Pray for the Nigerian Christians!

“If you would have Christ with you, seek Him boldly. Let nothing hold you back. Defy the world. Press on where others flee.” – C.H. Spurgeon

In my personal devotional time with the Lord, I follow a simple pattern. I start by reading a portion of Scripture – currently, I’m in 2 Chronicles – and then I spend some time in prayer. I also read several online devotional messages similar to this one but written by different Christian authors whom I respect.

In my prayer time, I use an acronym to get me started – ACTS – which stands for adulation, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. In other words, I begin by praising God for who He is… then confess my sins of commission and omission… and then thank Him for His many blessings and answers to prayer. Only then do I start asking Him to answer new requests.

As for those new requests or supplications, I employ a rotating system to keep me focused and on track. One day, I pray for Deanna and myself and our needs. The next day, I lift up our daughter Bethany, her husband Joe, and their four precious children: Brady, Sadie, Levi, and Charlotte. The following day, it is my son Matthew’s turn to be prayed for along with his wife Natasha and their two delightful kids, Dylan and Bella. Next comes our son Chris and his wife Rachael. The day after that, I pray for my extended family including my mother and mother-in-law, my siblings and their families, and my closest friends.

On the day that I pray for Chris and Rachael, I not only pray for their marriage, their spiritual relationship with God, their health and their careers, but also for Rachael’s parents. You see, Rachael is from Nigeria and her parents and some other relatives still live there... and in case you haven’t been following the news closely, the Nigerian Christians are being heavily persecuted and even martyred for their faith. The situation is far worse in the Muslim-dominated northern part of the country, but raiding parties led by Boko Haram and others have been infiltrating into the south recently.

The next time you pray, I invite you to remember our brothers and sisters in Nigeria, Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, North Korea, China, Iran, Syria, Libya, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, Mali and other places around the world who are suffering for the cause of Christ. Instead of fleeing or recanting their faith, they are standing firm and pressing on for Jesus.

“Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented – of whom the world was not worthy.” Hebrews 11:35b-38a (NKJV)

- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President