Pray for Egypt
The ancient pyramids on the edge of Cairo, Egypt's capital.
Photo: KennyOMG, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
About Egypt
The capital is Cairo. People speak Arabic. Islam is the main faith, and Coptic Christians are the largest Christian minority.
Source: Wikipedia, with the cited sources it lists.
Prayer briefing for Egypt
Last updated November 2026. Facts come from the sources listed below.
Current events
On 26 October Egypt’s parliament approved President el Sisi’s request to take the measures needed to support Saudi Arabia against Houthi attacks, which could mean sending troops. The President said any deployment would be purely defensive and would not include an attack on Yemen, while a Houthi official called the move a declaration of war. Egypt had largely stayed out of the region’s recent conflicts and acted as a mediator. In September a bus crash in South Sinai killed 22 people.
We pray for: Immediate relief, safety and urgent help.
Leadership and politics
Egypt is a republic with a strong presidency. President Abdel Fattah el Sisi has been in office since 2014, and his current term runs to 2030. Moustafa Madbouly is Prime Minister, and a new House of Representatives began its term in January 2026. In recent months the authorities have detained people accused of opposing the government online and, in October, six journalists of an investigative outlet, which denies the charges against it.
We pray for: Wisdom, integrity and justice for those in authority.
Economic health
The war involving Iran pushed up costs in 2026. In March fuel prices rose by up to 30% amid shortages, and the government capped the price of bread as fuel costs rose. In July the United States placed a 12.5% tariff on Egyptian goods. In September Egypt and China agreed to begin the third stage of their industrial zone on the Suez Canal.
We pray for: Provision for families and honest stewardship.
Social and cultural issues
Egypt hosts about 1.1 million registered refugees and asylum seekers, about three in four of them from Sudan, according to UNHCR. Poor families in the countryside are among the most vulnerable, like the nine children who died in Asyut in June when the tricycle carrying them plunged into a canal. Day labourers carried on pickup trucks also face great danger on the roads. About 100,000 Palestinians were living in Egypt in early 2025, many of them from Gaza, according to Reuters (2025).
We pray for: Reconciliation, peace and protection of the vulnerable.
Spiritual landscape
About 90% of Egyptians are Sunni Muslim and about 10% are Christian, mostly Coptic Orthodox, according to figures cited by USCIRF in 2026. The Copts are the largest Christian minority in the Middle East and North Africa. There are also small Baha'i and Jewish communities.
We pray for: Spiritual awakening, hope and the spread of truth.
Religious freedom
Islam is the state religion, and the constitution gives only Islam, Christianity and Judaism a legal basis for public worship. About 3,600 churches have received permits under the 2016 church building law, but about 2,000 requests are still waiting. USCIRF reports harassment and violence against Christians in rural Upper Egypt, the prosecution of some converts from Islam, and discrimination against Baha'is, and recommends that the US place Egypt on its Special Watch List.
We pray for: Protection for believers and freedom to worship safely.
Historical wounds
The 2011 uprising and the removal of President Mohammed Morsi in 2013 were followed by years of division and unrest. Christians remember the bombing of churches, including in Alexandria at New Year 2011, at a chapel beside the main Coptic cathedral in Cairo in 2016, and on Palm Sunday 2017 in Tanta and Alexandria, when more than 40 people were killed. Many families still carry grief from those years.
We pray for: National healing, breaking old cycles and deep forgiveness.
Let us pray together
Our Father, we come to You together for Egypt. Comfort the families who have lost loved ones on the roads, and keep the people safe. Give wisdom, integrity and justice to President el Sisi, Prime Minister Madbouly and all who lead. Provide bread and work for every family, and give honest stewardship to those who manage the economy. Protect the poor, the children and all who have fled war, care for the Palestinians who live in Egypt, and bring peace between neighbours. Let the hope of Jesus be known in every heart, and keep every believer safe and free to worship. Heal the wounds of the past, and lead Egypt in forgiveness and peace. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Sources
- CBS News: live updates, Egypt parliament backs support for Saudi Arabia (27 Oct 2026)
- Wikipedia: 2026 in Egypt (with links to AP, Reuters and BBC reports)
- Al-Monitor: bus crash in Sinai kills 22, including 10 Jordanians (Sept 2026)
- Rio Times: Egypt politics, key players in 2026 (Oct 2026)
- USCIRF Annual Report 2026: Egypt
- UNHCR: Egypt fact sheet (Mar 2026)
- AP via Fox News: a look at recent attacks on Egypt's Coptic Christians (Dec 2017)
- Reuters via ICTJ: Gazans in Egypt grapple with when to go home (Feb 2025)
More ways to pray
PrayerCast shares short prayer videos for the nations. Watch its video for Egypt and pray along.
Watch the PrayerCast video for Egypt
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