlands. They had cultural centers, running
water, and electricity. Most of the traditional arts
and crafts had disappeared. They could now purchase
new varieties of food.
Much of the change came during the years of Soviet
planning, but even that had changed. The Soviet
Union is no more; Azerbaijan is now an independent
state. Soviet political stability is lacking, and now
there is political insecurity. Yet some things remain unchanged, like poverty
and Sunni Islam. Here traditions hold firm. Despite
madrasas (Muslim schools) with their focus on the
Qur’an, the people still practice the ancient local
cults associated with nature and Muslim saints. The
old man wondered if Allah was pleased by all the
change. But then Allah had willed it; and who was
he to believe otherwise. Fewer than two percent of
the Tabasaran follow Jesus.
Therefore, pray that God will send a vital Christian witness, divine dreams and visions, prayer warriors, and
local church outreach to this unreached and unengaged
people group. Pray that the Tabasaran will become curious concerning Jesus, and that they will seek to know
Him. Pray that some church will adopt the Tabasaran
people group.—TP
Day 26
Talysh People
2 Corinthians 3:16
“I
’m ready to go.”
Altua glanced up at
his wife and then frowned.
“Where is your head scarf?
Where is your chador?”
Galay waved her hand
over her slacks and shirt.
Taylish Women
With a sheepish smile she
said, “You don’t like this?
It’s the latest fashion.” “Liking it is not the issue,” Altua
replied. “It is Western. It is not what a proper Muslim
woman should wear.” Galay sighed deeply. “No Talysh
woman—Muslim or not—would wear a chador. Not
today in Azerbaijan. That is too old fashioned.” “It is
not an issue of fashion,” Altua argued, his teeth barred.
“It is tradition. And it is our religion.”
Though the Talysh are Shi’ite Muslims, they are at a
cultural and religious crossroads. The influence of the
Western media and consumerism has intruded, and
they are now faced with difficult choices.
Mixed in with their increasingly confused religious
beliefs and rituals is a lingering fear of the spirit
world. Though they are Muslims, many Talysh people
continue to be concerned with appeasing unseen gods
of nature.
But whenever anyone
turns to the Lord, the veil
is taken away.
When there is a veil over
your eyes, what do you see?
Nothing, right? With the veil,
you walk in darkness, groping
around without direction
or purpose. But when the
veil is removed, one can
see the light! Isn’t the true
Light worth offering to the
unreached peoples?
Pray that the veil will be
removed from the eyes of the
Talysh people of Azerbaijan
so that they can see the light
of the gospel. Pray that they
will turn to the Lord and
walk in His light.
Ask the Lord to reveal His plans and purposes to the Talysh
people. Pray for the gospel to be presented to the Talysh as a
guide to their future. Pray that they will understand that
Jesus gives life to the fullest. Ask the Lord to put this people
group on the hearts of mission agencies. Pray for laborers to
be prepared and sent.—CL
35
Day 27
1 Corinthians 9:19
Though I am free and
belong to no man, I make
myself a slave to everyone,
to win as many as possible.
One of the things the rest
of the world misses by
not following Christ is
the understanding of true
leadership. To lead is to
serve… like the Messiah
who taught that to be the
leader, you must be the
servant or slave of all. Paul
echoes this sentiment here.
What will it take for Muslim
peoples like the Tsakhurs
to embrace such a radical,
counter-intuitive message?
Pray that the Lord will
show us what it means
to become slaves to the
world’s peoples and use our
submission to draw many
to faith in Christ Jesus.
36
Tsakhur People of Azerbaijan
“F
ather, why don’t we have any books?” The man
looked at his son and slowly began to explain.
“We speak a very special language. Few outsiders
have ever learned to speak it. And we have never had
a written language.” The boy nodded, but was clearly
still puzzled. “The Russians tried to force writing
on us, but we resisted them. We do not need them
to show us how to live,” the man said proudly. “But
father, how can we ever hope to read the great books
of the world?” “We have the Qur’an in Arabic. That
is all we need.”
Until a translation agency decides to minister to
the Tsakhur, learn their very complicated and
difficult language and create a corresponding written
language, this people group will remain Bible-less.
More than a thousand years ago many Tsakhur heard
the gospel and responded by choosing to follow
Christ. However, without a Bible they were unable
to pass on their faith to the following generations.
Today the Tsakhur are considered an unreached
people group. There are no known followers of
Christ among them.
Pray for mission groups to focus their efforts on the
Tsakhur. Pray for the Bible to be translated into their
language and for many Tsakhur to put their faith in
Christ.—CL
Wahhabi Muslims in Azerbaijan
T
ofig’s mind was whirling. Things were happening
so fast, and he was beginning to wonder if he
was backing the wrong form of Islam. First, two
Azerbaijani policemen were killed when they tried to
approach a car loaded with middle-eastern men. Then
the Azerbaijani government condemned his Wahhabidominated mosque for preaching violent, extremist
rhetoric. He knew that Wahhabis not only sought to
eliminate western “infidels,” but attacked moderate
Sunni and Shi’ite people as well, not believing them
to be true Muslims. Are the Wahhabis the only true
Muslims, or are they using religion as an excuse to
take power?
Wahhabi extremists originated in Saudi Arabia and
have the stated goal of conquering the world for Islam
by “conversion or the sword.” They are extremely
well financed by their oil-rich patrons, and they see
Azerbaijan’s oil reserves as a strategic step toward
meeting their goal. Sharia law is the only law they
recognize, and they feel it is their duty to inflict it on
the whole earth.
Pray that the Holy Spirit may fling the veil of deception
away from these people, and the truth of the gospel of Jesus
Christ will be revealed to the Wahhabis of Azerbaijan.
Pray that they will no longer be tools in the hands of the
evil one who comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but might
have their souls saved by accepting the gift of salvation
through faith in Christ.—PE
Day 28
2 Corinthians 5:7
For we live by faith,
not by sight.
This is an area where
secularists think that we are
crazy. If all there is in the
world is matter, and there
is no intelligent Lord and
designer, then all we can
do is walk by sight. But the
Bible tells us to walk by faith.
And it can’t be faith in just
anything or anyone. It has to
be faith in the true and living
God who loves us. Today we
are praying for a religious
group that is very zealous,
and they have much faith.
But the faith is misdirected
with tragic results.
Pray that those laboring
in the Turkic world will
see faith in the loving Lord
Jesus rise up as they take
the Name above all Names
to Azerbaijan.
37
Day 29
God…through us spreads
everywhere the fragrance
of the knowledge of Him.
For we are to God the aroma
of Christ among those
who are being saved and
those who are perishing.
To the one…death; to the
other…life.
Note the two facts especially
relevant to the frontier
mission movement:
missionaries bring the
fragrant gospel of Jesus
Christ, and that message
brings both life…and death!
Some will accept it as the
aroma of life, while others
will reject it as the stench of
death. This includes people
with high morals.
Pray that His Word will be
quickly understood and
taken to heart throughout
Azerbaijan, and may
multiplied thousands find
new life in Christ.
38
Zoroastrians in Azerbaijan
T
ariq laughed at his
children scurrying
around the house trying
to find the seven items. “It
is Norouz! … the new
year!” Finally the children
found all the items, which
A Zoroastrian young man
they placed on a tray to
symbolize good things
such as truth, justice, good thoughts and deeds. Then,
they placed the tray on a table.
Tariq’s family is Zoroastrian. Their faith was founded
in Persia before Islam overcame Iran. They worship
Mazda, and at their new year celebration they sing
to fire which is key to their worship. The name of
Tariq’s country, Azerbaijan, means “the keepers of
the fire.” They believe all things on earth are either
the truth or a lie. All good things are truth, and all
evil things are lies. They believe the world’s evil will
eventually be destroyed by fire and molten metal. A
large Zoroastrian temple still exists in Baku where
eternal fires burn from gas plumes.
Pray for God to protect the Zoroastrian people in
Azerbaijan. As Islamic extremists move into the country, they will become more vulnerable. Pray that Christ’s
followers will be called of God to go to them in the Name
of Jesus Pray that the truth of Jesus will be clear to them,
and they will be saved from the eternal fire that they
recognize as coming. Pray that there will be an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Azerbaijan, and many will be
saved.—PE
Baha’i in Azerbaijan
“W
hat a wonderful, tolerant religion!” So think
2000 people in Azerbaijan. “We can all
be one in unity before God. He has sent messengers
throughout the ages: Buddha, Mohammed, Jesus,
Confucius, and many others. All religions are equal
and lead to God.”
By spreading this doctrine many fatwas have been
issued for those converting from Islam to the 19th
century Iranian-based Baha’i religion. Fatwas are
a pronouncement calling for their death. Islamic
extremists aren’t so tolerant, and they prefer to stamp
out disagreements with violence.
The Baha’i religion found its way to Azerbaijan before
this country was a Soviet republic, and the powerful
Communists were not happy with its followers either.
The USSR confiscated their temples and harassed
their people. To this day the Baha’is are asking for
the return of their temple building which remains
in Azerbaijani government hands. During the worst
oppression their ranks nearly disappeared; but they
are now back to the 2000 people they started with.
There are five million Baha’is worldwide according to
Operation World.
Baha’i hearts are deceived by pretty rhetoric about
unity, worldwide love, and universal salvation.
However, the Bible states that Jesus is the way, the
truth, and the life, and no man comes to the Father
but through Him. Jesus is the only way, not one of
the ways.ray that Baha’i hearts will be opened to see
the truth of the Scriptures.
Day 30
2 Corinthians 3:12
Therefore, since we have such
a hope, we are very bold.
How bold are you in your
witness about Christ? If you
lack boldness, you are not
alone. This verse tells us what
could be our problem: We
aren’t leaning on the hope
we have in Christ. Do we rely
on the hope that His ways
are true? Do we rely on His
deliverance? Witnessing to
the Baha’i people is not likely
to be resisted with violence.
