Prayer alert: Pray for the Church in Mozambique

In the most recent attack on Christians in Mozambique, at least 20 Christians were killed, 2 000 displaced, and 1 300 homes, including two churches, were destroyed by al-Shabaab.

Napala village, which is located in the Chiúre district of Cabo Delgado Province, northern Mozambique, was severely destroyed after the insurgents launched a series of attacks on the predominantly Christian village from 9-12 October.

According to a local pastor, the situation quickly deteriorated when the Defence and Security Forces* (FDS) withdrew from fighting the insurgents. “Everything got worse when the FDS tried to intervene without success. When they fled, they left everything worse for those people,” the pastor told local Open Doors partners.

The Chiúre district has experienced several violent attacks this year. According to reports by ReliefWeb, between 24 July and 3 August, a surge of displaced people arrived in Chiúre town following similar attacks. The province now hosts an estimated 425 000 internally displaced people, according to the International Organisation for Migration.

Our field partners have asked for fervent prayer for the Church in Mozambique.

“It is heartbreaking to witness how the government of Mozambique is managing this ongoing conflict, and even more painful to see the current posture of the Church in the face of these deep afflictions of Christ’s body. I believe that it is our shared responsibility, as members of the Body of Christ, to rise and declare: ‘Enough! Enough of the bloodshed and suffering!’ So many of our innocent brothers and sisters continue to endure persecution simply because they bear the name of Jesus,” stated a field source, who can’t be named for security reasons.

Continued prayer is needed not only for our brothers and sisters in Mozambique but across sub-Saharan Africa. The Islamic State (ISIS), earlier this month, in a weekly newsletter, published a warning to Christians in Africa in which they gave Christians 3 options to escape the killings: Join Islam, pay a poll tax to preserve their lives and protect their villages or be killed. The editorial went on to praise the group for its jihad against Christians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique.

Please join us in praying for Christians in Mozambique using the points below and sign and share the Arise Africa petition to call on world leaders to seek justice, peace and restoration for the 16.2 million displaced Christians in sub-Saharan Africa.

Please pray:

• Pray for the Lord to comfort the families of the 20 Christians who lost their lives and to heal those traumatised by the violent attacks.
• Pray for strength and courage for the Church in Mozambique – that believers may stand firm in faith and not be silenced by fear, intimidation, or trauma.
• Pray for justice and truth to prevail – that God would expose hidden atrocities, move the hearts of government leaders and bring accountability for the suffering of His people in Mozambique and across Africa.
• Pray for the Lord’s protection over Christians in frontline areas across Africa to experience the Lord’s provision to them daily.

Click here to read the media release.

*The FDS includes the Forças Armadas de Defesa de Moçambique (FADM) (Mozambique’s Armed Defence Forces), which is made up of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.