“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you …”

“… the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.” —Isaiah 60:1-2 Pray for the light of Christ's love to reach the Kurdish people.

There are an estimated 35 million Kurds throughout the world. Most of them live in Iran, Turkey, Syria and Iraq.

For the past five centuries the Kurds have been forced to live under oppressive regimes. The oppression the Kurds have experienced has led many of them to believe that they are among the most hated peoples of the world. The Kurdish proverb, “Kurds have no friends, but the mountains” expresses that sentiment.

Pray for the Kurdish people to find their worth and home in Jesus Christ. Pray that God would provide redemptive friendships for the Kurds. Pray that the Kurds would come to know the Lord intimately.

Kurdish children have limited access to education and many remain illiterate. Illiteracy among the Kurds creates an obstacle to sharing the gospel with them.

In addition to literacy issues, the Kurds speak four different dialects of the Kurdish language, making it difficult to share the gospel of Jesus with them. Pray that oral methods of sharing the gospel, such as audio Bibles, Christian radio broadcasts, and praise and worship music translated into the Kurdish dialects will reach the ears of Kurds.

Please pray that the hope of Jesus Christ touches the hearts and lives of Kurdish women. Life for a Kurdish woman is centered in the home. As a young bride she must move into her mother-in-law's home and take on every chore—drawing the family's water, milking the family goat, preparing each meal, cleaning the house and raising the children. She often endures verbal and physical abuse from her mother-in-law and other members of her husband's family.

Many Kurd children attend schools that look like this one. The children go to school only two or three hours each day because it is too cold in the buildings to stay any longer. Families cannot afford to send lunch for their children. Such poor conditions make learning nearly impossible.

Development projects, food relief, and health education programs teach Kurds how to help themselves. A lack of resources prevents many communities from improving the quality of life. Pray that God will provide resources for the Kurds to improve their communities. Pray that God's provision for their physical needs will open many doors to share the good news of Jesus with them.

Kurdish children love to listen to stories. From an early age Kurds tell their children stories about family history, morality, and about cultural traditions. In an oral culture story- telling is an excellent way to share the gospel.

Please pray that many Kurdish children will hear the story of Jesus. Pray that the children will remember the Scripture-based stories that they hear in order to share them with their families.

There are a handful of Kurdish believers.

Pray that believers will have the courage to keep meeting together and to keep sharing their faith with others. Pray that fledgling churches will flourish as a testimony to God's power and faithfulness. Pray that new churches of Kurdish believers will spring up throughout Kurdish villages in Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria.

New believers need discipleship and leadership training so that they can grow in their walk with Christ. Pray that God will raise up Kurdish men to be the spiritual leaders in their homes and churches. Pray that God will provide discipleship training for them. Pray also that the Holy Spirit will call out men to take the gospel to fellow Kurds throughout the region.

“I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture... I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” —John 10:9-10

Pray for Kurdish believers in Jesus to develop a vision to share the gospel with their fellow Kurds in Iran, Turkey, Iraq and Syria. Pray that the Kurdish believers would be relentless in their pursuit of the lost sheep. Pray that the Kurds would recognize Jesus as the only way to salvation. Most Kurds are like sheep without a shepherd.

To walk through life as a Kurd, is to walk through life in spiritual darkness. Pray that the light of Jesus Christ will pierce through the darkness.

The Lord desires that all Kurds come to know and worship Him. Pray that God will be glorified among the Kurds of Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria.

Learn more about the Kurds: Contact us to learn how you can be involved in work among the Kurds: