These prayer requests come from three church leaders and missionaries in the West African state of Guinea:-
Since early April, borders, schools, mosques and churches have been closed. There are travel restrictions between the capital Conakry and the interior of the country. But people can be out and about freely; markets and shops are open.
Ever since the first case was officially registered in early March in Conakry, tests were only available there. Now slowly some testing centres are opening in other regions as well, but only very few. So we have no way to know what the real situation is in the interior.
Also since the epidemic officially started to develop here in early March, many people have been very reluctant to visit a medical facility like a health centre or hospital. They fear to contract the new virus and do not trust the personnel working there.
Pray that authorities on all levels would communicate wisely and properly about the disease, that particularly health authorities would know how to build trust and that those who really would benefit from medical care would go and use it. This includes people affected by TB, HIV, diabetes and other chronic diseases who need regular medical care but have abandoned it for now.
Pray for the healing of those who are lying in hospital as a result of COVID-19, because the number of confirmed patients continues to increase every day.
Pray for the government to make wise decisions how to continue to manage the situation and take into account the specific context of the country.
Pray against the political tensions and ethnocentrism in Guinea. May the scheduled general elections in 2020 be peaceful.
Pray against poverty in Guinea. We are a rich country, but the majority lives below $2 a day (Guinea is the second bauxite-producing country in the world, the water tower of West Africa, but we are poor – a geological scandal).
Pray against the spiritual giants of Guinea – corruption, idolatry, violence, bad governance and poverty. Pray for justice in our country.
The measures taken impact economic life in various ways; pray for those families and individuals who suffer from the consequences, especially those who have lost their jobs.
Pray for the schoolchildren, as schools have been closed for so long and most likely will not open again before the school year ends.
Pray for widows and widowers, destitute Christians, orphans, Christians of Muslim background, rejected by their parents. Pray for the consolation of those who have lost their loved ones.
Pray that people turn to God and experience Him in new ways in this difficult time.
Give thanks to God because many people gave their lives in Christ Jesus during this period of health crisis of COVID-19.
Pray that churches planted during the last few years will not vanish because of the pandemic. Pray for wisdom and discernment as pastors and church planters endeavour to follow up new believers. Pray that many small groups meeting in homes during the pandemic will transform into living fellowships of believers.
Pray for pastors in rural areas who are not receiving any provision at this time.
Pray for unity within the Christian leadership of Guinea.
Pray for Christians persecuted in our country (85% of the Guinean population is Muslim) despite being a secular country – Muslims who leave Islam, traditional religions and the Catholic Church are persecuted for becoming Christians.
Pray for an authentic Christian witness of tribal groups from the forest region of Guinea to unreached people groups in other regions, especially the three least reached people groups of Guinea (Peuls, Malinkés and Soussous).
Pray for the salvation of Guinea.