Nigerian Nightmare

Abubakar Shekau

My heart was already broken over the attacks in Paris. After I spent a few glorious days in Paris, that city became "my" city. Her people became "my" people. 

Now, my heart is broken over the latest from Nigeria. Do you remember the Nigerian schoolgirls who were abducted by Boko Haram?  Most of them are still missing. After I prayed for their release and protection for weeks on end, those girls became part of me, and I have not forgotten them. 

The people of Nigeria became "my" people and I love them. Today, I weep with them. 

Now, my people have suffered yet another atrocity. Two bombers, one in Yola and one in Kano, have caused at least forty-five deaths and nearly 200 injuries in the last twenty-four hours. 

As if that news was not bad enough, there is more tragedy. The bombers were female. One was 18 years old and one was 11 years old.

A child, a little girl, blew herself up. 

The girls were delivered to their bomb targets by a minivan carrying four other children, presumably also potential bombers. 

I can't begin to imagine what kind of madness convinces a child this is a good idea. What kind of evil would recruit a little girl to do this?

No one has claimed responsibility yet, but Boko Haram, closely allied with ISIS, is the leading suspect. Abubakar Shekau (photo above) is the leader of Boko Haram in Nigeria. 

Law enforcement personnel are actively pursing those responsible for these latest atrocities, but they desperately need our help, our prayer support.

Please join me in praying for the people of Nigeria and specifically for those who have lost loved ones in these latest attacks. 

Pray, too, for those who are injured, that they might recover from their wounds. Pray that no root of bitterness results from the actions of Boko Haram, but that, instead, people will be drawn to faith in God. Pray for the terrorists who orchestrated these attacks and for the children still in their control. Pray for restoration of a culture of life that values every life, every child and rises up against those who would destroy life.

I realize we could pray non-stop and never completely cover any one of the horrors our world faces today, but we must not become discouraged. Today, the people of Nigeria are heartbroken. As the body of Christ, those believers in Nigeria are one with us. We share their joy and, today, we share their sorrow. 

We weep with you, Nigeria. We pray for you. We are so sorry, so very sorry for your loss.

Pray without ceasing. It's the most important thing we can do.
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For other posts on this topic, here are additional links:
Bringing the Kidnapped Nigerian Girls Home, Persisting in Prayer, Persecuted Church in Nigeria, and Aba-na

photo by www.telegraph.co.uk
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In case you missed any of the past week's posts, here are the links: Grateful Heart: Worldwide Kindness,  Remembering Paris,  Persevering for Paris, Resisting Evil, Praying for Peace, Answered Prayers in Disguise, and Grateful Heart: Mizpah.

The most viewed post of the last week was Remembering Paris

#Nigerianbombings #Nigeria #BokoHaram #pray4Nigeria #praywithoutceasing

Teach us to pray, part 4: Our Father, Aba-na

And He said to them, "When you pray, say: ' Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. 'Give us each day our daily bread. 'And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.'" (Luke 11:2-4 NASB)

In Matthew's record of the Model Prayer, Jesus begins with the words "Our Father". He is not just my personal Father, nor simply the Father of the people who attend the same local church I attend or even the same denomination. "Our Father" indicates that He is the Father of all those who put their trust in Him, and we are all His children, brothers and sisters together as children of God. 

The rampages of hate conducted by ISIS toward believers in recent months have made me even more aware of the brotherhood of believers. When I saw that ISIS had kidnapped 90 Christians in Syria, I wept. They are my family. They are your family, and they are suffering unspeakable torment and pain because of their faith in Our Father. 

As I considered their kidnapping, I wondered about what language they speak in Syria (Arabic), how "Our Father" translates in Arabic, and how Syrian Christians refer to Our Father, the One who is Father of us all. The transliteration to English is aba-na. Isn't that a beautiful name? Since that time, I've used the Arabic name for God when I pray as a reminder that I share the same Father as my brothers and sisters from Syria who have been kidnapped by ISIS.  

Aba-na

Praying with their language, even if only in this one word, has made me much more cognizant of my relationship with my family in chains, much more concerned, more brokenhearted. When I read of the travesty of Boko Haram in Nigeria, it breaks my heart because they are my people. They are family, and much loved. These Syrian Christians are my people, my family, and I long to do something. 

