7 Days of Prayer: Sunday, 14 January 2024

By Justin Long

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Join us in beseeching (δέομαι) the Lord of the Harvest this week for…

1. We pray for the “unseen” displaced in Burkina Faso’s capital. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced from the countryside and have flowed into the city, where they are living in camps. In all, perhaps 2 million are displaced in Burkina Faso due to jihadist conflict. 

• You can read some of their stories and pray for the people involved, many by name. 
• We pray for believers and churches in the area to be a blessing to these displaced.
• We pray for the Gospel to spread among the earnestly spiritual fundamentalists in the Sahel, and for a great turning to Christ.

2. We pray for the Christians suffering attacks in Nigeria. Since the week of Christmas, Christian communities have been attacked, people killed, and churches burnt (read their story). Over 10,000 have been displaced and many communities abandoned as people fled.

• We pray for the families and communities that have suffered terrible loss. We “weep with those who weep” and lament the pain and devastation.
• We pray even in the midst of the violence, God will expand his kingdom among the unreached peoples in this region—and especially for work among the Fulani-speaking peoples of the area. Beseech the Lord of the Harvest for more workers in this field!

3. We pray for the Rohingya refugees in Aceh, Indonesia (read their story). Fleeing persecution and finding themselves stateless, they came to the “doorway to Mecca”—but there, political activists have apparently used their arrival to begin a populist, anti-immigrant campaign as part of upcoming national elections. Unfortunately this leaves the Rohingya in a precarious situation—in need of aid yet once again the focus of hostility and fear.

• We pray for this group of refugees, who have endured so much tragedy, to come to know the God who loves them.
• There are very few believers in this particular part of the world, but we pray for some form of aid to come to the Rohingya.
• We continue to pray for the Gospel to spread throughout the little-reached province of Aceh.

4. Let’s remember Sudan’s millions before the Throne! This war has slipped “out of sight” of many who are focused on Israel/Gaza and Russia/Ukraine.  If the current trend holds true, the RSF may very well end up in control of significant portions of the country, if not completely victorious. Wherever the RSF go, the area is marked by violence, massacres and abuses. Over 7 million are estimated displaced, and it’s uncertain who would be able to return to their homes.

• We pray for the millions who have suffered severe loss and trauma as a result of the war.
• We even pray for the miraculous spread of the Kingdom through the soldiers of the RSF. We ask God to send dreams and visions and “turn the hearts of kings.”
• We pray for those working among the Sudanese—both inside and outside the country. Many of these Kingdom workers are no doubt distraught, exhausted, and dismayed. We pray for their energy to be renewed by the work of the Spirit.

5. We pray for Gaza. Reports indicate the war seems to be shifting to a lower-intensity phase, but the future of Gaza—access to it, its leadership, and the ability of people to work there—is still unclear. Over 80% of Gaza’s people are displaced, and two-thirds of the buildings are damaged (see photos). Gaza is “on the verge of famine” and will require a major reconstruction effort. In this new phase, is it possible Kingdom workers could bring aid and be a blessing?

• We pray for wisdom, discernment, and boldness for Kingdom workers focused on the area.
• We pray for favor from local officials and military personnel so that aid can be brought in.

6. We pray for peace between Ethiopia and its neighbors. This week, several stories focused on the increase in tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea and Somalia over Ethiopia’s agreement with Somaliland for access to a Red Sea port. While the prospects of war between these nation seem low, at the same time it’s not out of the question. We pray that peace will prevail. Human suffering aside, a war between these three nations would cause significant disruption to much Kingdom work.

7. We pray for the spiritual transformation of West Bengal, India. This is the fifth province on the least-reached provinces list. It lies on the eastern edge of India, bordering Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal. It has nearly 100 million people, most of whom are Bengalis. Kolkata (Calcutta) is the commercial, cultural, and educational capital of eastern India, the third largest city in India and one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world. Christianity first came to the area in the 1500s, but today the region is probably around 1% Christian. There are significant efforts under way, with over 200 denominations and missions at work (according to Operation World). We pray for the rapid spread of the Gospel through this state, and among the Bengali, one of the largest people groups in the world.

This week’s issue features a slight format tweak to provide some additional prayer points. Is this useful? Or does it end up being too long? Your feedback would be welcomed.

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Where do these prayer requests come from? This is a weekly guide to beseeching (δέομαι/deomai, Matthew 9) the Lord of the Harvest for the unreached peoples and places of the world. It is based on the events listed in my Weekly Roundup, as well as on information received from disciple-making movements and other sources around the world. If you’re interested in my Weekly Roundup (out each Friday), you can see a sample and sign up for it here.