How God Is Working in a Time of Conflict
Across the Middle East, uncertainty continues to grow. The conflict involving Israel and Iran has heightened tensions throughout the region, affecting countries far beyond the front lines. Bombings, political pressures, and economic hardship are shaping daily life for millions of people.
Reliable information is often difficult to obtain. In some places communication is disrupted, and conditions can change quickly from day to day. Yet even in this uncertainty, believers across the Middle East continue to pray, serve their neighbors, and share the hope of Christ.
Again and again, we are reminded that while conflicts may shake nations, God’s work continues quietly through His people.
Here are just a few glimpses of how faith, prayer, and compassion are making a difference across the region.
Strength Through Prayer
Rami* leads a church in Bethlehem, and for him prayer is not simply part of church life—it is the foundation of everything they do. Every morning at 6 a.m., members of the church gather online to pray together. A link is shared in their chat group, and whoever is able joins. Usually seven to twelve people connect, read a chapter of Scripture together, and spend about an hour praying.
“This has become our strength,” Rami said. Despite the war in the region and the economic hardship many families are facing, the church continues to grow. Young believers are stepping into leadership and are eager to serve. “We see this as an answer to prayer.”
Prayer also sustains Rami personally. As an outspoken Christian voice in the region, he sometimes receives threatening messages from extremists. When this happens, his response is always the same: prayer and fasting. After one particularly serious series of threats, he fasted and prayed for three days. The messages had simply said, “I will kill you.”
Then another message arrived from the same number:
“Please stop praying. Ghosts have been torturing me for three days. I cannot sleep or eat. If this continues, I will kill myself.”
Rami never responded, but he knew that God had been at work.
“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” —James 5:16
A Child Born in the Midst of War
In northern Gaza, Halima* faced a terrifying situation. Heavily pregnant, she went into labor while rocket fire filled the sky. Reaching a hospital was impossible, so she fled with others to the shelter of a humanitarian organization. There, surrounded by fear and uncertainty, her contractions became stronger.
Among those in the shelter were Christian women who stayed with her throughout the birth. They held her hand and prayed over her as she brought her child into the world. Later that night Halima called the women to her bedside and told them that while she was praying during the birth, she saw a vision of Jesus standing beside her. In the vision, He placed a hand on her stomach and brought calm in the middle of the chaos.
Today Halima is part of the local ministry team and helps others who are suffering through similar hardships.
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” —Psalm 46:1
When Muslims Seek God
Rasha* lives in a country in the Middle East where Christians are a small minority. During Ramadan, daily life slows as families gather to fast and pray. For Rasha and her team, this season becomes a special opportunity to pray that Muslims will encounter Jesus.
They opened a small shop in a busy market square surrounded by restaurants. During Ramadan, families gather there early in the morning and again in the evening to break their fast. At first many people sat with their backs to the television in the shop, where Rasha and her team played the Jesus Film. Gradually curiosity grew, and more people began turning around to watch. Even the restaurant owners noticed the difference and told Rasha the film seemed to calm their customers.
One day a man approached them with a remarkable story. For months he had wandered the streets looking confused and troubled, and then he disappeared for several days. When he returned, he told them what had happened. He had gone to a mosque to pray during Ramadan.
“And there I saw Jesus Christ,” he said.
In the middle of the crowded mosque he suddenly shouted, “I have seen Jesus!” From that moment on, he said, his mind became clear again.
Rasha and her team continue to pray that many more people will encounter Christ in the same way.
“Since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.” —Romans 1:19
*To protect privacy and help ensure safety, all images and names shown are representative and not of the actual people or events mentioned.
