Join us for another powerful conversation Around the Table, SAT-7 UK’s podcast where voices from the UK, the Middle East, and North Africa come together for honest, faith-filled conversations that go deeper than the headlines.

In this episode, hosts Sophie Griffith and Martin Thomas are joined by Dr. Martin Accad and Dan Morrice for a thoughtful and timely conversation about peacebuilding.

Together, they explore how faith communities are actively fostering peace in divided contexts. From inspiring stories of reconciliation to courageous leadership across the region, this episode shines a light on the hope-filled work already underway. We also reflect on what it means for each of us to become peacemakers in our own everyday lives — wherever we are.

These are the conversations that remind us of the hope, courage, and creativity shaping lives across the Middle East and North Africa — and how we can all play a part in God’s bigger story of transformation.

If you care about justice, reconciliation, and real stories that challenge stereotypes and build bridges, this episode is for you.

Show Note Resources:

SAT-7 UK: https://www.sat7uk.org/

Check out:

Dan Morrice’s Book: Finding the Peacemakers: A Journey of Faith from the Mines of Chile to the Deserts of the Middle East

Martin Accad’s Book: Sacred Misinterpretation: Reaching Across the Christian- Muslim Divide

SAT-7 UK Podcasts: https://www.sat7uk.org/pages/sat-7-uk-podcast/

Welcome to Voices of the Middle East, a SAT-7 UK podcast. SAT-7 is an international Christian media ministry bringing life-changing joy to the people of the Middle East and North Africa. Last year we had over 103,000 one-to-one conversations with viewers, and through these conversations we are hearing constant stories of the ways God is at work in people’s lives. In this podcast, we’ll share some of their stories with you, and invite you to pray for SAT-7 and the people of the region.

Welcome to 7 Reasons to Pray for the Middle East, a special one-off podcast and church resource brought to you by SAT-7 UK.

If we’re honest with ourselves, sometimes we can wonder what the point is in praying for people we’ll never meet, or for global situations that feel too big to solve. When we’re overwhelmed by the challenges facing the Middle East, our prayers can seem small and insignificant.

Yet when we turn to the Bible, we see that God invites us to pray – not just to change the world, but to change our own hearts in the process. That’s why we’ve come up with 7 Reasons to Pray for the Middle East – a brand-new resource for you and your church, as well as this month’s podcast. We hope these seven Bible-based reasons inspire you to pray more regularly, more urgently, and more deeply for our brothers and sisters around the world.

Use today’s talk in your church or small group

Would your church, prayer meeting or small group enjoy this talk? We have recorded today’s podcast as a video version that can be shown in your own setting, followed by a time of prayer for the Middle East. To access the video and sign up for your church resources, click here.

7 Reasons to Pray for the Middle East

Let’s recap the 7 reasons to pray for the Middle East, along with the Bible references used:

1. We want to be more like Jesus. “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.” John 17:20-21
2. Our MENA brothers and sisters are asking us to. “But God has put the body together… its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it.” 1 Corinthians 12:24-26:
3. It gives us a more global perspective. “[Stand] firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” 1 Peter 5:8-10
4. To align our hearts with God’s heart. “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10
5. As a biblical response to our worries. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6
6. It inspires us to praise God! “Praise him for his acts of power, praise him for his surpassing greatness.” Psalm 150:2
7. God answers our prayers. “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 5:16

Further prayer resources

To keep going in your prayers for the Middle East, visit sat7uk.org/pray where you’ll find links to our latest Prayer Diary, as well as recent episodes of 7 Ways to Pray, our monthly prayer podcast.