A Little Bit of Real News (no fake allowed)

The terrorists are still at work. 

That should be no surprise to anyone, let alone me, but I'd taken a break from the terrorist event count and from most news sources.  The problem of discerning fake news from real has made it more trouble than it's worth to sort it out.

This morning, I remembered the terrorists. 

I was sad to find that the groups that didn't seem too efficient several months ago have improved their killing skills in a devastating way. There are new organizations and wider reaches. 

799 people have died this month as a result of terrorist attacks, in addition to 58 terrorists who've died as a result of their own dastardly deeds. That's an average of 30.6 people every single day.

Afghanistan, Australia, Columbia, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Malia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sweden, Syria, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, and West Bank. They've all experienced one or more terrorist attacks with loss of life and destruction of property in the last twenty-eight days.

England, France, Greece, and Norway had terrorist attacks but no deaths resulted.

We were spared. Again.

I read through this bleak news and wondered where to find evidence of God at work. 

First, the terrorists are not winning every battle. Twelve of the terrorist attacks ended with no loss of life. The attacks in France, Greece, and Norway ended with no loss of life or injuries. 

Second, the terrorists' attacks are, in general, not as deadly as we might think. With an average of 8 deaths or less per attack, almost half of the attacks resulted in no deaths or only one death. (41 of 93 attacks) 

If someone I love is involved in even one of the terrorist attacks, it will be enormous to me. 

That truth was brought home recently when I spent time praying with a Coptic Christian from Egypt while I was in Jordan. On Palm Sunday, a terrorist attack on a Coptic church in her city left me wondering whether she'd been wounded or killed. Another 24 hours would pass before we knew it had not been her church and she had not been involved.

The wait made the personal devastation of this war with terrorists much more real to me, as if it hasn't been real to thousands upon thousands of people already.

Some attacks are never tallied. They're chalked up to "persecution" because no lives are lost. Property is stolen rather than destroyed. The attackers are acting alone rather than as part of an organization. 

There's more sorrow and grief in this world than we can possibly imagine.

These words come to mind as I ponder this great sorrow:

"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." John 16:33 NLT

Those of us who, for the moment, are spared have a a great responsibility toward the rest of the world. I'm personally sorry that I've allowed hundreds of lives to be taken so needlessly without taking note, without calling out, without taking a stand. 

The genocide in Rwanda, in which nearly one million people were slaughtered, happened over a period of 100 days. For the most part, the world was silent as people were slaughtered because of their ethnicity. 

We did nothing, and the killing continued. 

Friends, we may not be able to do any "tangible" thing as individuals, but we can do the one thing that matters most. We can pray that the destruction is limited, that the tactics of terrorists are divinely thwarted, that there will be no loss of life. 

Let's add this plea to our daily prayer: "Stop the terrorists today, Lord. Stop their destruction. Bring them to Jesus if they'll come, but stop the killing." 

"Remember... those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body." Hebrews 13:3 nasb
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In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post:When the Trek Through the Wilderness is Too Big To Tackle 

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#Jesus

Why I Chose to Love a Terrorist

It was never my intention to love a terrorist. Not even one. Certainly not multiple terrorists. Certainly not the kind of terrorist who kills people by hacking them to death or sawing off their heads.

Like most people, I read the news reports in horror as ISIS/PKK/Taliban/Al Qaeda, AQAP, and Al Shabaab (among others) killed dozens of people at a time. I tallied the death count every day, as if knowing the smaller numbers could somehow diminish the evil of the total monthly kills. I fumed. I grieved. I hesitate to admit it, but I hated.

None of it did any good at all.

I'm an activist at my core, so I adopted a terrorist of the week. Every week. I learned as much as I could about each one. Learned about their families. Their losses. Their sorrows. Their education. Their religion.

My friends thought I was a nut. I wondered about myself, too.  Regardless, I persevered.

