Pray today
Centuries of bitter conflict, oppression, and massacres left Armenians with hatred and mistrust of their neighbours. From 1915-1917, the Turks killed up to 1.5 million Armenians in a merciless genocide. Conflict with Azerbaijan, from 1988-1994 and then 2020-2023, ended in the cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh of its Armenian population by the victorious Azerbaijani forces. The attendant accusations of genocide committed by Azerbaijan has chilling resonance with Armenia's past. Armenians are understandably shaken, especially when its traditional support from Russian melted away, and the world's focus was on Ukraine and Israel. Pray that the Lord might exercise His power to assert peace over the region. Pray that Armenians might be free from such terrible fear of repeated genocide, and that despite their pain, would learn to forgive.
More
The Armenian Apostolic Church has long been a cultural refuge in times of persecution, but the very traditional nature of the Church, which is key to Armenian self-identity, also keeps them from discovering the living Christ. It often inoculates Armenians against the message shared by other Christian groups. Pray for:
- Unity and cooperation within the Church. There are two main groups, tracing back nearly 1,000 years, which use different dialects. Pray that these two (Eastern and Western) will find common ground and the ability to work together for the purposes of God.
- Deep spiritual regeneration of the Church and for godly leaders. This Church will almost certainly remain the dominant religious force in Armenian life. Therefore, pray that there would be a radical transformation therein that sees Christ glorified and many saved.
- An appreciation of, and fellowship with, the smaller denominations in Armenia. Though this is improving, significant suspicion and occasional hostility toward non-Orthodox groups remain.
The Armenian Church-Loving Brotherhood, an evangelical-oriented movement within the Apostolic Church, was formally founded in 1895. Its main emphases are Bible study groups, personal witness, publishing and distribution of evangelical literature and Bibles, and work among the poor and needy, especially orphans. There are a couple of hundred workers in the movement, with thousands of people associated with it, particularly younger people. Pray for this movement and its influence for good on the nation.
More Information
- Get all of this content and daily notifications in our free mobile app. Download here ›
- Sign up for a daily e-mail that gets you the featured prayer point of the day straight to your inbox.
- This content is a curated selection of points from our book, Operation World. Find out more about it and all the rest of Our Publications ›
Content taken or adapted from Operation World, 7th Edition (2010) and Pray for the World (2015). Both books are published by InterVarsity Press. All rights reserved.