On Monday, March 21, we prayed for Burkina Faso online with brothers and sisters from around the world using the following platform: www.tinyurl.com/joinGFP2022. We do this for a different country every Monday at 9AM Eastern/2PM UK/10PM Korea. These prayer points come from a Christian leader in Burkina Faso, who was kind enough to share with us as we focused on his nation.
*PRAYER POINTS FOR BURKINA FASO*
1. From 2015, Burkina Faso started experiencing terrorist attacks. People elected the president of the last democratic government (Roch Marc Christian KABORE) in the hope that things might change. But the security situation in Burkina Faso worsened and led to frustrations that ended up with a military coup. Almost nobody reacted against the coup, as the population hoped that the military would bring peace and security in the land. It has been two months but nothing is changing. Please, as we know that only the Prince of Peace can bring lasting peace, let’s pray for the new government to bring security and eradicate corruption. They promised to do this during a transitional period of three years that would navigate the country back to a civilian government. Ask the Lord to inspire and guide them with accurate and relevant directions and decisions according to His plan for the country.
2. Pray for the security in the country. Many areas are now cut off and out of government control. In those areas, the terrorists are dictating their laws. They are working hard to cut off many major cities of the Northern part of Burkina Faso (Djibo and Dori in the Sahel region). Pray for the Lord to help the new authorities with strategies to retake these areas and restore back peace, security and government control. (As I am writing these prayer points a lady sent me a message that in their locality, the terrorists are burning houses and schools, killing people, and demanding that the population leave. Two days ago, they killed 13 government soldiers in an ambush. The soldiers were on their way to rescue occupants of a public bus that was completely destroyed after driving over a landmine that the terrorists had placed on the road to the city of Dori).
3. Due to terrorism and insecurity, many people have not been able to farm. Moreover, they have to flee for their lives. As a consequence, food prices have skyrocketed, and many households are struggling to survive. As of 1st January, we had over 1.5 million IDPs – Internally Displaced People. Additionally, 12% of the population (2.5 million) were under threat from a lack of food. Pray that the Lord would have mercy and make provision for the helpless and hopeless. Pray for shelters for those without shelter. Burkinabé should not wait for international assistance – pray that they might extend hospitality and offer shelter to those in need.
4. Pray for the Church in Burkina Faso. May the Lord grant her a spirit of discernment! May the Church be sensitive to the Holy Spirit in this time of trial, and know what to do to minister to the needs of the population. At the same time, may the Church share the love of God and win souls for Christ.
5. Let us pray for the church in Burkina Faso to rise up and take advantage of the opportunities that have emerged to minister to the population, especially to the UPGs – unreached people groups. Many UPGs have been forced out of their normal localities: Fulani, Tuareg, Soninke, Songhai and others. They have come to places where the Church can easily reach out to them and share the love of God by ministering to their needs and give them the Good News.
6. Let us ask God for guidance and divine empowerment as we are engaging and mobilizing the Church to rise to the challenge of the Unengaged and Unreached People Groups of Burkina Faso in this tumultuous time.
7. Last year the Church in Burkina Faso organized her first mission consultation (involving the whole Body of Christ). As churches adopt Unengaged UPGs, may they really make intentional steps to fulfil their engagements.
8. In the past, it was our Western brethren (missionaries) who were involved in engaging the UPGs accurately. With insecurity, they left. May the Lord inspire good strategies to the local churches as they are acknowledging the missional duties that have fallen to them.
9. The Church in Burkina Faso has the resources (human, spiritual, financial and material) to reach the unreached in other countries in the Sahel. Let’s ask God to inspire the Church in Burkina to realize it and stand up to achieve it.
10. As the church is ministering to these Unreached People Groups, may the Lord soften their hearts and give them a spirit of repentance. May He tear the veil that is covering their intelligence to hinder them from understanding the Gospel and may He bring them to the saving knowledge of Christ Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Thank you for standing with us in prayer!