[2025 Ramadan] Day 25 A country that God’s eyes are fixed upon, Iraq, rise up again with the fresh wind of the Holy Spirit!

On January 21, Iraq passed a revision to the ‘National Personal Status Law’ that effectively legalizes child marriage. This bill significantly strengthens the authority of religious authorities over family issues such as marriage, divorce, and inheritance. The existing law set the minimum marriage age at 18 to protect women, but this revision allows for marriage of girls as young as 9 depending on the interpretation of the clergy. Shiites can marry at age 9, and Sunnis at age 15. Many girls choose to marry to escape poverty, but most end up failing, paying the price of lifelong social stigma and loss of educational opportunities.

The religious ratio in Iraq is approximately 95% Islam, 1.44% Christianity, and 3% other religions. Before 2003, 4% of the total population was Christian, but due to the persecution during the Iraq War in 2003 and the counterattack by ISIS in 2014, many Christians emigrated to other countries, and only 1.44% remain, of which only 0.28% are evangelical Christians. In addition, within Islam, Shia and Sunni exist in a ratio of 6:4, and these two sects have been in constant sectarian conflict throughout the 1,400 years of Islamic history.

It seems that they welcome Ramadan with the burden of having to fast for a month. This Ramadan, which comes every year, is becoming a ritual that they have to do out of necessity, and it is now becoming a formality. They say they are fasting on the outside, but when the sun goes down and it is time for dinner, they eat in a hurry and without thinking. People are still struggling due to the economy and instability. They have to feed their entire family with their monthly salary that comes once every three months, and especially in areas with many Syrian and Yazidi refugees, the lives of refugees have become even more difficult since the Trump administration signed an executive order on the 20th of last month to suspend foreign aid for 90 days. There are also reports that NGOs in the field may not be able to endure the funding gap and may close their doors within 3-5 months. The central Iraqi government is continuously pressuring refugees to return to their hometowns in Sinjar, especially in an attempt to close the Yazidi refugee camps.

There are Syriac Orthodox, Chaldean, and Evangelical churches, but many churches have collapsed ethically over the past several years due to the help of Western churches. We hope that local churches will rise up in faith and be used as pure vessels for God’s vision once again.

As the world becomes more and more chaotic, the Holy Spirit’s work is happening powerfully in Iraq. When we put down our thoughts, emotions, and will and entrust them solely to the Holy Spirit, we see the work of the living God. This time, through the medical mission team, great miracles and signs occurred, and amazing works of hearing and accepting the gospel took place. In the last days, not by our power but only by the power of the Lord, the hearts of souls opened up and light began to slowly enter in. Hallelujah!!

[Today's Prayer]

1. During Ramadan, may a movement of repentance take place, may souls who have heard of Jesus even once meet the Lord in their dreams and be saved, and may the new wind of the Holy Spirit blow and new works take place.

2. Iraq, where Abraham's hometown of Ur of the Chaldeans was located, now has many Muslims. May God's eyes be fixed on Iraq, may God's plan to save all souls be fulfilled quickly, and may the wave of revival flow to all the nations.