But it will be resisted through
arguments concerning the
uniqueness of Christ.
Pray that workers among the
Baha’i people will have such
a strong hope in Christ that
they will have the boldness to
passionately tell them about
the Risen Savior.
Pray that these well-meaning people will be introduced to
the only Anointed One.—PE
39
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Editorial
October 2013
Dear Praying Friends,
This month we are praying
for the Persian bloc which
means the people groups
that speak a Persian based
language. This does not
mean that we are praying
only for Iran. Most of these
groups live in Iran, but you will also pray for some
groups that live in Afghanistan, Oman, and even
Russia. Though the Persians, also called “Iranians”,
will be prominent in this issue, they are not the only
people group that speaks a Persian-based language.
Before you start your prayers, make sure you read
Justin Long’s piece about why the gospel is making
strong inroads into the Persian bloc. You will also
find that, perhaps, the best missionary for Christ in
Iran today could be the Ayatollah Khomeini. Do you
want to know why? Read his article and be thrilled.
Hopefully you will be motivated to pray for Persian
people for years to come. So get ready, get set, and
pray!
In Christ,
Keith Carey, managing editor, GPD
RECORDS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS
Pasadena, CA 91104-2721
Tel: (330) 626-3361
[email protected]
MANAGING EDITOR
Keith Carey
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WRITERS
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Patti Ediger
Wesley Kawato
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Esther Jerome-Dharmaraj
Christopher Lane
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Ted Proffitt
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Jeff Rockwell
Jean Smith
Jane W. Sveska
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Dave Dougherty, Director of Plans
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Keith Carey, Managing Editor, GPD
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46
Feature of the Month
Pray for a Strong Fellowship for Every
People Group in the Persian Bloc
IRAN
Caspia
Sea n
TURKMEN.
IRAQ
IRAN
ian
s
Per
lf
Gu
SAUDI
ARABIA
AFGHANISTAN
Tehran
47
Background
48
Iran’s Simmering Spiritual
Revolution
W
hen we think of Iranians, we are often tempted
to think of the stereotypical images that we have
all seen on television--raging mobs, burning flags,
and anti-Western signs. These pictures deeply skew our view of
the Iranian Persian people. The Persians have an ancient and
interesting culture, and Persia is the second most mentioned
nation in the Bible. Although today we equate Iran with Shi’ite
Islam, this too is a mistake we must look beyond. The Persian
ethnic group and Iran have been deeply marked by the 1979
Revolution, but Persian culture is currently changing markedly,
and it is opening up to the gospel.
Smaller Families and Urbanization
Let’s begin with the fact that modern Persians are having fewer
children. In the last century about half of all Persian families
had five or more children. Today, less than a third do. Moreover,
Persians are getting married later in life. Women get married later
because they are seeking other opportunities. Men marry later
because they do not believe they can support a family. Many are
choosing never to marry at all. The government of Iran is trying to
reverse this trend, but their efforts are largely failing.
In addition, many Persians are leaving the countryside and heading
to the cities. Women are seeking education and employment,
and they are willing to violate social norms to do so. Men are also
looking for jobs. Tehran is a magnet for people, and it has grown
to be one of the world’s largest cities with over 12 million people.
Other cities in Iran are also growing rapidly. By 2050, more than
80 percent of Iranians (mostly ethnic Persians) will live in the
cities. These two trends are important signs of the massive amount
of distress and unrest among Iranians today.
Distress and Unrest
Iran is in the middle of a slow, but certain cultural unraveling.
The young are frustrated with the theocratic restrictions laid upon
Iran’s Simmering Spiritual Revolution
them. They are pessimistic about the future due to the disintegration of the Iranian
economy. Over three-quarters of Iran’s economy is directly under the control of the
government through nationalized industries, as well as companies controlled by
the Republican Guard and Islamic charities. They blame the government for high
inflation, a decline in living standards, and nearly 30 percent unemployment. Persians
are very angry and disillusioned with government leadership. Most would like to see
change, but few are optimistic about the possibility.
In addition to the economy, the office of the Supreme Leader directly controls the
process by which political candidates are chosen, thus perpetuating its own power.
The Republican Guards and basij paramilitary forces are used to ruthlessly suppress
internal dissent. With little hope for a future in Iran, many Iranians are taking the
extraordinarily difficult step of seeking asylum and life abroad.
Destructive Vices: Drugs and Prostitution
Those that remain often find themselves falling into the intractable structures of
sin that are steadily destroying the nation. Iran is involved in drug-manufacturing,
smuggling, and sex and drug trafficking. This nation suffers one of the worst drug
addiction rates in the world. There are estimates of over three million Iranian drug
addicts, many millions more with a “problem,” and over 130,000 new addicts per
year. Pornography and prostitution are rampant, especially in the cities. According
to estimates, there are probably 250 brothels and 84,000 prostitutes in Tehran alone.
Many prostitutes are young women married to drug addict husbands who force
them to work the streets. Divorce is becoming widespread; in 2010, one in every four
marriages in Tehran ended in divorce.
While many men are caught up in these soul-destroying patterns, women are
breaking cultural norms and seeking more education and opportunities. After the
1979 Revolution, women lost many of the rights they had under the Pahlavi Regime.
But in the years since the revolution, the government has been encouraging women
to seek an education. Recently however, the government began reversing course
because women have become more active in protesting the government and seeking
even more opportunities. Tehran launched restrictions in 2013 on the education of
women, along with a campaign advocating early marriage and larger families. The
role of women in society is at a boiling point.
Aspirations Fed By Technology
Many of the aspirations and ideas of Iranians are being fed by the increasingly
widespread availability of technology. Although illegal in many forms, many
(especially the young) seek it out. Mobile phones are common, although closely
continued on next page
49
Background
50
monitored by the government. Television broadcasting in Iran
is theoretically under state control, but there is a rampant black
market for satellite receivers that give people access to Western
programming. The Internet is broadly available in the cities and
increasingly in the countryside. Although Iran attempts to censor,
block, and monitor the web, the resourcefulness of Iranians in
gaining access to everything in the web is amazing.
Thus Persians and other ethnic groups in Iran are gaining a wider
view of the world, particularly the West. The average Persian is far
more appreciative of Western values than the government would
like. While the Tehran government battles the West in its rhetoric,
the youth on the streets idealize the West. Christianity is one of the
things they learn a lot about from satellite television.
Christianity in Iran
Christianity in Iran has a history dating back to the book of Acts. In
the early years of the church Iranian bishops attended international
conferences, and Persian Christians were among those who took
the gospel east, perhaps as far as China. With the coming of Islam
in the 7th century, Christians became second-class citizens in Iran,
but the church endured. Today Christians are a very small minority
among the Persians, and the total number is uncertain. Historically,
Christians in Iran have usually been Armenian or Assyrian
Orthodox. Most of the Orthodox Christians are nominal believers,
and their numbers have been dwindling because they have been
emigrating out of Iran.
The number of Persian Muslim-background believers has been
estimated in the hundreds of thousands, and all that we know
for sure is that this number is growing steadily. Popular disgust
with fundamentalist Islam has sparked modern church growth.
Persians have seen first hand what the iron fist of a radical Islamic
theocracy is like. Many Persians are rejecting this kind of Islam and
secularizing, abandoning the practice of Islam. Those who have
secularized have come to faith in Christ after watching Christian
TV programs.
If disgust is the spark, the fuel has been the many decades of
missionary labor in Iran prior to the Revolution, coupled with
Iran’s Simmering Spiritual Revolution
increased evangelism in recent times. Bibles handed out decades ago and left
forgotten on shelves are now being taken down and read. People remember stories
they heard as youths; now, they hear them again on television. The labors of faithful
men and women are now seeing their reward.
The impact of the Persian language media aimed at Iran over the past decade should
not be underestimated. Significant efforts in broadcasting and Bible distribution are
bringing awareness and an understanding of Christ to millions. Tens of thousands
have responded overtly, and perhaps hundreds of thousands are secret believers. We
will probably not know the full extent of the spread of the gospel for decades.
Recent martyrs have also had an impact. Although we weep for their deaths, we
should know they did not die in vain. Of particular note were the martyrdoms of
Bishop Haik Hovsepian and Rev. Mehdi Dibaj in the mid-1990s. Thousands of
Muslim-background believers boldly attended their funerals. Persecution, arrest, and
martyrdom have continued to show the hard side of Islam, and made Persians even
more interested in this faith that people are willing to die for.
Although many Christians in the West may have a “stereotypical” image of Persians,
we should work hard to learn about Iran—this ancient, biblical land—and its people.
Today Iranians are one of the Muslim people groups most open to the gospel. If the
Church reaches out to Iranians now, the world might forever be changed. Thousands
of Persian believers would certainly transform Iran.
Let’s Pray!
• Pray for a full harvest of Muslim background believers in Iran.
• Pray that the efforts of Iran’s government to Islamize their nation will completely discredit Islam in the eyes of the common people.
• Pray that the Holy Spirit will give a hunger for truth and righteousness to
members of every Persian people group and will lead them to Jesus.
• Pray that the Lord will use Persian believers to spread the Kingdom of God
throughout Central Asia.
51
Day 1
Philippians 1:3-5
I thank my God…because
of your partnership in the
gospel from the first day
until now.
Even on what she expected
to be a short-term mission,
Jane needed many people
to partner with her ministry.
There had to be people to
fund her work, as well as
those who would pray for
her. Just like the Apostle Paul,
missionaries need others to
partner with them. When
you partner with a missionary
through prayer and finances,
you become part of a team
that the Lord uses to reach a
particular people group.
Pray that we will feel
honored as we partner
with missionaries in today’s
world. Pray that instead of
being concerned about our
finances, we will walk in
faith when the Lord calls
us to faithfully fund
mission efforts.
