Who should I pray for?

I am sure that many readers of en are rightly concerned about the conflict in Iran and the wider Middle East. I have a vested interest as my eldest son serves our country bravely in the Royal Navy.

I have spent the last few weeks glued to the 24-hour news coverage and have read countless articles and expert opinion pieces on the tensions – all to gain as much of an insight as possible, so that I can pray in an informed way for the needs of our service men and women and for our Christian brothers and sisters in Iran.

'Wars and rumours of wars'

Jesus said, “There will be wars and rumours of wars” (Matthew 24v6), so any conflict should not be a surprise to us. We live in a broken world, with limited resources and compassion. There will always be wars until Christ returns to make everything new.

The volume of information coming out of the Middle East can be overwhelming. We can get lost in the constant consumption of news from TV, radio, social media, press, and podcasts. We can hear opinions from all different sides of the political spectrum. Who can we trust? Is this propaganda? Who are the victims? Who are the oppressors? Is this real or AI? Who should I pray for?

As breaking news stories flash up on the TV screen, or when your phone buzzes with the latest alert, your heart skips a beat in anticipation of the next horror story of the war. However well-intentioned, you can fall into obsession, and this can lead to great anxiety.

How do you know if you have gone too far?

I was greatly encouraged by the words of Jesus in Matthew 22v39, where He commands us to love our neighbours. This came as a reality check. If I know more about American foreign policy and the situation in Iran than I do about the needs of my neighbours in the community that I am called to love and serve, then I have gone too far.

Yes, it is helpful to keep up to date with global affairs, and the war will certainly have an impact on our community, with rising fuel and energy costs. But if the 24/7 news cycle is taking my attention away from the mission field, it is time to turn everything off.

If the news is weighing you down, my advice is to go for a prayer walk and trust in God’s sovereignty. Visit a neighbour, enjoy a cup of tea together, tell them about Jesus and invite them to church. Love the people on your doorstep. And please continue to pray for our service men and women in the Armed Forces.