Prayer Focus—Afghanistan

Every month, Adventist Review and the Office of Adventist Mission will highlight one of the world’s most unreached countries and invite readers to pray for its people. After featuring Iran, the most unreached country on our list, we now turn to Afghanistan, the second most unreached nation in the world.—Editors.

If you were to find yourself in Afghanistan next Sabbath, hoping to visit a Seventh-day Adventist church, you would have to leave the country to find one. There is not a single official Seventh-day Adventist church or publicly known Adventist member in the entire nation. In fact, if you were looking for a Christian church of any kind, you would not be able to find one either. Muslims make up more than 99 percent of the population, while all other religions, including Christianity, represent less than 1 percent.[1]

Afghanistan, slightly smaller than Texas, is home to some 45 million people. It is bordered by Iran to the west; Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan to the north; Pakistan to the south and east; and a narrow northeastern corridor that touches China.

Today Afghanistan remains one of the least-reached countries for Adventists. According to the Joshua Project, there are 58 unreached people groups in the country. Because of severe religious restrictions and harsh penalties for converts, mission work has been extremely challenging. Adventists have focused primarily on publishing books in Farsi and supporting medical training initiatives through Loma Linda University. ADRA has also provided humanitarian assistance in times of crisis.[2]

The Office of Adventist Mission refers to a country as “veiled” when its name is withheld to protect the lives and ministry of frontline workers serving there. In the case of Afghanistan, however, there is currently no publicly known Adventist work to conceal.

Yet the Holy Spirit is actively working where missionaries cannot. There have been numerous reports of people receiving dreams and visions about Jesus and the salvation He offers. Please pray for the people of Afghanistan and for the spread of the everlasting gospel throughout this country.

We invite you to explore an interactive map of Afghanistan made possible by the Joshua Project, and pray for unreached people groups across the country. Each gray dot represents a community that has yet to hear the gospel. Click on a dot to learn more about the people group and pray for them. As you do, the dot will light up. Let’s cover this map in prayer, and light every dot with the hope of Jesus.

[1] “Muslim Majority Countries 2026,” World Population Review.

[2] For additional information on Adventist mission work in Afghanistan, see Ronald M. Torres, “Afghanistan,” Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=DD81.