With ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the source of which being the Islamic Republic of Iran, one Iranian-born Christian voice is calling Christians worldwide to wield what she describes as the greatest weapon to defeat the Islamic Republic: prayer. Marziyeh Amirizadeh, a survivor of the Islamic Republic’s persecution, has launched a 47-day Global Prayer for Iran initiative. It aims to overcome the spiritual darkness that has shrouded her homeland since the 1979 revolution. Her story and this effort blend personal testimony, biblical parallels, and urgent intercession for regime change and national revival in Iran.
Amirizadeh’s journey from Iran to international advocate is marked by courage and faith.
Born and raised in Iran, she suffered the misogyny and oppression of the Islamic regime from childhood. Intelligent and spiritually seeking from a young age, she converted to Christianity in 1999. Over the next decade, she and a friend ran underground home churches and distributed an astonishing 20,000 bibles across the country, acts of bold evangelism in a nation where anything even perceived of as anti-Islam carries severe penalties.
In 2009, she was arrested her on charges of apostasy and blasphemy. She received a death sentence but was released later that year and fled Iran in 2010, eventually reaching the United States where she became a citizen. She has since earned two degrees, authored two powerful books, including the widely read “ Love Journey with God ,” and speaks globally about persecuted Christians, the plight of Iranians, and her faith.
Her ministry, NewPersia.org, focuses on supporting the Iranian church and envisioning a transformed Iran based on the prophecy in Jeremiah 49:34-39. The Global Prayer for Iran emerged amid escalating conflict involving Israel, the United States, Gulf Arab States, with the Islamic Republic. Conceived as a spiritual response to physical battles, the initiative spans 47 days, one for each year of the regime’s rule.
Amirizadeh’s initiative draws inspiration from the biblical account of Joshua marching around Jericho. Participants are encouraged to pray daily, placing hands on a map of Iran as if to surround it, as Joshua did at Jericho. Especially important is having Christians in the seven countries that border Iran to be on the front line of those prayers.
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Leading this initiative, Amirizadeh made a trip to Armenia where she joined a group of Americans, Iranians, and Armenians praying for Iran, literally on the border of Iran. This powerful and emotional experience was the first time she’s been able to see the country of her birth in over 15 years, albeit across the border. The proximity to Iran stirred tears of emotion for her people held hostage by evil, yet also joy in unified intercession.
People have joined from dozens of countries on six continents, praying to break demonic strongholds and witchcraft that are practiced, curses invoked by the regime (such as “Death to America” and “Death to Israel”), and the spiritual veil of Islam including depression, and suicide that plagues many Iranians.
She emphasizes that the battle is not merely political or military but spiritual. The regime’s brutality including daily executions, torture, and organ harvesting from executed prisoners stems from satanic darkness. Amirizadeh speaks from experience: her best friend Shirin was arrested for opposing the regime, tortured for months, and executed. May 9 marks the anniversary of Shirin’s hanging, a painful reminder of the regime’s evil. She noted that like her friend Shirin, families often never recover loved ones’ bodies.
Amirizadeh’s visions reinforce her calling and the urgency for this prayer. Through visions and dreams, she saw a ruined church in Iran, the one actual building that operates legally, and received a massive key, symbolizing access to Iran’s spiritual future. In another, she stood on a mountain praying over millions of Iranians as light pierced the darkness. She ties these to the prophecy of Jeremiah 49: 34-39, where God promises judgment on corrupt rulers followed by the establishment of His throne, and what she believes will one day be a Christian Iran. She notes that many Iranians have turned from Islam and are receptive to Christianity and a relationship with the true God.
In a recent webinar , Amirizadeh announced a closing virtual global Zoom prayer event scheduled for May 16, marking the end of the 47 days, also coinciding with America’s National Day of Prayer on May 17. As Americans pray for the future of the United States, the overlapping dates underscore that not only must people pray for a free Iran, but that a free Iran will be essential to eliminate its threats to all Americans.
Amirizadeh stresses that while military and political action against the regime is necessary, she urges praying for the protection of Israeli and American forces and for wise leadership, spiritual warfare is essential. She warns of regime agents influencing Western policy and suppressing dissident voices. Millions of Iranians, she says, reject the regime, and seek restoration under Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, alongside renewed ties with Israel and the West.
Through NewPersia.org, she also addresses the issue of discipleship needs for Iran’s growing underground church, supporting these efforts, preparing leaders for potential post-regime growth.
Amirizadeh’s message is clear: Christians must not remain passive. Prayer encircles Iran like Joshua’s march, inviting God’s intervention . Westerners often lack understanding of the regime’s true nature; stories like Amirizadeh’s and Shirin’s bring it into sharp focus.
Marziyeh Amirizadeh embodies resilient faith forged in fire. From distributing bibles under threat to mobilizing global prayer from exile, her life testifies to the power of one voice aligned with God’s purposes. As threats from Iran and tensions in the Middle East persist, her call resonates: pray for the fall of darkness, the salvation of Iran, and a future where Persians and Jews once again walk in friendship under the light of truth.
The initiative continues beyond May. For those moved to join, resources and contact details are available at www.NewPersia.org
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