“Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die…” Revelation 3:2
As followers of Jesus, we are part of a family that stretches across nations, languages and cultures. When one part of the Body suffers, we are called to stand with them. Today, our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land—in Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel—are facing a crisis that threatens the very presence of the Church in the land where our faith began.
For decades, Arab Christians in Palestine have quietly persevered through hardship, marginalisation, and war. But the conflict that erupted in October 2023 has deepened their suffering. Many now fear they are being forgotten by the global Church.
A Church Under Pressure
The ongoing war in Gaza has left many Christians, both Palestinian and Israeli, feeling isolated, misunderstood, and vulnerable. In Gaza, only around 500 Christians remain. In the West Bank, the Christian population has fallen to fewer than 40,000, with many families expected to leave at the end of the school year.
If this exodus continues, the visible Christian witness in the Holy Land could fade away.
This war has also deepened division. Historic bridges between communities have collapsed. Fear, mistrust, and unforgiveness run deep on all sides. Caught in the middle, believers often feel they have no safe place and no voice.
One local Christian leader told us:
“If we see meaning in our suffering, we can survive. But now we feel forgotten. Alone. Crushed.”
Strengthen What Remains
This is a moment of both crisis and calling. The Christian community in the Holy Land is small, but it matters deeply. Their faithful witness in the place where Jesus walked is a powerful testimony to the hope of the gospel.
Together, as part of the global body of Christ,
we can help strengthen what remains. Your prayers matter. Your voice matters. Your solidarity matters.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9
Will you pray with us for the Church in the Holy Land?
1. Pray, first and foremost, for immediate solutions to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza and that both sides of the conflict will work to ensure uninterrupted and safe delivery of aid and that it reaches those who need it most.
2. Pray for continued Christian presence in its birthplace. As Open Doors we have a deep moral responsibility to “strengthen what remains” (Rev. 3:2) of the Church in Palestine so that all people can know the true Peace of Jesus.
3. Pray into both the physical and spiritual battle that is happening. The political war has potentially devastating ramifications not just for human lives but in the battle for souls. Christians around the world must engage this battle in prayer, knowing that Christ is the ultimate solution the Church is called to proclaim.
4. Pray for a counter movement that is rising among the Christian youth of all denominations in Palestine despite deep darkness and evil. Young people demonstrate a deep desire to know Jesus and the Bible. Young believers seek to share hope and the gospel among themselves and their surrounding Muslim society.
5. Pray for the gospel to spread amid the turmoil as Muslims show ongoing interest in Jesus. Everyone is reachable, including our Muslim neighbours in Gaza and the West Bank. People are never the enemy–only the devil. As Christians we are called to bring light into the darkness (Matthew 5:13-16).
6. Pray that those with influence will do what is needed to stop the violence so that healing and restoration of people and their communities can begin.
7. Pray that the Lord will use this heartbreaking situation to drive both sides of the conflict toward restoration and forgiveness rather than continued destruction and anger.
8. Pray for a restored respect of international law and fundamental freedoms by both sides in the multilateral fora as well as in bilateral and private political engagements.
9. Pray that a sustainable peace in the Middle East will come rooted in reconciliation and forgiveness between the two peoples, including religious leaders and community representatives of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish from both Israel and Palestine.
10. Pray that those who determine policy will proactively consult religious leaders and community representatives, especially those active in reconciliation and peacebuilding efforts, to understand their concerns and challenges to lasting peace and forgiveness.
11. Pray that authorities on both sides will protect the right of every person to follow or change their religion or belief. This right cannot be taken away, is not a political matter, and must be protected equally in times of war and in times of peace.
