5 prayers to pray for our Afghan family
We have an incredibly brave church family alive and well in Afghanistan, and they need our prayers. Even though there is no longer an American presence on the ground, our status with our brothers and sisters hasn’t changed. Truly, we remain as close to them as ever before. Here are five prayers we can pray for the Afghan church:
1) Pray for those who must live lives of secret faith, lives of fear, oppression and unbelievable persecution; let’s pray for their continued faith among the ruins, and a knowing that although they can’t share their beliefs publicly, their Church family around the globe has not forgotten them—and will never forget them.
2) Pray for the friends and families of our brothers and sisters. Let’s pray they will encourage instead of call out, lift up instead of put down and spread the gospel instead of trying to silence it.
3) Pray God will thwart and confuse the evil plans of extremist groups, like the Islamic State group and ISIS, as well as the Taliban. Pray for the safety of Christians and for strength to remain faithful in the midst of current and future persecution. And let’s pray boldly for Saul-to-Paul conversions of extremists. Ask God to give both visions and dreams to persecutors and reveal Himself—that they, like Paul, would see the power and love of Christ.
4) Pray for relief from the drought and COVID-19 that continue to ravage the country and make life increasingly difficult for Afghans. Ask God to provide aid and medicine—hidden manna—to those believers whose families and tribes refuse to help them because they have left Islam to follow Jesus.
5) Pray that God would strengthen the worldwide Church to pray with the secret church in Afghanistan. Ask God to continue to bring our Afghan family to our minds and hearts in the weeks, months and years ahead—that we will never forget them.
Father God, please hear our prayers for our Afghan family. Let them know they are remembered and cared for. And, most of all, let there be peace—Your unwavering, perfect peace, within our church family, their persecutors and across the entire country of Afghanistan. Amen.