Hello, I’m Sophie Griffith, and it’s the Friday 27th February. Welcome to your 7 ways to pray for the Middle East and North Africa this March.
This month, let us lead you on a prayer-filled tour of seven of the countries and areas SAT-7 works in, taking in Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, North Africa, the Gulf, Syria, and the UK. We hope you’re encouraged to hear some of the amazing stories of God at work in the MENA through SAT-7, as well as challenged to intercede for those who are facing difficult times.
Number One: Iran
As conditions in Iran remain deeply unstable and people across the country are grieving and traumatised, please continue to pray that SAT-7 will bring hope and comfort to Iranian viewers.
International headlines are quick to move on from devastating world events. But at SAT-7, we continue to stand with those whose heartache continues long after the story has dropped down in the news. For SAT-7’s viewers in Iran, the fear, grief and pain of recent weeks has not ended. The need for prayer, encouragement and connection remain as urgent as ever. One woman, messaging SAT-7 from inside Iran, shared:
“Oh God, I bring before You all the lives that have been taken from us. Lord, I pray that You heal those who are broken in body and spirit. Be their comfort. Oh God, the grief is too great to bear and the injustice is too much. Please bring it to an end.”
Following a prolonged near-total internet shutdown that began on 8 January, connectivity is being restored in Iran, though only partially. SAT-7 PARS is receiving increasing daily messages – up to 50 – from viewers inside Iran. These include growing requests for counselling, as individuals seek help in coping with grief, anxiety and psychological strain.
Give thanks that despite ongoing internet issues, SAT-7 is able to broadcast 24/7 via satellite television, providing a constant source of encouragement and solidarity with the people of Iran.
Number Two: Afghanistan
Praise God that, despite restrictions on education in Afghanistan, families are accessing literacy in their homes through SAT-7 PARS programme Sun of Hope, which provides educational lessons in Dari, one of the main languages of Afghanistan.
One Afghan father shared: “We don’t have a proper school in our village, so I’m very happy that this programme is like a school for our children. Sometimes, when I sit with them, I also learn things myself.”
Another viewer shared: “In our village, we decided to start a Dari language learning class. We use your programmes in these lessons. During the broadcast, I gather eight children and two adults in a room, and we follow your lessons together. These programmes are very useful for our children, and I want to thank you because your teaching method is really effective for them.”
Give thanks that through Sun of Hope, learning continues in Afghanistan: delivered in a local language, available through widely accessible platforms, and shared in community. Please also pray that God will bring about change in Afghanistan, so that schools will be reopened and education made accessible to all.
Number Three: Iraq
Praise God that churches are being repaired and rebuilt in Iraq, years after they were destroyed by ISIS.
Behind this work is Yohanna Youssef Towaya, Director of the Humanitarian Nineveh Relief Organisation, who recently spoke to SAT-7 programme You Are Not Alone. He said that several churches in Mosul have been restored, including Mar Toma Church, which is regarded as the oldest in the city, as well as centuries-old murals in Qaraqosh, the largest Christian town in Iraq.
Mr Towaya said: “Every time we restore a church and people return to visit it, hope is renewed within us that Christianity still exists and that Christianity has been present in these regions continuously since its very beginnings, despite all persecutions. This is not the first time Christians have been persecuted, yet we remain steadfast on this land and cannot abandon it. In the Nineveh Plain, when churches were restored, believers returned to them with peace of mind to preserve them once again.”
Please pray that these restorations will clear the path for Iraqi Christians to return and restore the fabric of society once more to its former richness.
You can read more about this story at the link in today’s show notes.
Number Four: North Africa
Let’s give thanks that SAT-7’s media training workshops are equipping North African believers to tell their own stories. The two in-person workshops took place in Agadir and Tunis with 34 participants from Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Libya, all keen to learn how to use media to communicate the Christian message within their own cultures. Many shared how watching SAT-7 had been a key part of their own journey to faith. One young Tunisian participant said:
“I first heard about Jesus through SAT-7. For a full year, SAT-7 was my only discipleship source – my church on screen – before I knew another believer. Now I want to create content to reach others the way SAT-7 reached me.”
Please pray that, as trainees are equipped to share their own stories, they will begin to reach their own communities for Christ.
Number Five: The Gulf
After overcoming challenges to film inside Oman and Saudi Arabia, SAT-7’s Youth for an Enabling Society (YES) Project has filmed stories of youth entrepreneurship to share on social media.
YES project lead, Rafik George, shares: “By filming and sharing these initiatives, we can bring the voices of Omani youth to the Gulf and the whole Arab world. These projects show the real image of young people in Oman and highlight Our Generation Plus as a platform for all Arab youth, not just in Egypt.”
Give thanks for this breakthrough and pray that, through these videos, young viewers in Oman and Saudi Arabia will be inspired to use their talents for good. You can read more about this story in the latest issue of Insight, out now. Find the link in today’s show notes.
Number Six: Syria
Please lift up Christians in Syria, who have faced a surge in violence and discrimination in the past year. Syria has risen 12 places to number 6 on Open Doors 2026 World Watch List, which lists the 50 places where it is most dangerous to be a Christian. Since the change of regime in Syria and subsequent political instability, there has been a sharp increase in violence against Christians, including murders, forced closures of Christian schools, and attacks on churches, including the bombing of a church in Damascus in June 2025.
Please pray for Christians in Syria in these difficult times, many of whom are questioning their future in the country. Give thanks that SAT-7’s broadcasts bring comfort and strength to Syrian viewers. One of these Syrian viewers, Taim, shared how SAT-7 has been encouraging him in his faith for over 20 years, saying:
“We who have left our other backgrounds from Arab countries are truly blessed by your channel. Thanks to you, we are encouraged and empowered to grow in our faith in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. We have much love and deep gratitude for you. We are truly grateful to you and thank the Lord for your satellite ministry that breaks our loneliness, comforts our distress, and encourages us to stand firm on Christ in a context that rejects us.”
Take a look at the latest issue of Insight to read the rest of Taim’s powerful story.
Number Seven: The UK
Finally, please pray for SAT-7 UK as we make plans for our biggest gathering yet: Prom Praise at the Royal Albert Hall on 6 June. SAT-7 is partnering with Langham Arts at this year’s event as we celebrate 30 years of media ministry. The event and livestream will feature interviews with SAT-7 international guests, showcasing how SAT-7’s ministry brings joy to the Middle East and North Africa through the power of satellite television and digital media.
Pray for SAT-7 UK’s team in the run-up to the event, that God will be at the centre of all our plans and bless this event for His glory.
If you’d like to order tickets, or follow along with the livestream, find the links in today’s show notes.
So, there are you 7 ways to pray this March. Will you join me now, in a moment of prayer? Let’s pray.
Lord, we bring all of these countries and places before you in prayer. We pray that you will continue to comfort and encourage your people in Iran. We thank you that against the odds, SAT-7 is bringing education to adults and children in Afghanistan. We pray for continued restoration of your people and churches in Iraq. We give you thanks that believers in North Africa are being empowered to share their own stories and reach their communities for Christ. We thank you for breakthroughs in Saudi Arabia and Oman, and pray this will lead to even greater opportunities for your name. We pray for your strength and comfort for believers in Syria, like Taim, who feel rejected and alone. Finally, we pray your blessing on the plans of SAT-7 UK, especially as we look forward to Prom Praise.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