52
Missionary Biography, Jane Doolittle
S
hortly after graduation from Wells College in
1921, Jane Doolittle arrived in Tehran, alone
and uncertain. Jane had come to Tehran to take the
place of another young woman who had expected
to teach biology in a mission school. She felt sure
that this would only be a “short term” assignment.
She had signed the pledge at the Student Volunteer
Conference in Des Moines, stating she purposed to
become a foreign missionary. But it was Africa where
she hoped to serve, and as a doctor. She had no plans
to work as a schoolteacher in Tehran! Little did she
realize that she would spend most of the next 58
years in Persia, now called Iran.
Within days of arriving in Tehran, Miss Doolittle
faced her first class. She realized immediately that
her students understood very little English, and she
would have to make adjustments in her teaching.
Toward the end of Jane’s three-year term of service,
she became ill and was advised to return home in
1924. In New York she made the rounds to various
specialists. She told them of her digestive problems.
But what caused her the greatest discomfort were
the severe back pains caused, the doctors said, by
a “slipped disc.” They recommended orthopedic
surgery. Jane had not given up her dreams of
becoming a medical doctor, but now she had to face
the fact that she simply did not have the energy that
would be demanded of a doctor.
Pray for flexibility for today’s missionaries.—AL
W
hile recuperating from the surgery, Jane
received an invitation to become the principal
of Iran Bethel, the school where she had taught. It
was a tremendous honor, since she was only 25. In
preparation, she started work towards a Master’s degree
in Educational Administration at Columbia University,
and took a course in Bible.
When she returned to Iran, Doolittle studied the
Persian language and culture for a year before assuming
her responsibilities as principal at Iran Bethel. At
this time, less than one percent of the population was
literate. There were practically no schools except for the
few small private institutions.
Now, Miss Doolittle was ready. She had the education,
a heart of love, and real compassion for the Iranians.
Most of the students who came to Iran Bethel were
Muslims. When they registered they were told that it
was a Christian school and that they would study the
Bible, attend daily chapel, and participate in Christian
prayers. Even so, the parents signed their agreement.
Muslim students were intrigued by the fact that
Christian prayers seemed un-memorized, very personal,
and rather informal.
While Miss Doolittle was on furlough in 1931, the
Reza Shah came into power. He issued a decree to
end the enrollment of Persian children in all primary
schools run by foreigners. This meant that about threefourths of the enrollment at mission schools would
be eliminated. In 1935 the name of the school was
changed from “Iran Bethel” to “Nurbakhsh,” meaning
“light-giving.”
Pray for a Holy Spirit-led “ light-giving” direction for
workers in Central Asia.—AL
Day 2
1 Timothy 4:12
Don’t let anyone look down
on you because you are
young, but set an example
for the believers in speech,
in life, in love, in faith, and
in purity.
It was a true blessing that
Jane Doolittle was honored
as a teacher when she was
only 25 years old. Despite her
young age and the fact she
was a woman in a Muslim
country, Jane was able to
perform her duties well.
Notice how her example of
“un-memorized, personal,
and informal prayer” was a
good testimony to her Muslim
students and their families
of what it means to have a
relationship with God. Will
we give young workers in
today’s world the honor, and
responsibility to do what Jane
Doolittle did in the 1920s?
Pray that young,
inexperienced missionaries
in today’s world will rise to
the challenges they face.
53
Day 3
1 Timothy 6:20
Timothy, guard what has
been entrusted to your care.
I
Each of us has received
a trust from God; that is,
a deposit of knowledge,
resources, and gifts. God
expects us to exercise
responsible stewardship of
this trust, both to maintain
it and to invest it so as to
accomplish His purposes.
This is the essence of
stewardship: using resources
to fulfill responsibilities.
Jane Doolittle was a great
example of a person who
used what God gave her to
accomplish His purposes.
Pray that you will have
the faith to use what He
entrusted to you, so that you
can serve Him well. Pray that
you will not succumb to the
temptation to misuse God’s
gifts for the wrong purposes.
54
n 1938, the Iranian government nationalized
all foreign-run schools, paying for the property
only what it had originally cost instead of its
appreciated value. With their schools gone, many of
the educational missionaries decided to leave. Jane
Doolittle, however, felt she had been sent to Iran
to share Christ. That had not changed. With her
language skill and love for the people, surely there
was something she could do.
Reviving her old interest in medicine, she opened
a clinic in her home, treating the poor women and
children. She financed this work with the money
paid by the Ministry of Education for the school
property, and it was known as the “Doolittle project.”
By 1971, Jane had been in Persia for 50 years! At a
celebration in her honor, she was presented with a
gold medal by the Minister of Education, the highest
educational award ever given in Iran.
Then, in 1977 it seemed that history would repeat
itself: rumors stated that the Ministry of Health
would close all private clinics, including the Doolittle
Clinic. Hoping to avoid this, Miss Doolittle asked
an Iranian doctor to take the clinic under his
jurisdiction, thus insuring its continuance.
Jane Doolittle was in the U.S. in 1979 when the Ayatollah
Khomeini returned to Iran and declared the country to
be an Islamic Republic. Though Miss Doolittle longed
to return to Iran, she was not permitted to do so—AL
from “Is Love Lost? Mosaics in the Life of Jane Doolittle
‘Angel Mother’ in a Muslim Land,” by Elizabeth C. Kay
Voorhees, William Carey Library, 1988.
Day 4
Persian People
Galatians 5:6
O
IRAN
Caspia
Sea n
TURKMEN.
IRAQ
IRAN
ian
s
Per
lf
Gu
SAUDI
ARABIA
AFGHANISTAN
Tehran
ver the last few
decades Persians
(aka, Iranians) have been
in a long war, lost loved
ones, had their businesses
ruined, and seen their
places of worship
desecrated. According
to one source (www.
justinlong.org/persia),
Iranians are growing
increasingly discontented
with their Islamic
government. Young people
are turning from their
parents’ empty rituals
and religious beliefs and
seeking deeper spiritual
truth. Many are even
turning to Jesus Christ!
God said, “If my people who are called by my name,
will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and
turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from
heaven and I will forgive their sin and heal their land”
(2 Chronicles 7:14). Iran needs healing! Will you pray
for this partially-harvested field?
Pray for believers in Iran and believing Persians in every
other country to fall on their knees and seek the face of the
God of the universe. God isn’t willing for any to perish.
He wishes for every one of his creations to worship Him
in spirit and in truth. Pray He will reveal Himself to
Persians in visions and dreams. Pray for Persians in high
places to come to faith in Jesus and to turn others to the
Lord. Pray for those Iranians who hear Christian broadcasts to turn to the one true living God.—JWS
For in Christ Jesus
neither circumcision nor
uncircumcision has any
value. The only thing that
counts is faith expressing
itself through love.
In this passage, Paul stresses
that it is not our “following
the law” response that makes
us acceptable to God, but our
willingness to express our
faith through love. You can
see a stark contrast between
Shi’ite Muslims who live by
the law, and believers who
demonstrate their faith in
God by sharing His love in
practical ways. Read today’s
entry about how the gospel is
taking hold of Persian youths.
How does this verse fit in with
how the gospel has spread
in Iran?
Pray that Persian believers
will express their faith
through love, paving the
way for Persian Muslims to
find Jesus.
55
Day 5
1 Timothy 6:8
But if we have food and
clothing, we will be content
with that.
Food and clothing: the list is
short when we tally the real
necessities of life. Even if we
expand this list to include
shelter, health care, etc. the
list is still much shorter than
that of our monthly budget.
Today a bottleneck in frontier
mission expansion is due
to a lack of funding for new
ventures. Mission agencies
are willing to lead. Young
people are willing to go. But
finances are not available.
Why? Did God miscalculate
the resources needed to
accomplish His work? Or have
those resources, committed to
his stewards, been diverted to
other uses?
Pray that we will be found
faithful stewards of what He
has given us.
Tajik Speaking People
A
s he returned from
grazing his cattle,
Behruz invited strange
glances from his friends
and family in their small
hamlet tucked away in
the Pamir Mountain
Tajik women
range in Afghanistan.
Women stood at the entrances of their mud houses.
Pulling their shawls over their heads, they smiled and
whispered to each other. The men yelled greetings to
Behruz, curiosity written in every greeting. The flock
of sheep went ahead of Behruz. There was nothing
unusual about that; rural Tajik men are usually
herdsmen. It was the presence of a Western traveler
that summoned such marvel and wonderment.
“Who is that?” yelled a man. “Someone I met on the
way home,” replied Behruz. Unable to understand
any of the exchange, the traveller smiled and waved.
“We can’t have him standing there like that,” said an
elderly patriarch. “It’s time to cook a warm hearty
meal to welcome this stranger.” A group of women
rushed to their homes to prepare a delicious meal.
The Tajiks’ hospitality is legendary. No stranger has
left their midst without first enjoying their warmth
and kindness. This people group comprises onequarter of Afghanistan’s population, and they are the
dominant people group in Tajikistan. The Tajiks are
descended from the Persian people, and they were
forcefully converted to Islam in the seventh century.
Pray that God would send out His ambassadors to share
the gospel with the Tajik people. Pray for aid workers
who can bring relief to this impoverished region of the
world.—EJD
56
Mazanderani Speaking People in Iran
H
amdi’s eyes were fixed on the buffaloes that
were grazing in the highlands of Iran, but his
mind was hundreds of miles away. He wanted to go
to the big city. “I do not want to keep living in these
mountains,” he muttered. The last time he was in his
uncle’s village he saw what appeared like drawings on
a page. He asked his cousin what it was. “That’s Farsi.
Our language, Mazanderani, is similar, but Farsi has a
script, so people can read and write it.” Sitting alone in
the pastures, Hamdi thought about how nice it would
be to be able to write down all that crosses my mind.
Day 6
Galatians 6:9
Let us not become weary
in doing good, for at the
proper time we will reap a
harvest if we do not give up.