Before I knew it, they became people to me, and not just Hitler-esque names with blood dripping from their hands. They were lost people acting out a form of religion fueled by anger, hate, and fear. They were people who needed Jesus in the worst way imaginable. 

I began to pray for them by name. 

Frankly, I wanted to pray for their annihilation. Instead, I prayed that God would either bring them to repentance and to Jesus or end their reign of terror. I didn't much care which.

As I prayed, a strange thing happened. I began to care whether or not they met Jesus. 

Two verses fueled my passion. 

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16 nasb

"The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9 nasb

The longer I read those verses and prayed for those terrorists, the more I began to think, God so loved even terrorists... God is not willing for any terrorists to perish... and I shouldn't be either. 

Those verses did something profound in me. 

If God so loved... I should, too. 

Eventually, I did. I hated what they did, hated the death and destruction, the grief and the pain, but I cared about their eternity. And I still do.

Would I continue to love them if they were sawing off the head of someone dear to me? I freely admit that I would not. I'm not that much like Jesus, but He would still love. I know that, because He loved us and prayed for us while He was on the cross.

When one of the terrorists I had claimed for the kingdom of God was killed by a drone, I wept. I rejoiced that his reign of destruction was ended, of course, but I wept for his eternity without Christ. One after another, "my" terrorists' reigns of destruction have come to an end. If any of them have come to Jesus, I don't know about it. 

But I don't have to know, because caring about the terrorists' salvation, loving them as Christ loved them, changed something profound in me. I haven't met anyone who is "worse" or more deadly than the terrorists for whom I pray. I've never met anyone who needs Jesus more than they. 

Gradually, I began to see all people through the lens with which I view the terrorists. I began to care about all people meeting Jesus, no matter how unlike me they are. As a result, I'm more inclusive. Quicker to love. Slower to reject. Less likely to condemn. 

As unlikely as it seemed at the beginning of this journey, trying to love the terrorists like Jesus loves has made me a tiny bit more like Him. It's a good thing, because I need every little bit of progress I can get. I'm still so far from what He meant me to be.

I thought I was using God's secret weapon, His love, on the terrorists. Instead, Jesus used His secret weapon on me. He, who loved me at my most unlovely, taught me to love those who are also unlovely. He showed me that they are lost, just like I once was.

I didn't intend to love terrorists. I never wanted to care. But I do now. 

So I still pray. I still beg God to speak to their hearts and bring about the same repentance He brought to me. (I still beg Him to bring about an end to their reign of destruction, too. I also still pray for their victims, the families of victims, and that the potential victims will be spared.)

Whether He will bring terrorists to Jesus or not, I don't know. I'm not in charge of results. My job is simply to pray. I'm still hoping, though, that, one day, a former terrorist-turned-lover-of-Jesus (maybe one like Saul-turned-Paul) will greet me at the gate of heaven with a smile and say, "I'm here because you prayed. Thank you, my sister."

When/if that happens (and I hope it does), I'm pretty sure I'll cry. Even if it is heaven. 

I know that people will read this and say I'm foolish. They'll say I'm being silly, and fanciful, and maybe even stupid. 

If they do, I hope they'll take time to see what Jesus said about loving your enemies and praying for the ones who despitefully use you. He's the one who hung on the cross and prayed, "Father, forgive them. They don't know what they're doing." He was completely serious when He prayed about forgiving, and He's serious about us doing it, too. 

I've learned an important principle along this journey. Hate only hurts me, but love can change the world. 

In a world filled with hate, love doesn't make sense, but, in heaven, it will. 

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." Matthew 5:43-45 nasb
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In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: Living Like We Say We Believe
Here's the link to the prayer guide: The Prayer List 
Here's the link to my Global Outreach page: Leanna Hollis MD
#loveyourenemy

Jumping to Conclusions: The Terrorists That Were Not

You may not know this, but I paid my way through medical school working as a nurse. I took the long way around to a medical career, but economics demanded it.

