The call to prayer echoes through the streets of Tehran as the sun slips behind the Alborz Mountains. I pull my scarf a little tighter around my head and step into the crowded bazaar, careful to blend in. To most, I’m just another face in the city—one among millions—but inside, my heart beats to a different rhythm.
I wasn’t always a follower of Jesus. I grew up with the traditions of my family, reciting the prayers I was taught, fasting when I was told, doing everything to be good in the eyes of God. But deep down, I felt the weight of my own emptiness. Then, a friend quietly handed me a small book—the Injil, the Gospel. “Read it only when you’re alone,” she whispered.

That night, I read about Jesus—the One who healed the sick, forgave sins, and loved even His enemies. I couldn’t put the book down. The words seemed alive, as if they were speaking directly to me. I read about His death on the cross, and tears fell when I understood He had done it for me. A few weeks later, in the secrecy of my room, I prayed to Him for the first time—not out loud, just in my heart.

Now, every day in Tehran is a walk of faith. I meet with other believers in small, hidden gatherings. We sing softly, pray fervently, and share from the Word. We know the risk—being discovered could mean prison, or worse—but we also know the joy of belonging to the family of God.

Sometimes I stand on my apartment balcony at night, looking out over the glowing city. I think of the almost 16 million (Frontier Peoples) here who have never heard the truth about Jesus. I pray for them—my neighbors, my city, my country. I believe one day the Gospel will spread openly here, and the streets of Tehran will echo not only with the call to prayer, but with songs of praise to the living Christ.

Until that day, I will walk quietly, but boldly, carrying His light where it’s needed most.

• Pray for the advancement of God's Kingdom among all unreached people groups (UPGs) in Iran, asking the Lord of the Harvest to send trained laborers and for a successful strategies to fill gospel gaps where there is no engagement especially among the Gilaki and Mazanderani.
• Pray for rapid reproduction of disciples, churches, and leaders in Tehran. Ask for equipping and coaching for new believers to reproduce quickly, and for leaders to model healthy leadership and invest their time with those who are obeying God's word to accelerate multiplication.
• Pray for supernatural wisdom and discernment for leaders to strategically plan and identify spiritual strongholds and opportunities in new places. Ask for strength and glorious victory as disciples engage in spiritual warfare against the forces of darkness as they engage in sharing the Good News with all 84 unreached people groups in Iran.
• Pray for a mighty movement of extraordinary prayer to be birthed and sustained throughout Tehran and Iran, recognizing its foundational role for movements. Ask God to raise up prayer leaders and Prayer Shield Teams, and establish permanent lighthouses of continuous prayer and worship as a beachhead for the Kingdom.
• Pray for patient endurance for persecuted disciples in Tehran, that they would look to Jesus as their model for overcoming suffering . Ask the Holy Spirit for discernment to be aware of the devil's schemes and for strength and glorious victory as they fight the forces of darkness in their area.