The Mazanderani people are an ethnic mix of Turkic
tribes, Armenians, and Russian immigrants. They
speak Mazanderani, a Persian-based language that
remains unwritten. Agricultural reforms have greatly
helped the Mazanderani people. However, some still
choose the nomadic lifestyle of their ancestors. They
are all Muslims, and the gospel eludes them.
Taking the gospel to a people
who have never heard it is
demanding—physically,
mentally, emotionally, and
most of all spiritually. Yet the
harvest comes only after years
of sowing seed. Satan’s major
weapons—discouragement,
disunity, disease, and delay—
are often aimed at those
who labor on the front lines
of the advance of the gospel.
The apostle Paul needed the
prayers of the saints. How
much more do the frontier
missionaries of today!
Pray that missionaries and language experts will soon
develop a script for the Mazanderani people so that this
group can read about the true and living God in their
native tongue. Pray for their leaders to have dreams
and visions so that they will open their hearts to the
Savior.—EJD
Pray for those missionaries
you know who are taking
the gospel to those who
have never heard. Pray that
they will not become weary
in doing good.
“Boy, watch out for that buffalo!” yelled Hamdi’s father,
pointing to an errant beast that was attempting to
climb a steep slope. Snapped out of his literary dream,
Hamdi got up and ran after the buffalo.
57
Day 7
Matthew 7:13,14
Enter through the narrow
gate. For wide is the gate
and broad is the road that
leads to destruction, and
many enter through it.
One of the fatal decisions
that some Muslims make is
to assume that if their good
deeds outweigh their bad
ones, than they will be saved.
The problem is that the
Lord’s standard is absolute
perfection, something that He
alone can offer. The narrow
gate means to depend solely
on Him to get you to heaven,
and the wide gate means to
depend on your good deeds or
anything else.
Pray that the Muslim Gilaki
people will seek and find the
narrow gate. Pray that this
will be the time when many
from the Gilaki group will
enter the narrow gate.
58
Gilaki People of Iran
T
he Iranian man turned the silk over and over in
his hands. “It is very fine,” he muttered, “very
fine.” “Of course it is fine,” the salesman at the booth
said with a smile. He then looked to his son. “Tell
him, Atash.” “We are the Gilakis, and we make
the finest silk in the world,” the boy said proudly.
The Iranian replied, “I have long heard about the
quality of your silk. Now I see with my own eyes.
Please write a sales ticket, and start an account for
me. Write down your address so that I can find you
again when I return to Gilan Province on business.”
The salesman’s smile disappeared. “Cash deals only,”
he said gruffly. “And no credit accounts.” The buyer
sighed, and consented. They reached a deal.
The Gilaki people are farmers who grow rice, tea,
tobacco, and raise silkworms. They are known for
producing fine silk, glass, and soap.
However, many of the Gilaki people are illiterate.
They do not have a written language. Educated
Gilaki speak and write Farsi.
Pray for translators to develop a written form of Gilaki
and for the Bible to be translated into this language. Pray
for the good news to reach the Gilaki people through radio,
audio Bibles, and the JESUS Film. Ask the Lord to move
powerfully in drawing the members of this unreached
people group into relationship with Him through His
Son.—CL
Larestani People
“I
am not saying I do not believe,” Taher said
quietly. “I am only saying I am not sure what I
believe.” “Blasphemy!” his father shouted, shaking
his head. “Do not say such things! You are Muslim. I
am Muslim. My father was Muslim. Our family is
and has been Muslim for hundreds of years. I have
taught you. You have been to mosque.” His voice
trailed away and he stood scowling at his son. “Father,”
Taher continued, “We have prayed to Allah. But think
about it. We are still poor. The farm still needs rain.
Allah does not hear us. Why can’t we try something
else? A friend told me about the Prophet Isa. What
if we prayed to him?” “Silence!” his father demanded.
“There will be no talk of Isa in this house!”
The Larestani are a small people group of 108,000
mostly in the Larestan area of Iran’s Fars Province.
They speak many different dialects of their language,
and they are scattered across a vast region of Iran.
They do not share a language with the other people
groups of Iran. Neither do they share their religion.
While most people in Iran are Shi’ite Muslims, the
Larestani are Sunnis.
Pray for Bible translation groups to make progress in providing the Larestani with God’s Word in their heart language. Pray for the Larestani to have the opportunity to
hear the gospel through Bible recordings. Pray for many of
the Larestani to put their faith in Christ.—CL
Day 8
Romans 10:13
Everyone who calls on
the Name of the Lord
will be saved.
Everyone! Everyone! We know
from other parts of Scripture
that there will come a day
when people from every tribe,
tongue, and nation (people
group) will worship the Lord.
But, as Paul points out in other
parts of Romans 10, they
can’t call on the Name of the
Lord if they don’t know the
Name. Today’s entry is about
the Larestani people who
lack what most others have in
terms of Bible-based materials.
Pray that soon the Name of
the Lord will be proclaimed
among the Larestani people
in any way He wants. Pray
that this will be the time of
their deliverance from sin
and death.
59
Day 9
Galatians 1:15-16
God, who set me apart
… and called me by His
grace, was pleased to
reveal His Son in me so
that I might preach Him
among the Gentiles.
Has it ever occurred to you
that like Paul, you have
been “set apart?” We are all
part of the body of Christ,
so we have different gifts
and assignments, but one
purpose: the extension of His
Kingdom. That assignment
involves revealing His Son in
various ways. To some this
may involve feeding the poor,
to others it may involve, like it
did with Paul, preaching Him
among the Gentiles.
Thank the Lord that you are
“set apart” to extend His
Kingdom! Thank Him that
today you can help extend
His Kingdom to the Digor
people through your prayers.
60
Digor People of Russia
W
hen one thinks of the Medeo-Persian Empire,
one may think of Daniel or Cyrus the Great,
God’s anointed ones (Daniel 6: 28, II Chronicles
36:23, Isaiah 44:28). One does not usually think of
Russia as home to the Medeo-Persians. Yet today’s
people, the Digor, a Medeo-Persian people, have been
living in Asian Russia since at least the Middle Ages,
if not earlier. Surprisingly they live well outside the
lands that we usually associate with Persian peoples.
Beginning in the 13th century A.D., the Ossetians,
of which the Digors are a sub-group, came under
the influence of the Mongols. In 1784, Russian
colonization began. By then the Digors were Muslims.
According to Wikipedia, there are two districts of
Digors: Digora (Christian) and Iraf (Muslim). These
100,000 people speak the oldest form of the Ossetian
languages. The Muslim Digors are among Asia’s
unreached and unengaged peoples. It is unclear if
they have any gospel resources available to them
except in the Russian language.
Pray that the few Digor believers will witness to their
Muslim kinsmen. Pray that gospel resources will be made
available in the Digor language. Pray for a mission
agency to adopt these people and work among them until
the Digor people are well represented in God’s Kingdom.
Pray that they will be opened to the gospel through dreams,
visions, and gospel materials.—TP
Semnani People of Iran
A
ll of the Semnani tribesmen coughed at least
a little. Sickness was common during the cool
winter months in the barren wastelands of northwestern
Iran. Often the people left their herds of sheep and
goats in the pastures to pray at the mosque. But Allah
didn’t seem to be listening to their prayers. No one was
healed. Their village also had no school. Teachers were
as rare as doctors in many Semnani villages.
Iran’s government has neglected the Semnani people.
That’s why many villages of this people group lack
doctors and teachers. In most Semnani villages only
the imam and a few village leaders can read and write.
No one knows where the Semnani people group came
from or how they came to settle in northwestern
Iran. If this people group knows where they came
from, then they are certainly not telling that story to
outsiders. Missionaries also neglected this Muslim
people group, even before the 1979 revolution when
believers could operate openly in Iran.
Ask God to send faithful workers to heal the sick and teach
children how to read and write. Such activities would open
doors for the message of salvation through Christ. Pray that
God will soon change the laws in Iran, so that believers can
once again operate openly. Ask God to break the hold that
Islam has on this people group, and give them a hunger for
truth and righteousness.—WK
Day 10
Colossians 4:3
And pray for us, too, that
God might open a door for
our message.
We are often tempted to
bemoan closed doors—
areas where the clear
proclamation of the gospel
is prohibited or otherwise
greatly hindered. In a certain
sense closed doors are God’s
responsibility; but they may
be opened by the faithful,
believing prayer of God’s
people. Closed doors are of
special concern to us because
so many of the unreached
peoples are located in areas
that are closed to the gospel.
We know that it is God’s
will that these peoples hear
and respond to His offer of
life in Christ Jesus. We must
remember that we face doors,
not walls, and that they are
only closed—not bolted,
locked, or jammed.
Pray that the Lord will
open doors for the clear
proclamation of His truth
among the unreached and
unengaged Semnani people.
61
Day 11
Ephesians 2:13
But now in Christ Jesus you
who once were far away
have been brought near
through the blood of Christ.
It is all too common for those
who are “far away” in a
physical sense to also be “far
away” from Christ, because
there is no one to tell them
about the true and living
God. What will it take to
reach people groups like the
Khunsaris who live in remote
areas? Though there are a
number of obstacles, one of
them is an unwillingness on
the part of Christ’s followers
to live in remote areas. We
who experience so much of
God’s goodness and grace
must never forget that there
are about 7,000-8,000 people
groups in the world who still
wait for us to come and share
the gospel.
Pray that the Lord will move
Christ’s followers, churches,
and mission agencies to
unite in bringing the good
news to those who are
far off.
62
Khunsari People in Iran
“D
addy, why can’t I go to school?” asked the
boy in the Khunsari village in northwestern
Iran. Irritated, the father shot back, “How can you go
to school if there are no schools? Do you see a school
in this village?”
Most people, including the father, are illiterate in
their own language as well as Farsi, Iran’s trade
language. In most Khunsari villages only the imam
and a few village leaders can read and write. Every
Friday the village imam reads sections of the Qur’an
to the people who are attending the mosque.
