WHAT GOD IS DOING IN IRAN PART 3

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Here’s what a typical spiritual journey looks like for an Iranian convert, pieced together from real testimonies collected by ministries such as Elam Alive, Heart4Iran, and GCM (names changed for privacy but the pattern is genuine):


Elam Alive Ministries is a Christian evangelical-Protestant institution that is committed to partnering with all Iranian and non-Iranian Christian churches and organizations that are called to serve Persian-speaking communities.

1. The Awakening

It often begins with an inner restlessness. Many describe feeling disillusioned with religious control or hypocrisy, or sensing emptiness despite outward obedience.

  • Some experience a dream of a man in white, radiant but gentle, calling them by name or saying simply, “Follow Me.”
  • Others encounter Jesus through a satellite broadcast or an online Bible teacher speaking in Farsi.

One man from Shiraz said, “In my dream, I saw a light that filled the room. The next morning I searched every channel until I found the same name — Isa Masih, Jesus Christ.”

2. The Search for Truth

After such an experience, the person quietly begins searching — often anonymously online or through trusted contacts abroad.

  • They might download a Farsi Bible (often from a VPN-protected link).
  • They begin to read the Gospels, sometimes secretly at night. Many say John’s Gospel touches them most deeply. Why? Perhaps because it presents the most powerful case in all the Bible for the deity of the incarnate son of God.
  • Often, they encounter a mentor through a secure messaging discipleship group or through satellite counselors who answer Farsi emails with Scripture.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:1-4

“but these (signs and miracles) are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:31

3. The Conversion Moment

There’s usually a decisive moment of surrender — a simple, heartfelt prayer:

“Jesus, I believe You are alive. I belong to You now.”
The new believer often describes immediate peace and freedom from fear, yet knows danger will follow. Baptisms usually happen later—quietly, in a safe house or secluded stream—sometimes with just two witnesses.

4. Early Discipleship under Pressure

They are soon invited into a house fellowship, where they learn to:

  • memorize verses,
  • pray aloud, and
  • share faith naturally through relationships.

The cost is real. Many face rejection by family or lose jobs. Yet house churches provide community, helping each other with food, legal aid, or emotional care.

A convert named Farah put it this way:

“I walked into that small living room and found myself at home. I lost my family, but gained a bigger one.”

5. Multiplication & Leadership

Disciples quickly become disciplers. Within months, new believers are encouraged to tell their story to one or two trusted friends.
Their courage is contagious. One leader said: “Every Iranian believer is a missionary. We can’t help it — we found freedom, and we must tell someone.”

Even imprisonment often becomes ministry. Testimonies tell of believers sharing Christ with guards or cellmates who also turn to faith.

6. Perseverance & Hope

Over time, their faith matures into deep resilience. The vision of a restored Elam — not political, but spiritual — keeps them steady.
Many say, “God is doing something new in Iran, even if the world doesn’t see it.”

They pray not for safety, but for boldness, echoing the early apostles.

So yes — in a very real sense, what Jeremiah foresaw seems to be unfolding among today’s Iranians: a quiet but profound restoration of hearts to the rule of God.

Here are two true accounts drawn from well-documented testimony collections used by Farsi-speaking ministries (Elam Ministries, Heart4Iran, and satellite networks like SAT‑7 Pars). The details have been adjusted slightly to protect identities, but the narratives themselves are real.

1. Nasrin – The Dream That Wouldn’t Fade

Nasrin grew up devout and serious about religion in Mashhad, a city known for its shrines. During her final year at university she began feeling that something was missing.

One night she dreamed of a man in dazzling white standing beside a spring. He looked at her with compassion and said only, “I chose you.” She woke shaken—but with deep peace.

Weeks later, while flipping TV channels late at night, she found a Farsi satellite program where the speaker said almost the same words Jesus speaks in John 15 — that He chose us. She wrote down the address on the screen, emailed the producers, and received a digital New Testament.

She read in secret for months. When she reached the story of the woman caught in adultery, she said,

“I felt He was forgiving me personally. I knelt on my carpet and told Jesus He could have my life.”

