Cry out for hope

As we come to the end of our Time of Lament series, we broaden our gaze to sub-Saharan Africa as a whole. In this region, millions of believers endure persecution, violence, displacement and trauma for choosing to follow Christ.
Let’s come before God in anguish, but also in trust, confident that He hears the cries of His people.

This month’s reading

Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?

Look around and see.

Is any suffering like my suffering

That was inflicted on me,

That the Lord brought on me

In the day of his fierce anger?

Lamentations 1:12

Devotional

Across the region from Nigeria to Mozambique, from Sudan to Cameroon, believers face unimaginable hardship. Extremist violence, civil war, targeted attacks, abductions, sexual violence, and displacement continue to rise. Many have lost homes, livelihoods, loved ones, and the sense of safety they once knew.

Our 2026 World Watch List shows that of the top 50 countries where Christians face severe persecution, 13 are in sub-Saharan Africa. These are:

Let’s lament the immense suffering of our persecuted family across sub-Saharan Africa as families are torn apart, communities displaced, women violated, children traumatised, and churches attacked.

Respond

• Lament the violence, trauma, and persecution endured across sub-Saharan Africa.
• Pray for comfort, strength, and protection for all who suffer for the name of Christ.
• Intercede for peace, justice, and restoration in nations torn by war and extremist violence.
• Ask God to uphold and sustain the Church as a light in the darkness.

O God who sees the afflicted and draws near to the brokenhearted, look with mercy on Your children across sub-Saharan Africa. You know their tears, their wounds, their losses. We bring their pain before You, believing You will not ignore their cry.

As we end our series of lament over the persecution of our family in sub-Saharan Africa, there is a thread of hope we must not overlook. Our Lord sees. He hears. And He is working out all things for the good of us who love Him (Romans 8:28). This doesn’t mean it will be easy as He conforms us to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29) but it’s comforting as it reminds us that God holds it all together and does work for the good of His children.

So once again, as the prophet in Lamentations 3:21-22 declares, we declare:

Yet this I call to mind

And therefore I have hope:

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,

For his compassions never fail.

We know that, no matter what happens, one truth remains: our Lord reigns forever, and His throne endures from generation to generation (Lamentations 5:19).

This is our hope for our persecuted family:

God has not abandoned them.

God has not forgotten their tears.

God will act.

Reflect

How does lament help you hold grief and hope together at the same time?

What does it mean for you to trust God’s compassion when circumstances look bleak?

*Note: Violence is defined in WWL Methodology as the deprivation of physical freedom or as bodily harm to Christians or damage to their property. It includes severe threats (mental abuse).