The Khunsari people live in northwestern Iran,
a region which is neglected by their government.
There are few doctors or teachers, and most of the
inhabitants are sheep and goat herders.
Few missionaries have ever visited the Khunsari
people group. This was true even before the
revolution of 1979 closed Iran to outreach. They do
not have a Bible in their language, and no mission
agency is trying to reach them, according the Joshua
Project web site. Even today few outsiders visit this
remote region.
Ask God to raise up faithful workers to translate the Bible
into the Khunsari language and teach them how to read.
Pray for Christian doctors to heal the sick and Christian
teachers to instruct the young. Pray that these believers
will walk in the fruit of the Holy Spirit.—WK
Vafsi People of Iran
A
group of missionaries in North America sat at a
long wooden table and listened to an old reelto-reel tape recorder play in a language they were just
starting to learn. After a long time the tape recording
ended with an abrupt click followed by the slap, slap
sound of the end of the tape hitting the tape recorder.
Someone turned the machine off. A middle-aged
man who led the mission group gazed at the others
seated at the table and said, “Those were 24 folk tales
in the Vafsi language which were recorded in 1958.
This is the only known recording of their language.”
A woman seated across the table from him muttered,
“God help us. We need to create a written script for
Vafsi. That’s the only way we can begin translating the
Bible into their language.”
Almost all Vafsi people are Muslim, and there are no
known followers of Jesus Christ among them. Few
Vafsi villages have had visitors since the days when
those recordings were made 55 years ago.
Pray that a mission agency will target the Vafsi people for
outreach. Ask God to raise up faithful workers to create a
written script for Vafsi so that the work of Bible translation can begin. Pray also for open doors. Ask God to show
this people group that trusting Jesus Christ, not obeying the
laws of the Qur’an, is the true source of salvation.—WK
Day 12
Philippians 1:21
For me, to live is Christ and
to die is gain.
What a testimony, what an
inspiration! The apostle Paul
may have been thinking of
Jesus’ words, “The Son of
Man came … to minister
and to give His life a ransom
for many.” In a way a pioneer
missionary gives his life as
a ransom for the people
to whom he is sent. His
ambition is to bring the good
news so that people yet in
darkness can experience
God’s salvation. What is
your ambition? What is the
surpassing goal of your life? Is
it the same as Christ’s or are
you focused on lesser things?
Pray that Jesus will give
all of us a new vision of
Himself in all His beauty and
holiness. Pray that He will
fill us with a passion for His
glory to come to the Vafsis
and other unreached peoples
in the Persian bloc.
63
Day 13
Hebrews 1:3
The Son is the radiance of
God’s glory and the exact
representation of his being,
sustaining all things by his
powerful word. After he had
provided purification for sins,
he sat down at the right hand
of the Majesty in heaven.
Christ did not enter into the
presence of God by means of
the blood of goats and calves;
but he entered the Most Holy
Place once and for all by His
own blood, thus obtaining
eternal redemption. In the
Old Testament the blood
of goats and bulls and the
ashes of a heifer sprinkled on
those who were ceremonially
unclean sanctified them so
that they were outwardly
clean. How much more,
then, will the blood of Christ,
who through the eternal Spirit
offered himself unblemished
to God, cleanse us from sinful
acts that lead to eternal death,
so that we may serve the
living God!
64
Pray for Muslims on the Pilgrimage (First Day)
T
he Hajj is the pinnacle of religious worship
in the lives of Muslims. If they are able, they
are commanded to make a Hajj at least once in
their lifetime. Because the Islamic calendar is based
on the moon’s cycle, the dates of the Hajj change
each year. During these days millions of Muslims
from all over the world will flock to Mecca, Saudi
Arabia, to perform sacred acts and follow the steps of
Mohammed, their prophet. This year, the Hajj will
start on October 13 and last for three or four days.
Pilgrims must enter into the state of Ihram (cleansing
or washing, and wearing white). The white clothing
is a sign showing that all pilgrims are equal in Islam.
Once this cleansing is finished, pilgrims are officially
on the Hajj. As they cross the pilgrimage boundary,
the men will shout a Muslim prayer. “Here I am at
Thy service O Lord, … Thine alone is All Praise and
All Bounty, and Thine alone is The Sovereignty. …”
The first day is a day of cleansing, and visiting the
Ka’aba in the Grand Mosque. Leaving the Grand
Mosque, many pilgrims will walk to the tent city of
Mina where they will spend the night.
Pray for physical safety and protection from disease. Pray
for their spiritual journey to include dreams and visions
of Jesus, the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of God. Pray that devout Muslim pilgrims
would soon hear and learn that only Jesus provides purification for sins.
Pray for Muslims on the Hajj Continued (second day)
T
oday is the most important day of the Hajj.
Muslim scholars say this is the day the religion
of Islam was perfected. The Hajj only becomes valid
when the day of Arafat is observed. For Muslims it is
on this day where they believe their major and minor
sins are forgiven. If they miss this day they have
missed the whole Hajj. Today, they will invoke Allah
for mercy and forgiveness as they stand or sit near
Mount Arafat all day.
Muslims believe that as they finish this day they
are cleansed of sin, which also brings freedom from
shame. At sunset a cannon sounds, and pilgrims leave
Mount Arafat. They will go to Muzdalifah, where
they sleep or stay up all night under the stars, picking
up stones as they go.
Pray that as Muslims complete this day, they would continue longing for the cleansing that they can only receive
through Christ. Let them ask the Father to show them how
to make this cleansing a reality in their lives. Everyone
who trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ receives forgiveness of
sins. Pray that the truth of the Lord Jesus’ life, death, and
resurrection would penetrate the hearts of longing Muslims.
As many Muslims seek to stay up all night to pray, ask God
to touch the hearts of those who are genuinely seeking an
encounter with Him.
Day 14
Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who
hunger and thirst for
righteousness, for they will
be filled.
It takes tremendous dedication
and faith for a Muslim to
go on the Hajj. One must
be willing to spend a lot of
time, money, and emotional
energy to do what they are
doing. The problem is that
their dedication and their faith
are misplaced. Instead of being
dedicated and faithful to the
Living Savior, they are putting
their hope and faith in rituals
and pilgrimages. Yet many
among them are true seekers
of truth and righteousness.
They must be told about Jesus
Christ and how He can wash
away their sins. Then, perhaps,
they can find the true and
living God during the Hajj.
Let’s pray that they do!
Pray that they will be
satisfied by the person of
Jesus Christ, the only One
who can purify them from sin.
Pray that they will not
be satisfied with rituals
and religion.
65
Day 15
John 1:29
The next day John saw
Jesus coming toward him
and said, “Look, the Lamb
of God, who takes away the
sin of the world!”
Muslim pilgrims long for their
major and minor sins to be
removed from their lives, and
they seek forgiveness during
the Hajj. John the Baptist’s
words cry out that Jesus takes
away the sins of the world.
Though Muslims accept John
as a prophet, they do not
accept the fact that what he
said was true, namely that
the blood of Jesus Christ takes
away the sins of the world.
Pray that even as Muslims
complete this day, they will
long for the cleansing blood
of the Lamb. Ask that the
Father would make this
cleansing a reality in
their lives.
Pray for Muslims on the Hajj Continued (Third day)
D
ay three is the longest day for the pilgrims; for
some weaker folk it might take two days; their
pilgrimage is not finished until they complete all of
the sacred acts.
Each person has five different sacred acts to perform
today. They will throw rocks at stone pillars that
represent Satan. Men will shave their heads as an act
of humility and cleanliness. They will sacrifice an
animal. They will circle seven times around the Ka’aba
and run between the two hills of Safa and Marwa as
religious rituals.
Ephesians 6:12 states, “For our struggle is not against
flesh and blood, but against… the spiritual forces of
evil in the heavenly realms.” Muslims understand that
Satan is the cause of our spiritual battle, but throwing
rocks at pillars is meaningless apart from the cross and
resurrection of Christ which defeated Satan.
Pray that these deeply religious people would see that only
Jesus defeated sin, Satan, and death. May they know
that in Christ, they can have mighty weapons,“ for the
tearing down of strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4). Pray
that Muslims will understand the meaning of the cross
and blood sacrifice of Jesus. As Muslims circle the Ka’aba
and run from hill to hill, ask that they will see the futility of these acts in producing a cleansed heart. Pray that
Muslims from all the different people groups in the world
will come to know Jesus. Pray that whole families would
come to know the Savior and walk with Him together.
(Excerpts taken from “Hajj Prayer.” It has no copyright;
it is distributed freely by Praying Through the Arabian
Peninsula at: pray-ap.info)
66
Qizilbash People of Afghanistan
T
he little boy
strained to hear and
understand the serious
discussion of the older
Qizilbash men. They
AFGHANISTAN
recounted their ancestors
IRAN
who were called the “Red
Heads” because of their
PAKISTAN
red hats with 12 points
representing the 12 pillars
of Islam. They were
TAJIKISTAN
famous for their military
AFGHANISTAN
feats. Contemporary Red
Heads no longer typically
Kabul
don the red hats, but they
Kandahar
remain militant Shi’ite
PAKISTAN
Muslims. It was clear to
the boy that the men were
passionately committed to
their secret meetings and their leader.
UZB
EKI
STA
N
TURK
MEN
ISTAN
IRAN
The Qizilbash people of Afghanistan originated as
Turkish tribes that moved into Persia during a 1738
military campaign by their shah. They’ve remained an
important part of Afghani society, being influential in
politics and the military. Today they are also prominent
in business. Although little is known about their life,
they do populate the urban areas of Afghanistan. Many
of the 60,000 to 200,000 Qizilbash are bilingual,
speaking a tribal language and Farsi. Bible resources
are available to them, including a complete translation
of the Bible, as well as the JESUS Film. They were
“adopted” for prayer by a group of believers, but they
have yet to be contacted by Christ’s followers. None of
them are believers so far as we know.