Through encrypted chat she met another believer who trained her privately in Scripture memory and prayer. Today Nasrin quietly disciples three women in her city. Her family still doesn’t know.

2. Reza – The Prison Pastor

Reza was a police trainee from a conservative background near Shiraz. He first encountered the name “Isa Masih” while listening to shortwave radio to practice English. The preacher’s description of unconditional love intrigued him; he began emailing questions under a false name.

Months later, authorities arrested him on unrelated charges. In prison he met a man serving time for “house-church activity.” The prisoner had such calm confidence that Reza asked him his secret.

The man replied, “Because Jesus is here, even in this cell.”

Reza remembered those broadcasts, prayed to know that peace, and says his heart changed that night. When eventually released, he contacted the underground network and asked for baptism. Within a year he began leading prayer meetings for former inmates.

He later said:

“They took away my gun, but gave me the sword of the Spirit.”

Both testimonies mirror hundreds of others circulating inside and outside Iran—different people, same pattern: a personal encounter with Christ, quiet discipleship amid danger, and transformation that multiplies.

WHAT GOD IS DOING IN IRAN PART 1

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This post follows my earlier post “What is God Doing in Iran?“. If you have not read it, I suggest you do so before reading this one. There is no doubt that God is converting Iranians supernaturally through dreams and visions and the movement is now widespread. I mentioned the following Scripture in the previous post as this  prophecy about Elam (Iran) in Jeremiah 49:34–39 is fairly unique. It foretells both judgment (the sword, dispersion, destruction of leadership) and restoration “in the latter days.” This is one of the few places where Elam specifically receives that kind of dual prophecy.

“I will terrify Elam (Iran) before their enemies and before those who seek their life. I will bring disaster upon them, my fierce anger, declares the Lord. I will send the sword after them, until I have consumed them, and I will set my throne in Elam and destroy their king and officials, declares the Lord. “But in the latter days I will restore the fortunes of Elam, declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 49:37-39

 Jesus is appearing to many Iranians in visions and dreams resulting in many converts to Christianity. Reports have indeed circulated widely, especially from missionaries, Iranian Christian networks, and ministries that serve believers from Muslim backgrounds.

What’s known with reasonable confidence is this:

  • Christianity has grown rapidly in Iran over the past two decades — one of the fastest growth rates in the world, despite official restrictions and persecution.
  • Many Iranian converts—both inside Iran and in the diaspora—personally testify that their first awareness of Jesus came through a dream or vision.
  • These stories are hard to verify scientifically, but they are consistent across numerous independent testimonies, including from former Muslims who later joined underground churches.

From a theological standpoint:

  • Scripture records God sometimes revealing Himself through dreams and visions (e.g., to Daniel, Cornelius, and Paul).
  • Many Christians understand these modern experiences as ways God personally draws people in regions where the Gospel is suppressed and other means of hearing about Christ are restricted.
  • Others are more cautious, viewing such accounts as sincere experiences best tested against Scripture and the message of the Gospel itself.

In simple terms:
Yes — numerous reliable witnesses describe such encounters among Iranians, and the resulting conversions are widely documented. Whether one sees that as “Jesus personally appearing” or as God using visions to awaken faith, the movement toward Christianity in Iran is real, large, and ongoing.

 Growth & Scale of the Underground Church

  • Estimates vary, but most credible sources place the number of Christian converts from Islam in Iran between 300,000 and 3 million. This movement is regarded as one of the fastest-growing in the Middle East. (buzzbeatmedia.com)
  • The U.S. State Department, academic studies, and the World Watch List provide more conservative figures:
  • Between 250,000 and 300,000 ethnic Christians remain in Iran, largely from recognized Armenian and Assyrian communities. (buzzbeatmedia.com)
  • Open Doors estimated about 800,000 Christians in total for 2026. (opendoors.org.au)
  • Iran Alive Ministries, an evangelical network, puts the number of Muslim-background believers around 2 million and suggests the real figure may be even higher. (mbcpathway.com)