Sometimes I forget that I can do something. In fact, you and I can do something that just might rock the world of those vicious ISIS soldiers. We can pray, and a perfect place to begin is with Aba-na. Our Father. Use the words our Syrian family uses as a reminder of our connection to them.

As we pray today, let's spend more time praying for our family in chains around the world than we do for ourselves. Pray for those being tortured by ISIS, those being brutalized by Boko Haram, and by all the other persecutors of the world. Pray for protection from their persecutors, quick deliverance, and that their faith would stay strong. Pray that their suffering would be limited and that their example of faithfulness would bring conviction and salvation to their captors. Pray for those who persecute as well as those who are persecuted. 

Those Syrian Christians are our family, and Aba-na is the Father of us all, so let's be faithful  to do the one thing that is likely to make the most difference, and pray without ceasing. 

... The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. James 5:16 NASB

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ps - That's a picture of my human daddy. As much as my earthly father loved me, Our Heavenly Father loves us even more. He listens we pray, so be sure to take our concerns our family in chains to Him.

The Persecuted Church in Nigeria

Boko Haram was founded as a Sunni Islamic fundamentalist sect in Nigeria in 2002 with the goal of establishing an Islamic state there that would function under strict sharia law.  Initially, they had a religious center with a school for poor children that served as a recruiting tool for the organization. Over the years, the sect has become increasing militant and, by 2009, there were clear acts of violence against those who did not follow the tenets of Islam.  As the years passed, violence, acts of terror, and outright persecution have increased.  Boko Haram became a household name of terror with the abduction of nearly 300 schoolgirls from Chibok earlier this year, but their reign of terror was in full swing well before the girls were taken.

One village in northern Nigeria was attacked by Boko Haram forces eleven times over a period of twenty-one months, beginning in January 2012.  Villagers were attacked and forced to flee their homes.  Christians were threatened and killed.  That same year, Boko Haram raided and attacked a village where a young man was pastor.  When he refused to recant his faith and accept Islam, he was shot in the face and left for dead while his wife and young son stood helplessly by, watching in horror.  That day, Boko Haram forces went to the homes of more than thirty of his church members. Every person was offered the chance to recant their faith and accept Islam or be killed.  Every one refused to deny Christ and every one was killed for their faith.  Every single one.  

Every single person refused to deny their faith and was killed.

Every single one.

As I read those words, I thought, "I wish I were a part of that church."  Imagine being a part of a church where everyone understood that nothing can separate them from the love of God, including the AK-47 of a terrorist, and that to die, as the apostle Paul said, is gain.  That is a church where God's Spirit can reign and rule!

Here is the link to the young pastor's testimony. It's worth viewing.

Today, consider what your response would be to terrorists armed with AK-47's as they burst into your home. Would you stand firm for your faith or would you deny Christ for a chance to survive?  We may, or may not, encounter that situation, but our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world live with that possibility every day of their lives.  We cannot sit idly by and do nothing for our brothers and sisters in such grave peril.  We cannot fail to help while thousands die in Nigeria every year at the hands of Boko Haram.  We can give, we can go, but most of all we can pray, and pray we must!  Pray that those who are persecuted can hold to their faith, that those who grieve will be comforted, and that those who have lost so much will find that our Lord restores the years the locusts have stolen, but do not fail to pray that the God who changed a Saul into a Paul would do the same in the hearts and lives of the Boko Haram militants who have fought against Him so viciously and for so long.

Material about Boko Haram drawn from Wikipedia.  Information about the young pastor from multiple internet sources.  For more information about the persecuted church in Nigeria, see Voice of the Martyrs.  

Kidnapped Nigerian Schoolgirls: Persisting in prayer

Our first blog post call to prayer about the missing Nigerian schoolgirls was written 5/7/14. Three weeks later, a second blog call to prayer for those same girls was posted. Tonight, we turn our hearts again to those two hundred plus schoolgirls (mostly Christian).   They are still being held hostage by Boko Haram (the name means "western education is forbidden"), a terrorist organization that is demanding release of their imprisoned members in exchange for release of the girls. 