Day 16
1 Timothy 1:15
Here is a trustworthy
saying that deserves full
acceptance: Christ Jesus
came into the world to
save sinners.
Why did Jesus come? Over
and over again the gospel
record clearly says that
Jesus came into the world
with one central purpose:
to minister and to give His
life as a ransom for all who
would accept Him. He did not
come for the religious or the
(self) righteous, but for those
who were and are aware of
their own spiritual need. The
temptation for people groups
like the Qizilbash is to think
that because they follow
rules, do rituals and carry
out sacrifices, they will be
saved. They are standing on a
foundation of quicksand.
Pray that the Qizilbash
people will recognize their
error and find the One who
offers a sure foundation.
Pray that He will reveal to them the truth about who He is
and how He has provided the ultimate protection through
Jesus.—LR
67
Day 17
1 Timothy 2:3-4
This is good, and pleases
God our Savior, who wants
all men to be saved and to
come to a knowledge of
the truth.
Throughout human history,
people have tried to approach
God and the spiritual realm
in various ways. Each tries to
figure out what they consider
to be truth. However, without
hearing about the real Truth,
Jesus Christ, they can only
find emptiness. Sometimes
they are very far from the
truth, and others, like the
Zoroastrians we are praying
for today, have found some
important spiritual truths.
Did you know that the
Zoroastrians were among the
first of the organized religions
to worship one God, a God
of goodness? Today there are
very few Zoroastrians left.
Through the centuries they
have worshipped a God of
goodness, but they have never
known Him.
Pray for the Zoroastrians to
seek and find Christ so they
can know Him.
68
Dari Gobri People
“A
hhhh!” The moans of his sick wife haunted
the shepherd who twisted his beard hairs
nervously. No health facility was anywhere near his
village. He had already watched three children die.
The moans burst from his memory and exploded out
of his mouth. He could not watch his wife die too!
“Oh, Ahura Mazda. I know I will see my dead family
again at the resurrection, but please spare my bride
today. Hurry and send our savior!”
The Dari Gobri of Iran have been Zoroastrians for
many centuries. A small tribe of only about 14,000
people, they represent most of Iran’s Zoroastrians. In
a country filled almost entirely with Shi’ite Muslims,
they are an oppressed minority. They believe in a good
creator god, Ahura Mazda, and an evil god named
Agra Mainyu. They believe that at the final days a
savior figure will come and restore the earth, bringing
people out of hell to unite with Ahura Mazda.
Little is known about the Dari Gobri people except
that they are shepherds in a desolate land. Their
typical life span is short as they are without health
services; their children are often discouraged from
going to school. They have no JESUS Film or any
Bible translation. There are no believers among them,
and there is no focused outreach to them.
Pray that believers’ hearts are moved to reach out to the
Dari Gobri. Pray that the Dari Gobri people will immediately recognize Christ as their promised savior when
they are told about Him—LR
Youth in Iran
“N
o jobs, no spouse, and no political voice—
these are the raw ingredients of youth
frustration,” according to Elam whose mission is
to strengthen and expand the church in Iran and
beyond. Young people between the ages of 15 and
29 make up 35 percent of Iran’s population, and 70
percent of them are unemployed!
The problem is not a lack of education. Iran’s youth
are well educated and Internet savvy. With just a few
clicks they can see what their peers in other countries
are enjoying. With no jobs, most can’t marry or
leave home. Their frustration is often manifested in
politically motivated violence, drug use, and illicit sex.
When no future beckons, the young often decide to
extract as much pleasure as possible from the present.
But there is another choice, and many are turning
to Jesus Christ. They are disillusioned with their
religious system and the empty promises of religious
leaders. Jesus promises to meet their basic needs, give
them inner freedom, and something to live for. The
churches are growing, and many of the newcomers
are young, some of whom have grown so swiftly in
their faith that they are already leading fellowships
of people in their 20s and planting churches.
Pray that the current church planting movement among Iran’s youth
will affect all people groups in their nation. Pray for physical and
spiritual protection for believers in a society where it is deemed both
criminal and traitorous to be a follower of Jesus Christ.—JS
Day 18
2 Timothy 2:2
And the things you have
heard me say in the
presence of many witnesses
entrust to reliable men who
will also be qualified to
teach others.
This principle of personal
multiplication is the
key means of creating a
movement. Paul intended
that church planters should be
trained through the principle
of personal multiplication.
As Paul trained Timothy
to establish new churches,
Timothy was to equip others
to do the same. The same
situation continues today in
Iran. There faithful witnesses
are usually in their 20s, and
they, like young Timothy, are
sharing Christ with others!
Pray that the Holy Spirit will
empower reliable Iranians
to share their faith for
generations to come.
See: (http://www.elam.com/articles/Youth-Frustration-/)
69
Day 19
Hebrews 6:19-20
We have this hope as an
anchor for the soul, firm
and secure. It enters the
inner sanctuary behind the
curtain, where Jesus, who
went before us, has entered
on our behalf.
When you look at someone
addicted to drugs, you are
looking at someone who has
lost hope. Think for a few
minutes about the hope Christ
has given us. He has liberated
us from the one who comes
to kill, steal, and destroy, and
He has given us an abundant
life (John 10:10). He has freed
us from guilt and forgiven us
from all sin; past, present, and
future. The one thing a drug
addict needs is the faith that
this is true.
give faith to drug users in
Iran that Christ offers true
and lasting hope.
70
Drug Abuse in Iran
F
rustration and
discontent with
their restricted lives
and opportunities
in Iran has led many
youths out of drug
abuse. Millions
are addicted, and
most families are
affected. Heroin from
neighboring Afghanistan is often trafficked through
Iran. This dangerous drug is cheap and available to
people who have lost hope.
However, this tragic drug epidemic has become
a major opportunity for the people to offer hope
in Christ. When it comes to drug rehabilitation,
followers of Christ do it best, and their success rate
is higher than any other. Many stories attest to this.
High on drugs, Khalil stood over his wife ready to
plunge a knife into her heart. The cries of their children
stopped him. Conventional drug rehabilitation did not
work, but when some of his relatives who had begun to
follow Christ fasted and prayed for him and shared the
gospel, Khalil accepted the Savior and has not touched
drugs since. He is now a church planter.
A complete stranger came up to Ali, a heroin addict
crying over his brother’s overdose, and told him God
loved him and gave him a New Testament. Trusting
Jesus, Ali believed and was delivered from his own
drug addiction.
Pray for Christ-based drug rehabilitation efforts in Iran to
have such success that they will draw not only the patients,
but also their families to Christ, generating a rapid-fire
church planting movement.—JS
See: (http://www.elam.com/articles
The-curse-of-drug-addiction-in-Iran/)
Temporary Marriage in Iran
“I
was a prostitute, but Jesus told me I belong to
Him forever.” Jaleh’s story was not an unusual
one in Iran. Sexually abused by her father and other
relatives, she was driven to the streets as a prostitute.
Someone reached out to Jaleh and led her to Christ.
Attending a Christian conference for women, Jaleh
still was bearing the shame of her past and yearned
to fully serve her Savior Jesus. After repeated prayers
by her leader, Jaleh did speak out to the ladies telling
them of her experience and how Jesus told her, “Were
you about to give up? Did you know that I am your
friend? I love you! You are mine!”
Women feel devalued in Iran’s culture. A man can
have four wives and as many temporary ones, sigheh
wives, as he wants—whether for an hour or for years
as long as they agree on a price. In other cultures this
is called prostitution. In 1990, this practice of sigheh
was even encouraged by then President Hashem
Rafsanjani as a way of providing support for war
widows and sexual release for young people who
could not afford to marry permanently.
Silence about sigheh is not an option for the growing
house church movement where many members are
women. As the church grows in Iran, the sin of sigheh
is being purged.
Pray for the legal position of women in Iran to improve.
Pray for Iranian Muslims to understand and embrace the
dignity and worth that Jesus Christ gives women.—JS
Day 20
Galatians 4:7,8
So you are no longer a slave,
but a son…. Formerly,
when you did not know
God, you were slaves to
those who by nature are
not gods.
Those who are in bondage
to drugs, prostitution, or any
other sin are indeed slaves
to sin. But as Jaleh learned,
she did not have to be bound
as a slave—she could be a
daughter of the King! What a
joy it is for people to give
up their position as a slave
to become part of the
royal family!
Pray that women in Iran will
hear and respond to the One
who offers them to become
part of His family. Pray
that Iranian women who
know the King will walk
as princesses instead of as
slaves, and that their new
status will draw others to
Him as well.
See: (http://www.elam.com/articles/
Temporary-Marriage-/)
71
Day 21
Colossians 1:5-6
...the gospel ... has come to
you. All over the world this
gospel is producing fruit
and growing.
What a confirmation that the
power of the gospel does not
lie in human ingenuity. The
gospel only spreads through
the power of the Holy Spirit!
What a thrill to know that
the gospel continues to bear
fruit throughout the world! As
mentioned in today’s prayer
entry, the gospel has never
before spread so rapidly in
Iran. Where will the gospel
go next? Could it soon go to
where you are praying for
receptive hearts?
Pray that believers in the
Persian bloc will overcome
the difficulties they face in
moving out to share Christ
with peoples who have never
heard the gospel.
Elam Ministries
I
ran may be a closed land, but the people have
open hearts. Since the Islamic revolution in 1979
Iranians have become increasingly disillusioned
with Islam. Some think Iranians are the most open
Muslim people to the gospel in the world. More have
become followers of Christ since the 1979 revolution
than in the previous 1,300 years put together!
Senior Iranian church leaders founded Elam in 1988
with a vision to serve the growing churches in their
region. In 1990 six emerging leaders arrived in England
from Iran to begin their fulltime ministry training.
