Source: www.csw.org.uk
Date: Ocotber 24, 2020
Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains. (Psalm 107:13-14)
In Psalm 107, the psalmist describes several examples of people who found themselves in trouble – experiencing things such as being homeless and hungry, suffering illness or being imprisoned. In each case the Lord rescued them and blessed them. This week we are thanking God for stretching out his arm to rescue once again!
Last month we told you about two brothers, Elijah and Benjamin, who had been kidnapped in Kaduna State, Nigeria. They have now been released unharmed – thank you so much for your prayers!
And that’s not all: four students and their teacher who were kidnapped in August from their school, also in Kaduna State, have been released too.
The kidnapped children were named as Happy Odoji, 14, Miracle Danjuma, 13, her sister Favour Danjuma, 9, who was abducted from her home, and Ezra Bako, 15. Their teacher is Christiana Madugu.
These abductions are part of a wider pattern of violence that has plagued central Nigeria for over a decade, and which has been particularly intense in southern Kaduna since January 2020. Although the scale of the violence and the abductions can feel overwhelming at times, we believe in and pray to the God described in Psalm 107 – the God who brings people out of darkness, the utter darkness, and breaks away their chains.
In summary, please pray:
- Thank God for the release of Elijah, Benjamin, Happy, Miracle, Favour, Ezra and Christiana.
- Pray for their complete physical, emotional and mental healing after the trauma they have experienced.
- Pray that the authorities would take swift, effective action to end the violence and abductions, and that the Spirit would pour out rivers of peace and healing on the whole of Nigeria.