It was 1977, my senior year in nursing school, and the last course of the final semester. We were taking turns presenting our end-of-the-year projects in class and listening for hours every day. 

I'm not sure why our instructors made the decision to let us do needlework during the presentations, but it made sense to us at the time. The project I did was a needlepoint sampler with a profound truth. 

"A smile is the same in every language." 

I had just returned from three months in Central America doing medical missions. Some days, a smile was all that got me through. The needlepoint piece still hangs on the wall in my home. It's a constant reminder of the days when I was a stranger in a foreign land with nothing but a smile for communication.

That philosophy came back to me recently when two young men sat behind me in church. My first impression was that they were likely Middle Eastern. 

I hate to admit it, but the thought crossed my mind that they might be trouble. I surveyed my options for self-defense. I made a tentative plan. 

It was completely ridiculous. 

LIFE LESSON: Get all the facts before you jump to conclusions.

Just as I was pondering my options for self-defense, those words from 1977 came to mind. 

"A smile is the same in every language." 

The next thing that came to mind was "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35 nasb)

At that moment, I blushed with shame as I remembered the months I'd spent praying for terrorists by name and begging God for their salvation. (I've added the links to those blog posts below.)

Although I hate to admit it, my mind was racing in high gear. It sounds really silly now, I know, but, for a few minutes, I thought, "How very like God. After all those terrorist prayers, He has finally brought me some terrorists." If God had brought me some terrorists, I thought, He probably wanted me to try to introduce them to Jesus. 

I could possibly be a little over-zealous, but the Apostle Paul was, too.

As soon as the hand-shaking time started, I turned around, offered my biggest smile, and introduced myself. I shook hands and welcomed the two young men. After church, I talked to them again. 

I was determined to show the love of Christ to these young men, no matter who they were.

LIFE LESSON: Jesus loves everyone, and so should we, no matter who we "think" they are.

As it turned out, God had not brought me some terrorists at all. He had brought two young men who needed Jesus. Just like me. They weren't even from the Middle East.  

They didn't speak much English, so my smile, once again, was my language.

I prayed for those two men all week. Just in case.

Yesterday, during the singing, they walked in, accompanied by an older couple. One of the men had brought his Mama and Daddy. I was so glad to see them that I started to cry. Happy tears streamed down my face. 

LIFE LESSON: That's what praying for someone all week will do for you. 

I was out of my seat like a shot after the service ended. The taller of the men saw me heading his way, threw up a hand in greeting, and smiled. I greeted them all. When I reached my new friend, I told him, "I've been praying for you all week. I'm so glad you're here today." I meant it, and he knew it. He put his hand on his heart and grinned. 

All we could do was smile, but, as it turns out, a smile really is the same in every language, and we communicated just fine.

The next time I see someone who looks a little different, I hope I skip the conclusion jumping and go straight to showing the love of Jesus. 

After all, that's what we're supposed to do. Every single time.

Praying for Terrorists Links: 
The Terrorist Prayer List 
Praying for Terrorists: Nasir al Wuhayshi
Radical Obedience: Ibrahim al Asiri
Radical Obedience: Abubakar Shekau
Radical Obedience: Hamas and Khaled Meshaal
Radical Obedience: Abu Bakr al-Baghadadi
Praying for Nineveh
Remembering 9/11: How to Prevent A Terrorist Attack
Persevering for Paris
Resisting Evil 
Nigerian Nightmare

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 #terrorists #smile #JesusChrist #disciple #loveoneanother #jumpingtoconclusions

Persevering for Paris

In April of 2014, 300 Nigerian schoolgirls were kidnapped from their school by Boko Haram. More than eighteen months later, those girls are still missing. A few have escaped, but many families still grieve as they fearfully wait for news of their girls. 

At the time, there was a surge of worldwide compassion. There were more than a million #bringbackourgirls tweets. I wrote blogs and calls to pray for the girls. Now, we seldom hear about those missing girls. 