In 1979 there were fewer than 500 known believers
in Iran. Today no one knows how many there are,
but some estimate millions. Elam’s vision is that all
people of Iran would have the opportunity to come
to know the Lord Jesus Christ. Their goals are threefold: train leaders, equip churches with resources,
and send leaders and workers to strengthen existing
churches and plant new ones. There is such spiritual
hunger and disillusionment with the Islamic regime
that church leaders believe that millions can be
added to the church in just the next few years. The
Holy Spirit is truly at work preparing hearts to
recognize the truth when they hear the gospel!
Pray that the spiritual cries of the people of Iran will be
heard, and that the Holy Spirit will touch every broken
life. Pray that no matter what obstacles they face, Elam
will continue to be faithful in proclaiming the gospel in
Iran.—JS
See: (http://www.elam.com/articles/About-Elam/)
72
Exodus From Darkness
W
alking from a
darkened room into
the light has a couple of
effects: Initially, you are
blinded and a little unsure
of your step. But then your
sight adjusts, and you are
able to move forward as
the light guides your way.
This describes the spiritual
journey and experience of
Daniel Shayesteh who came from darkness into the
light of the gospel. Prior to meeting Jesus, Daniel was
an active Muslim militant in his homeland of Iran
who supported Ayatollah Khomeini’s rise to power.
Later Daniel fell out of favor with the new Shi’ite
leaders, was forced into exile in Turkey, and there
began a journey to faith in Christ.
In 2000 Daniel Shayesteh founded Exodus From
Darkness as an apologetic ministry answering honest
spiritual questions about Christianity. His desire
is to help others understand Christ’s teachings. He
also hopes to help Westerners better understand the
issues Muslims have in regard to the person of Jesus
Christ, and he wants to help Muslims see that Jesus
is the true Savior. The Exodus From Darkness staff
work as defenders of the faith for those who seek
understanding and truth.
Day 22
2 Timothy 1:7
For God did not give us a
spirit of timidity, but a spirit
of power, of love, and of
self-discipline.
Today we are praying for a
ministry established by a man
who once was not “timid”
in his enthusiasm for Shi’ite
Islam. His boldness was
not tempered by the power
of the Holy Spirit, the One
who provides love and selfdiscipline. But now that he is
an ambassador for Christ, he
operates in a new boldness,
one that is directed by the
Holy Spirit. People in this part
of the world will see
the difference.
Pray for workers in the
Persian bloc to be directed by
the boldness, love, and selfdiscipline provided by the
Holy Spirit.
Thank God that Exodus From Darkness is bringing light
where it is seriously needed! Pray that Exodus From
Darkness workers will experience God’s favor in reaching
those who have honest spiritual questions. Pray that their
influence will expand. Pray that their work will be clearly
heard and embraced throughout the Persian World.—JR
73
Day 23
2 Thessalonians 1:3
We ought always to thank
God for you, brothers, and
rightly so, because your
faith is growing more and
more, and the love every
one of you has for each
other is increasing.
The Apostle Paul was
deeply thankful for the
Thessalonians, especially
for their faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ. It certainly
brings great blessings
and joy after many years
on the mission field for a
missionary to see his children
walk in the light they have
received. It signifies that the
missionary’s labor in the Lord
has not been in vain. Such
a testimony is also a great
blessing to those who first
planted the seed, for they
recognize that it is God
who works to produce
lasting fruit.
Praise the Father for those
He has brought into His
Kingdom through the labors
of His faithful servants.
74
Nayini People of Iran
“T
he people walking in darkness have seen a
great light; on those living in the land of deep
darkness a light has dawned.” Isaiah 9:2, NIV
The 6700 Nayini people of Iran are part of the larger
Persian people cluster. Their home has been in central
Iran for their entire history. They have their own
language, Nayini, which they have continued using
even while their neighbors speak Farsi. They have held
onto their uniqueness as a people through the centuries.
But they do share Shi’ite Islam with the other people
groups of Iran. For centuries the Nayini people have
been devoted to Shi’ite Islam. There are no known
followers of Christ among them, nor does there
appear to be any effort on the part of the Church to
reach them. According to PeopleGroups.org, there
are no Bible translations, radio broadcasts, or gospel
recordings of any sort available in the language of the
Nayini people. They are, without doubt, a people in
great spiritual darkness who still have yet to see God’s
great light.
Pray that the Nayini will come to see a great light, the
light that only the truth of the gospel can supply. Pray that
believers within Iran will begin to have the opportunity to
connect with the Nayini people. Pray that churches across
the world will have a burden for the Nayini that will result in ongoing, faithful prayer for them.—JR
.
Northwestern Fars People of Iran
W
hat a misnomer! Northwestern Fars sounds
like the name of a province or a language. But
today, we will be praying for a people group in Iran
by that name. They live in the northwestern part of
a province in the south-central part of Iran. Is that
confusing enough? The lack of information about this
group makes praying for them a challenge. But we do
know where they live and that their population is just
under 8,000. They are Muslims.
From what we read on the Joshua Project web site,
there are somewhere between 7,000 and 8,000
unreached people groups in the world today.
Approximately 3,000 of these groups have no
active witness for Christ. It is a safe bet that the
Northwestern Fars people fall into this category,
which we call “unengaged.” The Global Prayer
Digest (GPD) has been around for over 30 years,
and we have never prayed for this people group
until today. Hopefully others have prayed for them
in the past when they have seen their name listed
on the Ethnologue (http://www.ethnologue.com/
language/faz) or with the Joshua Project (http://www.
joshuaproject.net/people-profile.php). Hopefully,
Iranian believers are reaching out to them, but there is
no way for us to find out.
Pray that this people group, which is largely unknown to
the believing community, will soon be the object of regular,
sustained prayer. Pray that followers of Christ in Iran will
make a determined effort to ensure that the Northwestern
Fars people have the chance to dedicate their lives to the
kingdom of God.—KC
Day 24
Philippians 2:10
…that at the Name of
Jesus every knee should
bow, in heaven and on
earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to
the glory of God the Father.
One day all creatures will
bow and acknowledge the
universal lordship of Jesus
Christ. Scripture teaches that
there are two kinds of people
who bow to acknowledge Him:
those who do so now in loving
submission to His rule in their
lives; and those who will do so
at Christ’s coming in fearful and
obligatory submission.
Pray that soon He will
send someone to proclaim
the gospel of His Kingdom
to the Northwestern Fars
speakers during this
acceptable day of salvation.
Pray that He will lead us to
do our part in telling others
about the wonderful God
who loves them.
75
Day 25
Ephesians 5:15-18
Warduji People of Afghanistan
Pray that God will enable
you to live a purposeful and
significant life. Ask Him to
teach you how to intercede
for the Warduji people so
that you can be part of the
task of declaring His Name
to them.
76
AFGHANISTAN
IRAN
PAKISTAN
TAJIKISTAN
AFGHANISTAN
Kabul
Kandahar
hat comes to
mind when you
think of Afghanistan?
It might be a number of
things, but it’s not likely
to be the Warduji people.
There are numerous
unreached people groups
in this Islamic country.
We have prayed for
unreached peoples in that
country time and again,
but we have never had
much information about
the Warduji people.
This we do know:
These 7,000 people
speak Zebaki, and
they are Muslims. They do not have an online New
Testament or a JESUS Film, but there are gospel
recordings available in their language. Living in a
war-torn Muslim country, they are very unlikely
to meet followers of Christ. There are no known
believers among them as per the Joshua Project office
(joshuaproject.org).
IRAN
The Spirit-controlled life
is characterized by an
appreciation for both the
enormity of the task of world
evangelization and the
sufficiency of the resources
available to accomplish the
task. Christ commands us to
have a purpose for living, not
to haphazardly slip and slide
through life in ignorance
or neglect of the purposes
for which we have been
redeemed and equipped.
W
UZB
EKI
STA
N
TURK
MEN
ISTAN
Be very careful,
then, how you live…
making the most of
every opportunity…
understand what the
Lord’s will is…be filled
with the Spirit.
PAKISTAN
This we also know: in light of Revelation 7:9-10, there
will be some people from every tribe, tongue, and
nation worshiping before the throne. The Warduji
people will not be left out of this great assembly!
Pray that gospel recordings will find their way into every
Warduji community. Pray that their leaders will be favorably disposed to the message of salvation by faith in the
Risen King. Pray for medical workers who love the Lord
to go to the Warduji people of Afghanistan.—KC
Day 26
Luwathiya People
1 Thessalonians 2:9
P
ointing to some
beautiful old Islamic
structures in Muscat,
Oman, an American
businessman asked his
Omani host, Sheikh Abu,
“what kind of buildings
are these?” The Sheikh
answered, “That is the
center of my Luwathiya
BAHRAIN
community. It is largely offQATAR
limits to non-Shi’ites who
U.A.E.
traditionally are allowed to
SAUDI
enter the area by invitation
OMAN
ARABIA
only. You are my guest,
and we will be going inside
for coffee. Very few of our
families live there, but the
area is the community’s
gathering place where ‘Shi’ites can be Shi’ites.’”
The 60,000 Luwathiya are well-integrated into Oman and
play an influential role in Oman’s economy and politics. The
majority of the Luwathiya people are affluent businessmen
and respected merchants. They worship in their own
mosques and meet regularly to study and discuss elements
of Shi’ite theology, history, and law. An important function
in their society is the selection of committees to take care
of issues such as marriages, divorces, selection of imams,
building mosques, charities and other community affairs.
These Luwathiya Shi’ites are friendly, but reserved among
outsiders. One thing they will not discuss with outsiders
is religion. Some Luwathiya families have hired foreign
Christian workers as domestic helpers.
Surely you remember,
brothers, our toil and
hardship; we worked night
and day in order not to be
a burden to anyone while
we preached the gospel of
God to you.
Paul made tents to support
himself and his team in their
first-century ministry of
church-planting throughout
the northern Mediterranean
world. Today, modern
tentmakers are working in
countries across the globe
with a vision of establishing
indigenous churches among
peoples with no vital
Christian witness.