According to reports from leading news agencies, the girls have been divided into several groups, each group being held in a different area just outside the Nigerian border. Also according to reports, a privately viewed video released this past weekend showed that the girls are not having an easy time. They are suffering. They want to go home. 

The problem with multiple locations for the girls is that a rescue attempt would have to be undertaken at every location simultaneously to avoid retribution against the remaining girls. There is a hash tag crusade to "do something" and there is some concern that social media will demand (and force) action that is doomed to fail, resulting in loss of life for the girls and the rescuers. 

It is a problem with no clear solution. A hashtag demanding their release is trendy, but prayers should be more effective. With that in mind, and the promise that the fervent effectual prayer of a righteous man availeth much, here are a few prayer starters tonight:

- wisdom for those in authority to know which steps would be effective and the courage to take them

- unexpected release of the girls by their captors

- successful escape by the girls, with ready assistance to get back into Nigeria and home with their families

- that God would send angels to unlock every prison door and the girls would have the courage to walk out (at least four girls have recently escaped ) and the wits to find their way home

- that none of the girls would be "married" to the captors or sold as slaves, as Boko Haram leadership has threatened

- that the Boko Haram reign of terror would be brought to an end. Their evil has flourished long enough. 

- that the forces of evil would be quickly and utterly defeated 

- that the long-term effects of their kidnapping would be limited and would make the girls stronger rather than more afraid. 

Pray, friends. These girls are suffering unimaginable horrors. They need to be freed. At this point, it appears only God can accomplish their release, so pray that He will do just that. 

Continue to pray for freedom and healing in the name of Jesus. Amen.  

The Missing Nigerian Girls

Several days ago (5/7/14), I wrote about the more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls that had been abducted by a terrorist group, and asked you to join in prayer that the girls be found and released. Praise God, He has answered the first part of that prayer. The girls have reportedly been found, but (according to news reports today) they are not in a place where the Nigerian military can rescue them without getting them killed. I have no idea what that means, but there are some things I do know. 

God is omniscient. He is all knowing and He knows both where those girls are and how to get them out. 

God is omnipotent. He has unlimited power. He can handle getting the girls out without getting them hurt. 

God is omnipresent. He is everywhere, including wherever those terrorists are holding those girls. 

Once again, we need to intensify our prayer efforts. (Feel free to refer back to the previous post for that guide as well.)

1) Pray that our Omniscient Father will reveal how to safely rescue the girls to those who can perform the rescue. Pray, too, that it would be done in such a way that God would be glorified. 

2) Pray that our Omnipotent Father would  bring the girls out without harm to the girls or to the Rescuers. Pray, too, that the ravages of their abduction would be quickly healed and that there would be no long-lasting sequelae from their captivity. 

3) Pray that our Omnipresent Lord would reveal Himself to the girls (and to the captors, for that matter) and that they would be strengthened and filled with peace. Pray especially for those girls who are reported to have renounced Christianity and converted to Islam and for those who have been forced to marry terrorists. 

Guns and swords may be needed in the fight to bring these girls safely home, but this is at its root, a battle against evil that must first be fought on our knees. Scripture is clear on this. 

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, (Ephesians 6:12, 18 NASB)

Pray, dear ones. More than two hundred schoolgirls are in harm's way and someone must wage war against the evil that holds them. Please help. 

Bringing the kidnapped Nigerian Girls Home

Our area was hard hit by the recent tornados, and we are still reeling from the destruction. In the midst of gathering stories, comforting victims, and volunteering in the rescue effort, I have not had time to think about the rest of the world. That is unfortunate, because the world has needed our prayers, too. 

Many days, I know the topic for the evening blog by mid-afternoon. This evening, I was eating supper and still praying for a topic. "Lord, I have no idea what to write about. What's on Your mind?" The answer was immediate and clear. "Check the news." I laughed out loud, and clicked on my WTVA app. I read all the local news, the Mississippi news, the Alabama news. Nothing caught my eye. I was almost to the end of the national news when I saw it. First, Hillary Clinton and then Michelle Obama had weighed in on the kidnapping of school girls in Nigeria. Now THAT seems like the kind of news that would be on God's mind.   

