To say that this past week has been a difficult week in our world is perhaps an understatement.
On Saturday, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, leaving more than 1,900 dead and thousands more injured and displaced from their homes. This comes a month after the Haitian president was assassinated.
To make matters worse, another tropical storm hit Haiti yesterday. Tropical Storm Grace dropped over 38cm of rain, which caused widespread flooding and will very likely lead to an outbreak of cholera.
We need to pray for the people of Haiti.
Let's pray for the rescue and relief efforts to succeed, and that aid would get to the affected areas, free from corruption.
Let's pray that the gangs who are controlling the main highway are removed from their positions.
Let's pray for the local churches in the affected areas, that they will become outposts of care and compassion in the midst of the despair.
And let's pray as well for God's protection of the Haitian people from cholera in the aftermath of the tropical storm.
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And over the past few days, we’ve seen images and videos flood our screens of what is going on in Afghanistan. The Taliban posing for a photo in the presidential palace they just overthrew. Airplanes taking off from Kabul Airport with Afghan civilians desperately hanging on for their lives, with some falling to their deaths from a few thousand feet up.
We need to pray for the people of Afghanistan.
We have received word from some missionaries in Afghanistan that they have received threatening letters from the Taliban already. “We know who you are,” the Taliban have written.
Persecution against Christians was already increasing even before this Taliban takeover. Over the years, many believers have been forced underground as a result of apostasy laws, which make converting from Islam punishable by death or imprisonment. What has happened now will make it even more dangerous for believers in Afghanistan.
Let’s pray together for their safety.
We have heard from some Afghan believers that they are choosing to stay in order to be a lighthouse, to be “ministers of the gospel”, despite what they know is coming. “Listen, God has placed us here; He will sustain us, He will get us through this,” said one Afghan believer.
Let’s pray together for gospel opportunities in a time when the Afghan people may be even more open to hearing the Word of God.
One missionary update says, “We’ve heard reports of an openness among Muslims who are watching what the Taliban is doing. Remember, the Taliban says, ‘We are the best Muslims, we are following Muhammad the way he should be followed,’ and so when they come in, and there is violence and abuse of women, people look at that and say, ‘Wait a minute, if that’s what the best Muslims do, what other teachings are out there?’”
Let’s remember as well to pray for the Taliban themselves: For their conversion! Sometimes we can think it’s absurd to think an Islamic extremist could ever become a follower of Jesus, but let’s be careful to remember what our God can do! We serve and worship the God who can do that which seems impossible to us.
He’s done it before; He can do it again!
So, let’s ask Him to.
Let’s pray that the Taliban will be convicted of their sin and become loving, joy-filled, passionate followers of Jesus. And until that time, that they would be restrained from doing evil.
Lord, may it be so.
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May we be found, as a church family, lifting up the people of Haiti and Afghanistan before the throne of grace in these days.
- Mark