Pray that today’s
“tentmakers” will not only
be successful in their secular
endeavors, but that they
will leave behind them
growing, evangelizing
churches.
Pray that God will remove the multiple restraints that are
preventing these Shi’ite Muslims from knowing Christ
and His saving grace, love, and guidance.—PD
77
Day 27
2 Timothy 2:3
Endure hardship with us
like a good soldier of
Christ Jesus.
Enduring hardships—this is
not what we want to do. Our
flesh cries out for deliverance.
But how do we minister
to those who are enduring
hardships if we ourselves are
not willing to share in them?
Pray that those who minister
to those who are suffering
like the Pahlavani people
will endure their hardships
with joy, as good soldiers of
the cross.
Pahlavani People of Afghanistan
“E
verything is gone! I’ve lost my home, crops,
livestock, everything! We could do nothing;
the flood was too strong for us. We had a drought for
many years, and I could hardly feed my family. I have
six children, and they are all sick. Now this! Why is
Allah so mad at us to make us suffer like this?”
Hossein, a Pahlavani farmer, was frantic as he talked
through a translator to an Afghan soldier who had
come to help the people of his village of Haji Hamza
in Afghanistan.
The Pahlavani-speaking people of Afghanistan only
number about 3,300. They struggle to make a living
mainly through farming. Natural disasters such as
droughts, floods, and earthquakes have recently
devastated the southwestern Afghan province of
Nimruz where their village is located. Only a tiny
number of Pahlavani have received any form of
education, leaving the majority illiterate.
These people have no Christ-centered resources—no
audio or printed Bibles, and no radio broadcasts or
JESUS Films. There are no evangelists. As Shi’ite
Muslims, they view God as a distant Creator who is
impersonal and separated from them. They do not
have the comfort of receiving His love and caring
because they have no knowledge of Him through
His Word. Added to this are the extreme problems
of the language, religious, and political barriers.
Pray that Christ will reveal Himself to the Pahlavani
people by sending believers to tell them about the good
news that Christ died for their sins.—PD
78
Shahmirzadi People of Iran
“W
ow, this is delicious!” Habibeh, a woman
from Tehran, was enjoying fresh bread
and walnut jam served by her new Shahmirzadi
friend Shadee during her visit to Shahmirzad, a town
in northern Iran. “I could never make anything as
tasty as this!” Shadee answered, “Allah has created
everyone differently, and in the way of producing
delicious food. He provides for people like me. I love
my garden, cooking, and the beauty of Shahmirzad. It
is like Paradise here! The sweetness of this place is like
nowhere else in Iran. I’m so happy you came here this
summer, and we have met.”
Habibeh replied, “I will never forget this visit. I’ll always
remember the beautiful walnut trees and the rushing
streams of water flowing past my window. All of this is
so different from the noise and turmoil in Tehran.”
Shahmirzadis are a warm people who are proud of
their culture and their beautiful town of Shahmirzad.
Most earn their living from farming and cultivating
walnuts. Their walnut orchards are the largest in
the world. Their fresh water is bottled and exported.
Iranians love to spend their summers in the region,
which contributes to the local economy. It is almost
impossible for believers to witness to the Shahmirzadi.
Day 28
Philippians 4:19
And my God will meet all
your needs according to
His glorious riches in
Christ Jesus.
We have often quoted and
remembered this precious
promise in relation to our
own physical and material
needs. But how often
have we remembered
that these wonderful
words were first spoken
to those who had given
sacrificially that others might
experience the blessings
of the gospel of Christ?
(See II Corinthians 8:1-2.)
May God grant that we
would exhibit the same
spirit of sacrifice and joy in
sharing the good news we
have with others.
Pray that God will open doors for believers to take Jesus to
the Shahmirzadi people. May they know His Word and
the true peace that can indwell their hearts with His grace
and love.—PD
79
Day 29
Ephesians 6:12
For our struggle is not
against flesh and blood,
but against the rulers,
against the authorities,
against the powers of this
dark world and against the
spiritual forces of evil in the
heavenly realms.
We fool ourselves if we think
world evangelization is simply
a task requiring more effort.
The proclamation of God’s
Kingdom is a frontal attack
on rebel-controlled territory
that will meet Satan’s fiercest
resistance and opposition.
The battle is essentially
spiritual, and those who
engage in the conflict must
be equipped with the spiritual
armor Paul describes. If you
intend to involve yourself
in the battle—as a sender,
mobilizer, missionary, or in any
other capacity—be prepared
for attacks greater than you’ve
ever experienced before.
Pray that the Lord will give us
wisdom and protection as we
enter into spiritual conflict.
80
Dezful People of Iran
I
n the third century the Persian emperor “Shapur I
the Great” forced Roman prisoners of war to build
a bridge across the Dez River. A riverbank fortress
followed. Today a city stands there a short distance
from the Iran/Iraq border. Around the fortressbridge a county and people group speak their own
dialect and follow their own customs. Politically part
of Iran and ancient Persia they form a unique society.
Dezful Vahdati Air Force Base is adjacent to the city
and guards the nearby border. Fighter jets and other
aircraft fly by regularly. The only military air show in
Iran takes place here during the Iranian New Year in
late March. During this time Dezful commemorates
Iran’s war heroes from the Iran-Iraq war.
But not everything is military oriented. Modernized
agriculture methods arrived in the 1960s, and
now the region produces highly prized flowers and
citrus fruits. Yogurt, vegetables, grains, and other
merchandise grow in the area.
The Dezfuli language is different from Farsi.
Evangelists have very few resources in the local
language with which to share the message of Isa
al-Masih (Jesus the Messiah).
Pray that Iranian evangelists will cross the bridge to this
isolated people. Pray that the spiritual revival spreading
in Iran will reach the Dezful people. Pray that the Holy
Spirit will prepare Dezful “people of peace” who will receive the gospel and tell others about Christ.—GEC
Mareghei People of Iran
W
e sat around an indoor cooking fire as smoke
filled the room. I asked my translator, “What
do they do about the smoke?” He pointed to the top
of the door. Contrary to my homeland, the doorway
reached all the way to the ceiling. Tiny wisps of
smoke fought to escape through the crack at the top of
the door. I pressed my host, “Why don’t they create an
air vent to let the smoke escape?” He replied patiently,
“It is not the way of the Mareghei. We build the
doorway to the top so the smoke can escape there.”
The Mareghei people are one of the many Talysh
people groups. They live on land along the steep slopes
of the South Caucasus Mountains near the southern
shore of the Caspian Sea in northwest Iran. The
difference in elevation and climate dictate a variety
of home styles and agriculture. But the tall doorway
marks one factor that sets this group apart.
However, Western practices are gradually entering
the region. Western architecture has started to find a
place in Mareghei home construction. And the ladies—
historically dressed in traditional Islamic attire—littleby-little are adopting Western style clothing.
Pray that the evangelical explosion pulsating through Iran
will spread to the Mareghei in the northwest part of the
country. Pray that God will send church planting teams to
enter open doors. Pray that the Savior will reveal Himself
to earnest Mareghei hearts.—GEC
Day 30
2 Thessalonians 3:1
Finally, brothers, pray for
us that the message of the
Lord may spread rapidly
and be honored, just as it
was with you.
Paul asked the church at
Thessalonica to pray for him
and for the rapid spread of
the gospel to those to whom
it had not yet come. That
prayer can be ours today. As
the gospel has come to us,
so let it be our compelling
vision to see it spread quickly
to the Persian peoples like
the Maregheis at the “ends
of the earth.” Read the above
verse again. This time replace
the “us” with the name of a
missionary who is laboring on
some difficult field. Then, pray
for him or her.
Pray that the Father will
strengthen His servants
around the globe so that His
gospel message will spread
rapidly among those who
have not heard.
81
Day 31
Philippians 4:15
Not one church shared
with me in the matter
of giving and receiving,
except you only.
The terms the apostle
uses here—giving and
receiving—designate the
debit and credit columns
used in a bookkeeping
journal. The Philippian
church had established an
account for Paul in which
they both invested funds
and made withdrawals. Can
you imagine their joy both in
providing resources for Paul’s
ministry and in receiving the
reports of what had been
accomplished through their
investment? What accounts
have you opened for giving
and receiving?
Pray that God will show
you and your church new
opportunities for investing
in His work and receiving in
the realm of eternal affairs.
82
Natanzi People of Iran
T
here he was, Morteza Saffari Natanzi, with
stubble beard, wire-framed glasses, striped shirt,
and sport coat. The Iranian ambassador was in a
black and white photograph in “Catalan International
Review’s” featured interview by Marc Gafarot. The
Iranian ambassador deftly deflected criticism of his
country, blaming the E.U., the U.S., and Israel for his
nation’s woes and questionable reputation. His surname, “Natanzi” is that of today’s unreached
people group, and he may be a member of that
Shi’ite Muslim group. The Natanzi language group
is not mentioned in either Operation World or
Weeke’s Muslim Peoples. They number an estimated
7,000 persons. They live in Isfahan Province, central
Iran, according to SIL’s Ethnologue. According
to Global Recordings Network (GRN), there are
no Bible recordings in their language. GRN is
seeking volunteer native translators and information
concerning this language group so that some Bible
resources may be made available to the Natanzis.
While the Natanzis are unreached and the data
concerning them is minimal, we know that these
Shi’ite Muslims have never heard about Christ who
can lead them to an abundant eternal life. They put
their faith in their works, which will fail them when
they stand before the throne of God.
Pray for God to send Bible translators and gospel recording technicians to the Natanzi people. Pray that God will
send dreams and visions that will open Natanzi hearts to
the only Savior. Pray that Iranian believers will seek to
win the Natanzis to Christ.—TP
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This book is the product of the Mission Commission’s global
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as they turn to faith in Jesus Christ. It
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