[Today’s Prayer] Iranian woman once sentenced to death: “The fall of the regime is the starting point of spiritual awakening”

As Iran’s Islamic regime is being shaken by military airstrikes from Israel and the United States, the testimony of an Iranian Christian woman is bringing both inspiration and challenge.

CBN News recently introduced the story of Maryam Rostampour Keller, a house church leader. In 2009, she was arrested on charges of apostasy, blasphemy, and promoting Christianity, and was imprisoned in Evin Prison, where she later received a death sentence.

Despite enduring torture and solitary confinement, she continued to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, and now lives as a U.S. citizen, freely professing her faith.

In Evin Prison, Keller and her co-worker Marziyeh Amirizadeh boldly shared the gospel with prostitutes, drug addicts, and the homeless. They longed for God’s grace and love, and the prison became a place where the gospel was spread.

(omitted)

As a child, Keller had been forced to chant “death to Israel and America” during Islamic prayers, but at the age of 17, she personally encountered Jesus Christ. While reading a booklet based on the Gospel of Luke, she deeply experienced God’s presence and love, and in that moment, she gave her life to the Lord.

Afterward, she passionately shared her faith with family, friends, and even strangers. At the encouragement of her church, she studied theology and leadership at a house church in Turkey. There, she met a friend who had returned to Iran, and together they led two house churches and actively spread the gospel until they were arrested.

Keller views the situation surrounding the Iranian regime not simply as a political conflict, but as a spiritual battle between good and evil. She said, “The fall of the Iranian regime is only the beginning of a spiritual awakening,” and added, “God has shown that Iran is a nation prepared for a spiritual harvest for Christian workers.”

She continued, “The global church urgently needs to intercede for Iran, and after the regime falls, many Christians must be ready to enter Iran and share the gospel.”

Keller also emphasized, “Christians in Iran feel isolated and abandoned by the global church. It is a great burden on my heart to encourage them to stand with Iran. What is needed is not just military intervention, but spiritual intervention and intercessory prayer.”

Source: Christian Today

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” (John 18:36)

Heavenly Father, we hear that even as Iran’s Islamic regime is being shaken by airstrikes from Israel and the United States, the gospel of God continues to advance.

We praise You, Lord, for giving boldness to Sister Keller and Sister Marziyeh, who were imprisoned and sentenced to death for their faith in Jesus, enabling them to preach the gospel even in Evin Prison, and for making a way for them to escape and now live lives of testimony.

As the situation in Iran becomes more difficult, may Your word—that the kingdom of heaven belongs to the poor in spirit—be fulfilled powerfully. Please protect to the end our Iranian brothers and sisters who are keeping their faith and proclaiming the gospel.

Also, may the global church become more actively involved spiritually for Iran, preparing to enter and share the gospel if the Islamic regime collapses.

In this time when internet access is cut off and entry into Iran is restricted, let unceasing intercessory prayer strengthen the spiritual unity between Iranian Christians and the global church. Raise up a movement that serves the Iranian diaspora, teaches the word and leadership, and sends them back again into Iran.

Before the return of Jesus, may the global church partner together during this time of refining allowed in Iran, so that a great spiritual revival may come, victory may be won in every spiritual battle, and we may all partake in the wedding feast of the Lamb.