Bring to an end the violence the wicked and make the righteous secure— you, the righteous God who probes minds and hearts. (Psalm 7:9 NIV)
When I was in grad school, I met a man originally from Nigeria. His first doctorate was in military science, but while he was in Moscow working on another master’s degree, something happened that changed his life. Friends from Nigeria contacted him and warned him not to return home—the government had placed his name on a list of enemies of the state. If he went back to visit his parents, who were pastors, or his siblings and their families, he would be killed.
As far as I know, he has never been able to return. He now lives in a major East Coast city and serves a local congregation as a pastor. Sadly, the persecution of Christians in his home country has continued. Below are notes from a news article I recently read. Would you please join me in praying for this nation, and especially for its Christian community?
“Gunmen in Nigeria kidnapped several students and staff from a Catholic school early Friday, marking the latest attack on a Christian institution. Nigerian news outlet Arise TV said 52 children [ages 12-17] were abducted from St. Mary’s School. The Catholic institution is in Agwara local government’s Papiri community, according to The Associated Press, which cited Abubakar Usman, the secretary to the Niger state government. The outlet added that Usman did not specify how many children were kidnapped in the attack…
“The attack at St. Mary’s follows a similar incident earlier this week in which armed attackers kidnapped 25 girls from a boarding school in Nigeria’s Kebbi State and killed at least one staffer. The search for the abducted schoolgirls is still underway.
“On Wednesday, gunmen attacked the Christ Apostolic Church, killing at least two people and abducting the pastor and 38 worshippers, according to Reuters. In a video of the attack, which was reviewed and verified by Reuters, armed men are seen entering the church and taking worshippers’ belongings as gunshots ring out. The outlet later reported that a church official said the gunmen demanded a ransom of 100 million naira (roughly $69,000) per worshipper.
“Nigeria has seen a series of attacks on Christians, prompting President Donald Trump to declare the West African nation a “country of particular concern” over the persecution of Christians. However, the Nigerian government has disputed the U.S.’s claims.
“On Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz held an event highlighting the ongoing violence in Nigeria. During the event, Waltz called the killings of Christians in Nigeria “genocide wearing the mask of chaos.” “Folks, we have an entire faith that is being erased, one bullet at a time, one torched Bible at a time,” Waltz said.”
Strong God,
We come to you today to intercede for the Christians in Nigeria. Your Word says that “the righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.” So we ask for your deliverance from the violence and wickedness they are facing.
We pray, Lord, that you would rescue them from evildoers, protect them from the violent, and keep them safe from the hands of the wicked. We ask for your angels to guard the schoolgirls, church members, and others who have been abducted. Provide for all their physical needs, shield them from spiritual, physical, and emotional harm, and let every form of trauma be driven far from them by your ministering angels. Fill their hearts with your peace and hope through your presence, even as they await rescue or release. Make them a light shining in a place filled with darkness.
In the strong name of Jesus Christ, we pray against the spiritual forces fueling this persecution and wickedness. We bind the spirit of violence and send it far away from these people. We release a spirit of peace and a spirit of justice, asking that every perpetrator be brought to account for their crimes. May your peace, which surpasses all understanding, be the ruling force in Nigeria. We pray this in Jesus’s name. AMEN.
The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. (Psalm 34:17 NIV)
Bring to an end the violence the wicked and make the righteous secure— you, the righteous God who probes minds and hearts.
Rescue me, LORD, from evildoers; protect me from the violent, who devise evil plans in their hearts and stir up war every day. Keep me safe, LORD, from the hands of the wicked; protect me from the violent, who devise ways to trip my feet. (Psalm 140:1-2, 4 NIV)
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. (Matthew 5:44 NIV)
The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion. (Psalm 11:5 NIV)
He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight. (Psalm 72:14 NIV)
Do not envy the violent or choose any of their ways. (Proverbs 3:31 NIV)
This is what the LORD says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place. (Jeremiah 22:3 NIV)