10 ways to pray for Syria's surviving Christian minority

By Ryan Brown, Op-ed contributor Sunday, December 15, 2024

A nun blesses a boy as he visits with his family the Christian Orthodox monastery of Saint Taqla in the Syrian village of Maalula, 60 kms north of Damascus, on June 29, 2009. Maalula is one of the last corners in the world where its residents still speak Aramaic, the mother tongue of Jesus Christ. | AFP via Getty Images/Louai Beshara

In the past few days, Syria has faced an unprecedented escalation in its ongoing crisis. Reports emerged Monday morning that President Bashar al-Assad — who has ruled Syria for more than 20 years — has fled the country amidst escalating violence and political turmoil. Russian state media now reports that Assad is in Moscow.

Key infrastructure, including power stations and communication networks, has been targeted in coordinated attacks, further plunging parts of the country into chaos. Civilians are being displaced at an alarming rate, while minority communities, including Christians, are bracing for an uncertain future.

The situation is volatile. However, Christian leaders remain committed to serving their communities, even as they face unprecedented challenges and uncertainty as they navigate the new reality.

Alongside their fellow Syrians, the Christian community there was stunned by this rapid change in Syria’s political reality, according to our global head of content at Open Doors. He said that in this kind of situation, uncertainty is always present — no one knows how the new leadership in Syria will treat minorities, including Christians. Believers there have endured so much already, and many likely remember the worst treatment under some groups at the height of the civil war.

We at Open Doors are calling upon the global community to uphold the people of Syria — especially the Christian minority — in prayer and to advocate for peace and stability in the region. Syrian Christians have asked us to pray for peace, for wisdom, and for the new leadership of the country to be committed to reconciliation for all Syrians. In addition, the Syrian believers have asked us to pray that they will be lights of hope and peace amid a chaotic time in Syria’s history.

Here are 10 ways you can pray:

Pray for unity among leaders, and that they keep the Syrian people’s interest as a first priority.
Urgently pray for peace in Syria, that the cycle of violence would cease, that there would be no spirit of vengeance against anyone and that God’s justice and mercy would prevail in this land that has been troubled for more than a decade.
Pray for the leaders of all factions to be moved towards reconciliation and for the protection of innocent civilians.
Lift up Christian communities in prayer, asking for strength and courage.
Pray for the Church to remain a beacon of hope and love, even as it faces immense challenges.
Pray for church leaders, that they (re)commit to their calling to serve the Church and their society at large.
Ask God to grant wisdom to church leaders as they guide their communities.
Pray for safety and resilience for families forced to make impossible choices about whether to stay or to leave.
Pray for the other minorities (Alawites and others), that they will be protected to avoid more bloodshed.
Finally, pray for healing for Syria as a nation, that broken relationships would be restored, and that the hope of Christ would shine, bringing comfort to the weary and a future to those who feel forgotten. May the global Church stand in unity, interceding for our brothers and sisters in Syria and for all those longing for peace and justice.

Ryan Brown serves Open Doors US as Chief Executive Officer. With extensive experience in shepherding teams for Kingdom impact, Brown is passionate about helping U.S. believers grow their faith as they connect with their persecuted family around the globe.