My Thoughts on Iran

I sometimes feel insignificant in this world. At times I feel rather like an observer, as if I am peering from the inside out. In truth, I know that I am not insignificant, but I am human, and these thoughts still come.

Iran is on my mind. The Iranian people are on my mind. The war is on my mind. Nations are on my mind. I find myself filtering, processing, trying to absorb and digest the bits and pieces of news and information that reach me.

We watch the news, we check our social media, and I pause and ask myself: do I really know the history of Iran, and what does this war truly mean?

Iran is known to have one of the world's worst human rights records, with high rates of recorded executions. This is a very sobering thought.

“Human rights violations have disproportionately impacted women, children and members of ethnic and religious minorities. The Mission found that gender persecution intersected with discrimination on the basis of ethnicity and religion.

“These acts form part of a widespread and systematic attack directed against the civilian population in Iran, namely against women, girls, boys and men who have demanded freedom, equality, dignity and accountability,” said Sara Hossain, chair of the Fact-Finding Mission. “We urge the Government to immediately halt the repression of those who have engaged in peaceful protests, in particular women and girls.”

Quoted from United Nations Human Rights:

https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/03/iran-institutional-discrimination-against-women- and-girls-enabled-human-the-routine-use-of-torture-against-detainees

I cannot, in my mind, heart, and soul, fully fathom what the people of Iran have been living under. I can only draw from my own small life and what it feels like to experience oppression, to feel like a victim, and to know moments of despair and hopelessness.

Destruction, pain, hate, anger, trauma, disbelief.

I have not lived under constant terror, yet I have experienced moments of terror. I am not fearful right now, but have I experienced fear? Yes, I have. Have I lived through destruction? Yes—emotionally. Have I experienced pain, loss, hate, anger, and trauma? I can say yes.

So, in my own small way, I can empathise with the people of Iran. In a microscopic way I can feel their pain. At the same time, I rejoice in freedom.

Do I know what it feels like to be free? Yes, absolutely. When Jesus delivered me from rejection, abandonment, oppression, fear, trauma, and so much more, I experienced that freedom. He came to give me life, and life abundantly.

Last Sunday evening, a small group of intercessors and prophets gathered to pray. Our particular intercessory group carries a mandate to pray for our beloved South Africa and, as the Spirit leads, for other matters.

In light of recent events, it was very much on our hearts to pray for the current situation in the Middle East.

We began by praying for the Church and for the festival of Purim. From there, our prayers turned toward Iran and the Middle East. As we were praying, I kept hearing the word “freedom... freedom.” The Lord laid the following scripture on my heart:

2 Corinthians 3:17 (NKJV)

“Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”

Currently, the largest underground church in the world is believed to be in Iran. It is estimated that there are between 300,000 and one million Christians in the country—people gathering in secret, at great risk, simply to worship and know the Lord.

I believe the scripture above speaks for itself: where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
As we continued to pray as a group of intercessors, we sensed that we should pause and rather seek

the Lord further, asking Him what our mandate is during this time.

Usually, as prophets, we sense things ahead of time. We pick things up in the spirit and later see events unfold. This time, however, it feels different. It feels as though the event, the war, the seismic shift, has already happened.

For me it’s time to reflect, to process, and to seek His face in this historical moment that we are living in and continue to pray for the Iranians and the nations.