Pray for Iraq
Wetlands where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers meet, in southern Iraq.
Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
About Iraq
The capital is Baghdad. People speak Arabic and Kurdish. The largest faith is Islam.
Source: Wikipedia, with the cited sources it lists.
Prayer briefing for Iraq
Last updated November 2026. Facts come from the sources listed below.
Current events
In mid-October parliament approved the remaining cabinet posts, completing Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s government. On 28 October al-Zaidi made his first visit to Syria, to discuss trade, energy and security. Late in the month he removed the head of the intelligence service and took direct control of it, as Baghdad tries to limit armed groups that operate outside state control amid tension across the region.
We pray for: Immediate relief, safety and urgent help.
Leadership and politics
Iraq is a federal parliamentary republic. After nearly five months of political deadlock, President Nizar Amidi asked Ali al-Zaidi, a businessman put forward by the main Shia bloc as a compromise, to form a government in April 2026. Al-Zaidi now serves as Prime Minister, and the government faces hard questions about armed groups and keeping Iraq out of the war.
We pray for: Wisdom, integrity and justice for those in authority.
Economic health
Oil brings in the vast majority of government income. Before the war Iraq exported about 3.5 million barrels a day, mostly through the Strait of Hormuz, and shipping there has been disrupted since February. In August Iraq and Turkey agreed a one year deal to send more oil by pipeline, but not enough to reach prewar levels. The IMF expects a double digit fall in the economy in 2026.
We pray for: Provision for families and honest stewardship.
Social and cultural issues
Iraq is home to Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen and other peoples, both Shia and Sunni, with Christian, Yazidi and other minorities. In 2023 about 1.1 million people were still displaced, many from the war against the Islamic State group, and only about a third of the people of Sinjar had returned. Displaced families and Yazidi survivors are among the most vulnerable.
We pray for: Reconciliation, peace and protection of the vulnerable.
Spiritual landscape
About 97% of Iraqis are Muslim (2010 government figures), with Shia about 55 to 60% of Muslims and Sunni about 40%. Fewer than 150,000 Christians remain, down from about 1.5 million before 2003, most of them Chaldean Catholic or of the Assyrian Church of the East, living mainly in the Nineveh Plain and the Kurdistan Region. There are also about 400,000 to 500,000 Yazidis.
We pray for: Spiritual awakening, hope and the spread of truth.
Religious freedom
The constitution makes Islam the state religion and also guarantees freedom of belief and worship, naming Christians, Yazidis and Mandaeans. Personal status rules bar Muslims from changing faith, and children must be registered as Muslim if a parent becomes Muslim. Christian and Yazidi leaders report pressure on their land and property. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom has placed Iraq on its Special Watch List.
We pray for: Protection for believers and freedom to worship safely.
Historical wounds
Iraq carries deep wounds from the eight year war with Iran from 1980 to 1988 and the gas attack on the Kurdish town of Halabja in 1988, which killed thousands, mostly women and children. From 2014 the Islamic State group attacked the Yazidis of Sinjar, which a UN inquiry called genocide, and drove Christians and many others from their homes.
We pray for: National healing, breaking old cycles and deep forgiveness.
Let us pray together
Our Father, we come to You together for Iraq. Keep the people safe from missiles, drones and violence, and comfort those who grieve. Give the President, the Prime Minister and all leaders wisdom, integrity and justice. Provide work and daily bread for every family as the oil trade is disrupted. Bring reconciliation between peoples and protect the displaced, the Yazidis and all who are vulnerable. Let the light of Jesus shine in this ancient land. Keep believers safe and give them freedom to worship, and heal the wounds of war and terror. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Sources
- The National: Iraqi Prime Minister takes direct control of intelligence service (Oct 2026)
- Al-Monitor: Iraq parliament approves remaining cabinet posts (Oct 2026)
- The New Arab: Iraq appoints Ali al-Zaidi as Prime Minister (Apr 2026)
- AP via TimesLIVE: Iraq and Turkey strike pipeline deal (Aug 2026)
- Kurdistan24: IMF forecasts double digit contraction for Iraq (Oct 2026)
- US State Department: 2023 Report on International Religious Freedom, Iraq
- USCIRF: 2026 recommendations
- AFP via Space Daily: thirty years on, gas attack still poisons Halabja (Mar 2018)
- UN News: ISIL genocide against Yazidis ongoing, UN panel says (Aug 2017)
More ways to pray
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