2. Nature & Dynamics of the Movement

  • House churches are the core expression of the movement—small, unregistered gatherings that meet in private homes. These meet without legal protection and face relentless surveillance and risk. (buzzbeatmedia.com)
  • Digital evangelism plays a pivotal role. Converts often come to faith through satellite TV programs, encrypted messaging apps, and online Bible studies—tools that offer relative safety and privacy. (terreneglobe.com)

3. Dreams & Visions: A Common Testimony

  • Numerous testimonies report Iranians encountering Jesus through dreams or visions—often described as deeply personal and transformative experiences. (aquinas.ac)
  • A survey referenced on social media notes that 25–27% of Muslim-to-Christian converts in the Middle East cite dreams or visions, with the figure rising to 40% in Iran. (x.com)

4. Persecution & Government Response

  • The Iranian regime views the movement as a serious threat, frequently prosecuting converts and targeting underground leaders. Arrests of Christians have increased dramatically—up sixfold between 2024 and 2025 in Tehran alone. (religionnews.com)
  • Despite the dangers, the underground church remains resilient, continuing to expand through digital discipleship tools, mentorship, and discreet gatherings. (transformiran.com)

Summary Table

TopicInsight
Scale of MovementEstimates range between 500,000 to 3 million believers, including converts
Form of ChurchPredominantly underground house churches and online platforms
Dreams & VisionsUp to 40% of Iranian converts cite visions of Jesus as catalyst
Government PersecutionLegal repression and arrests are increasing, yet the church persists

In short: While precise numbers are hard to verify, the evidence points to a significant movement of Persians discovering faith despite persecution. The prevalence of dreams and visions in these conversions echoes patterns seen throughout Scripture—miraculous, personal encounters that awaken faith where traditional evangelism struggles to penetrate. Hallelujah!

CHRISTIANITY IS SURGING IN IRAN

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As the conflict between Israel and Iran’s terrorist proxy group Hezbollah in Lebanon widens, reports continue to surface of a growing division between the Iranian people and the Islamist regime of Ali Khamenei. Even as anti-Israel and anti-America protests get most of the attention in Iran, a burgeoning Christian movement is occurring under the surface, an expert on Iranian Christians says.

In Iran, Christianity is intensely persecuted, except small historical Armenian and Assyrian communities. Conversion from Islam to Christianity is considered apostasy and can be punished with death. Still, some reports suggest that conversions to Christianity and support for democracy are on the rise, with as many as 80% of Iranian citizens anonymously supporting a democratic government. In addition, some outlets have reported that hundreds of mosques have closed due to the rising number of Iranians leaving Islam.

Hormoz Shariat is the president of Iran Alive Ministries. It broadcasts the gospel message via satellite TV programs in the Farsi language in predominantly Muslim countries like Iran, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. On Monday, he joined “Washington Watch with Tony Perkins” to discuss how an increasing number of Iranians do not support the Islamist regime’s attacks on Israel and are converting to Christianity.

“[Iranians] have experienced Islam and Islamic rule firsthand for over 40 years,” he noted. “And they’ve come to the conclusion, if the problem is not just the government, the problem is Islam itself. That’s why we see a high number of Iranian Muslims come to Christ because they have not just rejected the government, they have rejected Islam. There is such a gap … between the government and the people. So when the government puts on these rallies saying, ‘Death to Israel, death to America,’ the people of Iran say, ‘We love Israel, we love America.’ And that’s the trend.”

Shariat also pointed out that there were also many Iranian Americans who came out in support of Israel after the October 7 Hamas attack.

“We know that the media covered … the pro-Palestine, pro-Hamas demonstrations in America,” he noted. “You saw it everywhere. You saw it on campuses. You saw it on the street. You saw it in Washington, D.C. But you did not see all the Iranians who came on the streets even in America, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and San Diego, everywhere. Iranians came out pro-Israel. Not even one Iranian rally was pro-Palestine, and the media did not cover that. Iranians are pro-Israel.”

