ERBIL, NORTHERN IRAQ (ANS) -- From the four corners of the country they gathered in a remote location in eastern Iraq. By bus, car, airplanes, some came on foot. Believers from the cites in the north - Mosul, Dahuk, Kirkuk, Erbil, Sulimaynia…from the south – Basra, Najaf and Baghdad – many risked their very lives to attend this yearly prayer conference organized for all Iraqi believers – Arab and Kurd.

Iraqi’s praise and worship

Many told stories of heroic faith that kept them through war zones, perils from kidnapping and ethnic harassment. Others came as well, crossing great distances - visitors from Australia, England, New Zealand, Switzerland, Scotland, Uganda, Canada and the United States of America. Like on the Day of Pentecost…we all had come for one purpose…to unite together and seek God in prayer and worship for the hearts and souls of Iraq.

As the first morning’s session began, the air was filled with electricity and anticipation…it was obvious something historical was taking place. Packing into the simple conference hall on the hillside, seven hundred people…many between the young age of twenty and fifty lifted their Arabic speaking voices in unison as the worship team began to lead the gathering in songs of praise to the Lord. Songs of thanksgiving and praise rang throughout the hall…many of the young Believers expressed their joy through leaping and dancing, others waved banners of worshipful expression to the King of Kings…it was a celebration of God’s grace.

Young Muslim convert being Baptized

The heavy burdens of war and turmoil carried on the backs of the people of Iraq are being laid down and replaced with the wings of a spiritual revival not seen in modern history. Countless Iraqi’s are coming to Christ daily…many of them from an Islamic background. Day after day I heard the testimonies of those who had conversions to Christ through visions and dreams. Some had come to Christ through simply reading an Arabic Bible they had been given. Several converts were baptized in water as a public confession of their faith.

Over the past few years I had heard more and more of these conversions, now I was seeing them firsthand and witnessing the revival taking place among the Middle Eastern populations and in particular, the Iraqis.

Story after story flowed from the young Christian Iraqis. I listened to the incredible story of Fatima, a young lady who came from a very strict Sunni Muslim family in Baghdad. During Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship, Fatima’s father was a prominent member of the infamous Baath party…until someone gave him an Arabic New Testament one day.

After reading about the sacrifice Jesus Christ had made for the sins of the world, her father was convicted and prayed to know this Jesus as his Savior. For over a year, Fatima’s father secretly read his Bible and began to pray for his wife and his daughters that they too would see Christ for themselves. Fatima shared that her mom and sisters noticed a drastic change in their father’s life, but had no idea of what had happened. One day, Fatima saw her mother in their kitchen crying. When asked what was troubling her, she exclaimed that she had seen a vision of a man in bright white during the night claiming he was God! Fatima’s father couldn’t contain his newfound faith any longer. In a gush of joy and tears, her father shared his conversion with his entire family and invited them to accept this Jesus too. Fatima beamed as she recounted how God’s spirit came into their house as they too accepted Christ in to their hearts.

Eventually, more and more people became aware of Fatima’s family’s conversion to Christ. The persecution became so severe from the fundamentalist Islamic Sunni community that they were forced to leave their home and move to a safer place in Baghdad. Even so, Fatima’s family rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the Lord and continue to grow in their faith and Christian witness. Later that afternoon, I met Fatima’s father, mother and her two sisters and brother. All of them are shining examples of God’s love for the Muslim world and they attend one of the fastest growing fellowships in Baghdad. They continue to share their faith openly with Muslims and anyone who will hear.

Then there was a young man from one of Iraq’s most religious regions, the area of radical Shia leader Moqtada al-Sadr and the Iranian backed Mahdi army.

“I have lived in this city all my life”, this young man shared. “In fact, I lived less than 500 meters from the main mosque in town...so close, that I knew many of the officials that worked there. Many foreigners made pilgrimages to this place to pray at the shrine. It was always bustling with thousands of visitors from around the world. I used to go to the mosque and go through all the religious practices… it was a very religious place...revered as one of the holiest places for Shia’s. One day I decided that all the things I had been doing to please God were futile…they were just religious acts to please my family and my friends. I didn’t really believe in my heart anything I had been doing. I decided that I would stop going to prayers altogether and just not believe in anything anymore. I would become a non-believer…but I still wanted to know God.

“I had heard from the holy books and the imams that God was great, merciful and compassionate. I had heard that he was all powerful and that his will was the ultimate thing in life. I had learned to fear him and his almighty power. I knew God was great…I just didn’t know Him. There was an old man in our town that was a friend of our family. I respected him and I also knew that he too didn’t go to the mosque to pray. He was the only one that I could tell about my struggles.

“One day I went to him and shared my despair and my disillusionment with the Islamic religion. He introduced me to a man who was translating some letters and Bible scriptures from Arabic into the Hebrew language. How strange I thought. Seeing the look of puzzlement on my face he asked if I knew what a Bible was. I told him that in all my years going to the mosque I had never seen a Bible, and in all the friendships I had, I was sure no one had a Bible. I asked if he could get me one and he promised he would try. Within two days he brought me a Bible in Arabic.

“As I began to open this strange book, the first words I read were from Matthew. As I began to read, the image I had of God in my mind began to become reality. I had believed God to be great and all mighty, now this book…the Bible, was confirming in my heart all that I had thought about God…he was great…but more than great…He was beyond great and I began to see that I could know Him. Secretly, without my family, or wife knowing it, I began to cry out to know the God of the Bible. I didn’t know how to pray…I didn’t know what to ask of God…only that He would show himself to me and teach me how to know him. I began my secret search to know the God of this book…the Bible!

“Now, my wife and I are Believers and are learning more and more about God. We have a great passion to reach our people in our home city for Jesus. None of our family know as of yet…but I desire to return to tell them and everyone who will listen to me. I have a big desire to tell many in this city how God came to me and sought me out…He came looking for me…he found me and now I want to tell others of His great power to save. I want to share the Gospel through media and film, to show God’s love to my people. They will see God’s great love for them if we will tell them. I know the dangers…I will probably die for my faith…but I am ready to go.”

Fervent prayer being offered for Iraq

These two stories are shining examples of what God is doing among the Iraqi people. Just a couple of years ago, there were only a few Evangelical protestant churches known in Iraq. It is now reported that by the end of 2008, there will be over 40 Evangelical churches worshipping the Lord throughout Iraq. In Baghdad, one pastor reports that there are 20-30 new converts added to the church every week…many coming from Muslim backgrounds, and as a result of having dreams and visions of Jesus Christ. This growth is not going without persecution however.

In one high profile case, a pastor in Baghdad was threatened with death from two members of the Mahdi army during a church service. And presently, in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, Christians are being killed for the faith if they don’t convert to Islam. Many are being driven from their homes in fear.

Yet, despite these hardships, and even martyrdom, God is fulfilling His promise and is pouring out His Spirit upon the sons and daughters in the Land of Abraham!
 

David LeCompte is the co-director of Mission International, a ministry whose primary mission is to assist the indigenous church in the Middle East and Northern Africa. For more information on Mission International please visit their web-site at www.missionintl.org. David also is the author of, “No Escape from Grozny” – A Christian Working in War –Torn Chechnya. This amazing book is David’s personal story of his work with war orphans and Chechen refugees from 1997-2006. To read more about David’s work and obtain a copy of his book, please visit www.noescapefromgrozny.com.