There is so much evil in this world that our compassion for one need quickly cools as a "hotter" need draws us away. 

So it was with the schoolgirls. So it was with the videos of the beheadings of more than a dozen young Egyptian Coptic Christians. 

I fear our compassion for Paris will soon cool, as well, drawn away by yet another outrage. I fear my own compassion will soon cool.

This morning, I looked back through my "terrorist" blogs and found a plethora of posts. Prayers for the kidnapped girls, prayers for a variety of terrorists, prayers for terrorist organizations. (Not that they prosper, of course, but that they be brought to a halt.) 

I long to move past outrage to action. I long to make a greater difference in this war. 

Is no one attacking at the source of terrorist recruitment? Is no one targeting their funding? It turns out that they are. In April, CBS news reported a joint effort by the US and UAE (United Arab Emirates). The Sawab Center has been formed to counter the terror organizations' intense presence in social media. It's worth looking at their website for more information.

I long to help, but I am just one woman in a tiny town in a small state in a great big world. 

What can I do? Perhaps you feel that way, too. 

Let us not lose sight of the fact that we are not without hope. We are not without "connections". We serve a great and mighty God who leans forward to hear when His people pray. There is a point, a purpose to our efforts in prayer. They do make a difference. 

If our prayers can make a difference, why, then, do we not pray as if our very lives depended upon it? As if our world depended upon it?

After the people of Israel asked for a flesh-and-blood king, rather than the Most High God, they begged Samuel to pray for them. His response was one we, too, should have concerning the issue of terrorists and their victims.

"Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you..." 1 Samuel 12: 23 nasb

This time, let us persevere for Paris. Let us continue to pray. 

As we pray, let's not lose sight of all who suffer, all who have suffered at the hand of these brutal terrorists. Let's not forget that Saul was once a brutal terrorist before he met Jesus on the road to Damascus and became the Apostle Paul. 

He who changed a Saul into a Paul can still transform terrorists today. Let's pray He does.

Here are links to previous blog posts about this issue: (They are designed to open in new tabs) If you have time, read through them as a reminder of the needs for which we battle and as guides as you pray. 

Fight well, fellow warriors. 

Bringing Nigerian Schoolgirls Home
The Kidnapped Nigerian Schoolgirls
The Missing Nigerian Schoolgirls
Praying for Nineveh (Assyrians)
Persecuted Church in Nigeria
The Terrorist Prayer List
Radical obedience: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi\
Radical obedience: Hamas and Khaled Meshaal
Radical obedience: Boko Haram and Abubakar Shekau  
Radical obedience: Ibrahim al Asiri
Radical obedience: Nasir al Wuhayshi     
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Photo courtesy of freeimages.com In case you missed any of the past week's posts, here are the links: The Blessings That Were Not,  Loss of Power, Grateful Heart: Veterans, Grateful Heart: Laughter and Grateful Heart: Worldwide Kindness, and Remembering Paris.

The most viewed post of the last week was Remembering Paris

#Prayers4Paris #ISIS  #Paris #PowerofPrayer #JesusChrist #disciple #BringBackourSchoolgirls

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.  

Radical obedience: Abubakar Shekau

"You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Matthew 5:43-45 NASB)

This is the fourth part of our praying for terrorist series, and to make this a little more understandable for those who are new to this series, I've repeated the opening of the third part from last week. Please bear with me.  

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In obedience to the command of Christ to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, we are taking one terrorist a week and praying for them. I recognize it seems a shocking and outrageous thing to do. Frankly, I would prefer to write a cute Maggie story. Regardless, these people have sworn to destroy us and they are our enemies. 

Loving them begins with prayer, just as Jesus said. Loving the terrorists does not mean we trust them nor that we invite them in with their bombs. Loving them, in my opinion (which may or may not count for much) involves praying for them to come to Christ. Once they come to Christ, more will be involved, but for now, praying is a good start.  Think of it as radical obedience. 

