Iran: Christian Revival Sweeping Country Despite Persecution

Iran is experiencing a Christian revival despite the Christian persecution that exists there, reports ChristianToday.com.

Gathering together to worship the Lord is prohibited in Iran, but that isn’t stopping God from working. Many believers are connecting with a Christian community online. 

“The main church is my house, and through the Internet I connect to everybody," said one believer named Reza. "That's why it's become like an Internet church."

Through the internet, believers connect to churches in the United States, Canada, Germany, and Malaysia via Skype.

Reza said that many of the Christian converts came to Christ after they had a vision or dream. He shared that he himself had a dream of Jesus calling him, saying “Come to me.”

"And in all of my life, He was helping me and I didn't know who was this person,” Reza said. ‘Suddenly Jesus Christ was over there and He said, 'Come to me.' And I came to that side and He accepted me.”

In 1994, there were about 100,000 believers in Iran. Currently, the number of Christians in the country has risen to about three million, despite the fact that persecution against Christians has also increased, and Iran is ranked ninth on Open Doors World Watch List for Christian persecution.

Many of the Christian converts are leaving Iran for Turkey where persecution is less severe. In Turkey they hope to gain refugee status and eventually emigrate to other countries.

Reza urged Christians around the world to pray for believers in Iran:

"And I'm just begging, really, from the other believers, from other sisters and brothers from all over the world, to pray for Iran and to all the people of Iran to find new God and be familiar with God, with Jesus Christ," he said.

Publication date: July 27, 2016