Boko Haram is an Islamic militant extremist group in Nigeria. This is a band of terrorist thugs who have been creating havoc in the region for years. Recently, they have been kidnapping Nigerian schoolgirls and are threatening to sell them. In a few short weeks, they have kidnapped nearly 300 girls and are holding them captive. I cannot imagine how they are treating those girls, but I am outraged. How cowardly they are to kidnap school girls rather than take their battle to someone with guns and rockets who might be able to defend themselves. I am surprised by their extreme evil. I would like to go to Nigeria, find those maniacs, and rescue those frightened girls, then deal with those hoodlums. I recognize that I would be no help in Nigeria, of course, and the Nigerians are already working to rescue their girls. They don't need that kind of help from me. 

There is outrage around the world. More than one million hashtag tweets (#bringbackourgirls) have been sent in support of the girls. Our country has sent a team to help rescue the girls. A serious effort is underway, but a serious effort was already underway, and they are still missing. 

A quick scan through the first twenty-seven articles about "Kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls" revealed not one request for prayer. Dear ones, we need to get with it here, and get on our knees. I was a schoolgirl myself once, and I would be beyond terrified. I hope you will stop whatever you are doing and pray for these precious missing schoolgirls. 

First of all, we know that fear (though certainly expected in this frightful situation) does not come from God. Pray that those girls will not have a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a clear mind. Pray for perfect peace that passes all understanding and for the wisdom to recognize a chance to escape and the courage to take that chance. Also pray that not one escaping girl will leave another behind, but that EVERY girl can get away. 

Kidnapped girls must be in some sort of confining place. I'm calling it a prison of sorts. Pray that God will send an angel to open the prison doors, wake the girls, and lead them out tonight. Let's don't ask for soon. Let's ask for now! The time in Nigeria is six hours ahead of my local time. It's the middle of their night and a perfect time to escape. 

Kidnapped girls have captors and guards. Those guards must be incapacitated in some way so that the girls can get away without intervention on the part of the guards. God has good experience with incapacitating guards throughout Scripture and I, for one, am asking Him to be creative in disabling the guards. 

It would be a travesty if human hands got credit for rescuing girls for which God has intervened. Let's pray that no one gets credit except God, and that He gets the credit He so richly deserves. 

That brings us to the captors. They are the enemies of the girls and of our brothers and sisters in Nigeria. Scripture is clear on this. We have to love our enemies and pray for those who spitefully use us. I am praying for a spirit of conviction to fall on those captors, that they will repent of their crimes, and be burdened to make restitution to all they have harmed. Let's pray that the spirit of conviction breaks their hearts over their sin and that they never go back to terrorism again Pray, too, that their reign of terror will come to an end immediately. 

While we are praying big things, we should also pray that the escape of the girls is so remarkable that it causes an amazing revival in Nigeria that brings many people to Christ. 

While the world is busy trying to save the girls with hashtags, someone needs to do the one thing that can make a difference. That someone is you. It is me. Dear ones, start praying now and do not stop until those young girls are reunited with their parents and the reign of terror is at an end!

Saved to serve

When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health. (Luke 7:10 NASB)

After the servant was healed, he was still a servant, and he was still expected to serve. He was a walking, talking miracle, but he remained a servant in the house of a Roman officer. In that same way, the miraculous intervention of God may render us a trophy of grace and healing, but it does not promise us an easy, carefree life, nor a better job. 

We are saved to serve, and we are healed to serve. Understanding that truth makes a huge difference, doesn't it? No matter what age or what overall condition, when Jesus intervenes in our life, He does it in a way that we can still be useful in the Kingdom of God. Even when we cannot go, we can pray. We can make a difference, if we will. 

The recently kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls are a perfect example of a need in which we all can make a difference. Soldiers and detectives have failed in their attempts to find them, and the hunt continues. We, frail and weak though we be, can become actively involved in the search through our prayers. Do not be deceived into thinking that your prayers will not be worth much. Scripture tells us that our prayers can accomplish more than we think. 

"...The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." (James 5:16b NASB)

Saved to serve. Healed to serve. Are you serving in the way God intended?

Pray today for servant hearts (for us and our loved ones) that begin to serve with prayer and continue to serve by reaching out to those in need.