The fourth of the terrorists for whom we need to pray is Abubakar Shekau, and he is the leader of the Boku Haram organization. The name means "Western education is forbidden". (Sometimes reported as "Western education is sin") This group has been in the news recently as the band of evil-minded thugs who kidnapped nearly 300 Nigerian school girls. When a #bringbackourgirls campaign began, the Boku Haram released a video mocking the effort. They have terrorized northeastern Nigeria, and there are reports of 22,000 deaths in Nigeria due to the fighting. 

They have captured several towns and are expanding their impact throughout the area in an attempt to gain control of the region. Today, the Wall Street Journal reported that Boku Haram has captured the small town of Damboa, killing more than 100 people. Previously under civilian control, Boku Haram has made this town it's new headquarters. 

Dear ones, we need to pray that this man's reign of terror would come up an end, that the destruction would be limited, and that there would be no more loss of innocent life. Pray that all his terrorist activities would be thwarted and fail, that the schoolgirls would be released or escape, and (most importantly) that he would come to Christ with a Damascus road experience that leaves him more dedicated to Christ than he ever was to terror. 

Pray, too, for the people who live in this region to see God's hand of protection and to experience a miraculous intervention of The Almighty. 

Friends, the situation in Nigeria is dire and as an act of unity with our brothers and sisters there, we are compelled to pray. As an act of radical obedience we must pray. 

Praying for Terrorists: Nasir al Wuhayshi

"You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Matthew 5:43-45 NASB)

This is not really my favorite verse, but I have come to appreciate it a little more over the years. One of the things it makes clear is that God provides blessings of sun and rain for the "good" and the "bad" alike. This is not because He can't tell the righteous from the unrighteous. No indeed. He knows we are all unrighteous, and loves us anyway. Did you get that? God knows who is righteous (none of us) and who is unrighteous (all of us), and He loves us anyway. (His love does not exclude the possibility of judgement, but that is a topic for another time.)

Scripture is clear about our responsibility to pray for our enemies and those who hurt us. In obedience to that command, we have begun a regular program of praying for the world's most-feared terrorists. The second of the terrorists for whom we need to pray is Nasir al Wuhayshi. 

Mr. Wuhayshi is from Yemen and was closely associated with Osama bin Laden, once serving as his secretary. Still a relatively young man (thought to be in his mid to late-thirties), he has also been closely associated with our terrorist from last week,  Ayman al-Zawahiri, who promoted him to "general manager" of Al-Qaeda of the Arabian Penninsula just last year. AQAP is considered one of the most dangerous branches of Al-Qaeda. 

Mr. Wuhayshi is a slight man with a very attractive smile. He has been described as "impish" but do not underestimate this man. Just this past April (2014), a videotape was posted to YouTube showing him speaking to a gathering of Al-Qaeda leaders. Of course, I do not speak Yemini, but here is a brief portion of the translation of his remarks. With a calm demeanor and pleasant smile, he said these words:

"We must eliminate the cross… The bearer of the cross is America."

Do not be frightened by these words. Let them serve as an impetus to pray. It is clear that he knows about the cross but not the One who sacrificed Himself upon it.  

Mr. Wuhayshi's remarks remind me of another young man who was also a leader committed to eliminating the cross and all it represented. Saul of Tarsus dealt devastating blows to the young church as he persecuted believers and watched as they were stoned to death. He, too, was bent on destruction for the cross until he was walking down the road to Damascas. He saw a light, and met a Man, and that Man was Jesus. Before he knew it, Jesus had transformed Saul to Paul and the persecutor became the preacher, impacting the world for Christ as few others have done. 

Mr. Wuhayshi will try to harm the cause of Christ. There is no doubt about it. What he doesn't yet understand is that Christ died for him, too. As you pray for him this week, please pray for a Damascas-road experience that opens his eyes and brings him to Jesus. Pray that this terrorist-persecutor will become a testimony-giving preacher who will impact the world for Jesus.

