Amidst the ongoing devastation in the Holy Land, Gaza’s small Christian community has suffered significant losses. Many sought refuge in the Holy Family Church, which was recently hit by an Israeli airstrike. Among the 600 people sheltering in the church was Faeqa Ayyad, a 12-year old girl who shared her story on SAT-7.

Other key highlights from this month's Briefing:

• Lebanon's growing anxiety
• Sudan on the brink of famine
• Iran's political shift
• Stories of hope through film

Don’t forget to go deeper with the long-read Briefing article at: www.sat7uk.org/middle-east-briefing-july-2024

Emily Shurmer recently interviewed Marianne Awaraji, a beloved presenter and Audience Relations Manager for SAT-7’s Arabic channels. She finds out more about Marianne’s work with SAT-7’s viewer support team, which provides practical support, prayer and advice to hundreds of SAT-7 viewers each day. Marianne’s team mostly hear from non-Christian viewers asking questions about faith – listen as Marianne shares her powerful stories of God at work in people’s lives.

To watch the filmed studio interview and to pray for Marianne and the viewer support team visit: https://www.sat7uk.org/pages/in-conversation-with-marianne-awaraji

This month, in our first ever Country Briefing, we take a closer look at Sudan – a nation that has been gripped by war since April 2023. To date, the conflict has displaced over 8 million people and left around 25 million in dire need of humanitarian aid. Many Christians have faced threats and forced displacement, and churches have been attacked.

Read the full article here: https://www.sat7uk.org/country-briefing-june-2024

PRAY FOR SUDAN:

• For protection and safety: Pray for the safety of Christians caught in the crossfire of the ongoing conflict. Ask for God's protection over their lives, homes, and places of worship, and for an end to targeted violence against them.

• For provision of basic needs: Pray for the provision of essential resources such as food, clean water, and medical aid. Many Christians are struggling to survive amidst the fighting, so ask for God's provision and support from international aid organisations.

• For strength and unity: Give thanks for the strength and unity within the Christian community. Ask God to help them support one another and remain strong in their faith despite the challenges they face. Give thanks that through SAT-7, they can find fellowship and support from other believers.

• For peace and stability: Pray for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Sudan. Ask for wisdom and humility for the leaders involved, and for international efforts to successfully mediate and bring about lasting peace.

• For religious freedom: Pray for the protection and enhancement of religious freedoms in Sudan. Ask God to soften the hearts of those in power and to protect the rights of all religious minorities in the country.