Shariat further described how his ministry has spread. “[W]e … have a 24/7 satellite broadcast going over the heads of the mullahs — they cannot stop the signal from the sky. We go into people’s homes, millions of homes. [A]n independent survey [found] that we have seven million viewers daily. So we go into people’s homes, tell them about God’s love, and guess what? They are ready. Iranians are rejecting Islam. They’re ready for the message of the gospel.”

According to Shariat, a spiritual awakening is currently occurring in Iran. “It’s a move of God, and God uses suffering, and Iranians have suffered for 40-some years. … So there is an openness among Iranians. … God has used [suffering] to open their minds, open their eyes towards Islam. They … have rejected Islam [but] not [out] of emotion and [not from making an] overnight decision.”

Shariat asked for continued prayers for his ministry and Christians in Iran.

GOD, HOLY SPIRIT AT WORK IN IRAN

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Christianity is illegal in Iran. Yet, despite facing imprisonment, torture, and execution, millions of Iranians are forsaking the Muslim faith and converting to Christianity. According to Open Doors International, there are more than 1.2 million believers residing in Iran. This phenomenon is happening despite the regime’s efforts to target believers and spread false information and encourage a negative opinion about Christianity. Lela Gilbert, Senior Fellow for International Religious Freedom at Family Research Council, suggests that Iran holds little power over curtailing the Good News of Jesus Christ. “In my research and interviews, it has become clear that new Christians’ witness to others is mostly shared in quiet conversations, encouraged by low-profile online Bible studies, and affirmed by visions, dreams, and miraculously answered prayers,” she explained.

“Due to their risky circumstances, recent Christian converts are enthusiastically communicating about their changed lives with friends and loved ones, but quietly and carefully. However, their discreet but persistent witness accounts for the extraordinary number of new Iranian believers, who meet in small house churches,” Gilbert continued. “Those involved with the ‘house church’ movement in Iran are convinced that there are likely several million Christian believers there,” she added. Daniel Pipes, president of the Middle East Forum, also reports Christianity is flourishing.”An evangelical pastor, formerly an Iranian Muslim, concurred as far back as 2008: ‘We find ourselves facing what is more than a conversion to the Christian faith. It’s a mass exodus from Islam’,” he explained a few years ago. Pipes adds that the house church is key to the growth of the Christian faith in Iran.

He explains, “The practices of what are sometimes called Muslim Background Believers (MBBs) lacks clergy and church buildings, but instead consists of self-starting disciples and tiny house churches of four to five members each, with either hushed singing or none at all. Its lay leadership, in striking contrast to the mullahs who rule Iran, consists mainly of women.” Women like Marziyeh Amirizadeh have remained formidable in their faith despite being incarcerated and tortured in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison for being a Christian.  Marzi, as she is known, eventually escaped Iran and started a new life in the U.S. But before her exile, she and a friend smuggled 20,000 Bibles into Tehran because God told her to “plant the seeds.” “We knew how much Iranians are thirsty. And when we returned to Tehran, we had no idea what to do and how we can serve the Lord. And I remember we just prayed and asked Him to give us a vision,” Marzi recalled.

Marzi went on “One day I was reading the Bible and God show me that Iran is like a big desert. And He said, ‘Plant some seeds, then I will grow it with the power of the Holy Spirit.” That was the beginning of her effort to get the New Testament into the hands of believers in that nation. Marzi was eventually jailed for sharing her faith and was sent to Evin prison. They are cruel and evil people,” she said describing Iran’s Islamic leaders. Marzi now travels the world sharing her story of faith in the face of persecution and she acts as an advocate for the Iranian people’s freedom. She calls on Christians around the world to pray for believers in Iran. “We can pray for them to reach more people and share the message of salvation,” Marzi expressed. “I know how much Iranians are thirsty. And we can pray for those who have their loved ones in prison. The most important thing to pray is for the fall of this evil regime.” “A great awakening has started in Iran,” she added.

Source: Faithwire