Is that likely? Only God knows, but we have not because we ask not. It's is certainly no more unlikely that the salvation of Saul of Tarsus. Let's not fail to asks for the redemption of this dangerous man. 

The Declaration of War

This post was written 10/8/2001 and was published on a "prayer web" that I wrote and shared in the days before blogs were invented.  I thought you might find it interesting.
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"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rules, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
                                                                                                       Ephesians 6:12 nasb

Ryan and I had just gotten home from church when my neighbor, Sam Wiley, stopped by.  "They said at the store that we had declared war and were bombing Afghanistan," he said.  "Did you hear about it?"  "Declared war? I thought we were already at war," I replied.

As I thought about that part of our conversation later, I realized we were both right.  It IS war, and it WAS declared more than two thousand years ago.  Our battle, however, is not with Osama bin Laden, though he is the obvious target.  The one who has threatened our liberty and stolen life and peace is the same one who tried to defeat Christ at the cross more than twenty centuries ago.  It is the same enemy who defeated Adam and Eve in the garden.  

As believers, we are all soldiers in the battle for the hearts of humanity.  Now, more than ever.  Commit to remain faithful to our Commander-in-Chief in the skirmishes you encounter today.  We have to make it through the battles but, praise God, the victory has already been won!

Praying for terrorists: Ayman al-Zawahiri

But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, (Matthew 5:44 NASB)

The topic of terrorists goes hand in hand with the topic of persecution of the church, simply on the basis of their close proximity. It's hard to have persecution without persecutors. 

Tonight, we are praying for one of the most prominent and most feared terrorists in the world. His name is Ayman al-Zawahiri, and he is an Egyptian surgeon who is now the head of Al-Qaeda. According to Wikipedia, he grew up in a prosperous and prominent family, and was a good student who loved poetry and hated violent sports. It wasn't long, however, before he began to get involved in the Muslim Brotherhood, and soon moved into increasingly radical organizations. 

One of his wives and two of his children died as a result of US bombs in Afghanistan. He may carry anger toward the US because of this, and almost certainly does, but he was a terrorist long before their deaths. 

al-Zawahiri is believed by the FBI to have been involved in terrorists operations on at least four continents, including North America, and is considered to have been involved in the 1988 US Embassy bombings as well as the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole and the 9/11 attack. He is on the FBI most-wanted terrorist list. 

In 1998, he merged his Egyptian jihadist organization with Al-Qaeda and steadily gained power in that combined organization.  After the death of Osama Ben Laden, he became the head of Al-Qaeda. 

In his early 60's, he continues to spread terror and destruction. Most recently, he has called for the kidnapping of Westerners in order to exchange them for imprisoned Al-Qaeda operatives. There are some who believe the recent prisoner exchange may serve as fuel for the fire and trigger increased kidnappings. 

In April of this year, during a taped interview, a call for an increase in kidnappings was issued. (The taped voice was believed to be al-Zawahiri, but was not confirmed). Regardless, he poses a tremendous threat to the safety of people around the world, not only to the US. 

As we pray for him tonight, let us begin by praying that his reign of terror would come to an end, that the destruction he causes would be limited, and that his followers would seek a more peaceful leader. Pray especially for his wives and children to be protected from the evil he propagates and that his sons would not follow him into greater terror. Do not fail to pray that al-Zawahiri would have an encounter with the Most High God and would be transformed by that same grace by which we have also been saved. 

As you go about this next week, pray for Ayman al-Zawahiri on a daily basis, as well as for those who have been victims of his tactics of terror. It is hard to believe that this violent terrorist who is responsible for untold numbers of deaths was once a quiet and studious boy who loved science and poetry. Pray that he would grow weary of fighting, rediscover the remnants of that young boy still in his heart, and be drawn to peace. 

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You are invited to share this post and encourage friends and family to join in the effort to fight the terrorists on our knees. They may be strong, but we serve One before whom every knee will one day bow, and He is able to conquer and deliver. 

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.