Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, is just around the corner. This is the most beautiful of seasons as Iranians flood our city and hear the gospel message for the first time. In preparation for these powerful upcoming weeks, we focus our prayers on Iranian hearts. There are many different “soils” represented in Iran. Lets believe the Lord will prepare …

The Rocky Heart-Soil

There are places in Iran where mountainous rock covers deep springs of water. Iran is spiritually rocky where mountain ranges of fear and self-righteousness cover the true Source of living water; Jesus Christ.

“You will joyfully draw water from the springs of salvation …” Isaiah 12:3

An Iranian’s Story …

They ate with us, talked with us, and laughed at our jokes. The Americans were strange, yet kind.But what is this new way they talked about God? And Jesus? I shook my head slightly over the familiar way they mentioned spiritual things like prayer and God’s love while I continued to eat my kabob. Then, I suddenly came up short. The one across from me was saying something that stirred my heart.

“God knows you. He knows your name.”

I couldn’t help but be surprised. After all, I had never heard such a thing. To me, God was distant. And in Islam, He was not personal. So, I had to ask, I had to clarify. “You mean, God knows me?”

Their simple answer was ‘yes’. But my heart felt nothing close to simplicity. I was incredulous. It was like a flood of hope broke through my fear, leaving me with a longing for this to be true. “I’ve never heard anything like this,” I said. “I’ve never heard that God knows me.”

Pray

• Pray that the thirsty ones would be prepared to drink of the true living water
• Pray that God would turn hopelessness into a widening spiritual thirst