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. Today we bring you the story of Jamil, a young man from Egypt. To pray with us every day, visit sat7uk.org/pray and download our latest Prayer Diary.

This month, with tensions high in the region and air strikes impacting thousands of Lebanese families, we’re bringing you an Emergency Country Briefing looking at Lebanon in more detail. We’ll look at how Christians are responding to the unfolding situation and hear from one of SAT-7’s directors in Lebanon, Sarah Soueidy, about how the team are keeping faith and supporting viewers.

Prayer Points:

• Pray for an immediate end to the conflict in Lebanon and the Holy Land. Pray that the Lord will fill hearts with peace and love, replacing anger and revenge.
• Pray for wisdom for political leaders and that international efforts to establish a peace deal will be successful.
• Pray for the bereaved, injured and displaced, that they will experience the Lord’s peace and comfort. Pray for protection and safety for those who have fled their homes.
• Pray for the SAT-7 team in Lebanon as they continue making and broadcasting programmes and offering support to viewers. Give thanks for their strength and perseverance, and pray that they will know the Lord’s strength and peace as they minister to others at this difficult time.
• Pray that You Are Not Alone will be a great source of comfort and encouragement to viewers in Lebanon, and that it will shine God’s light in these turbulent times.
• Give thanks for the churches in Lebanon who are helping those in need and pray that they will continue to be the Lord’s hands and feet as they support those seeking refuge from violence.

This month, Emily Shurmer speaks with Tia Adel Ghaly, the 19-year-old presenter of a show called Cupcake on SAT-7’s children’s channel. Emily caught up with Tia about how she became a presenter and what she loves about it, as well as the pressures that comes with being a role model to SAT-7’s younger viewers.