Praying for Peace in
Troubled Times
October - November 2022
The World Outreach International Director Update is updated every six weeks.
Dear Friend of World Outreach
The United Nations recently released a report noting that the world is facing ‘uncertain times, unsettled lives’.1 One of the contributing factors to global instability is a lack of security in many countries.
Security is becoming a big issue for many of our mission workers.
Here are two very recent stories from where our field workers serve, illustrating that, for many Christian leaders, life and death are a day-by-day reality.
Pray for Mozambique
There is a religious insurgency moving south in northeastern Mozambique, very close to where we have World Outreach (WO) families and teams. The insurgents are brutal and violent toward Christians, especially Christian workers and leaders. Some people known to our teams have already been viciously killed. Several WO families have evacuated to safer towns as a precaution. Many church planters and workers (affiliated with WO’s personnel) remain in potentially hostile, volatile, and life-threatening conditions.
Pray for Burkina Faso
In the West African nation of Burkina Faso, there is also a religious uprising threatening Christian leaders. One of our key local personnel reported that an armed group of insurgents burst into a church service just a few weeks ago. They put the pastor and elders on the front row and demanded they renounce Jesus. The Pastor would not, so he was shot dead. Neither did the elder sitting to his right, who was also shot dead. Two further elders also refused to reject Jesus, so they were fatally shot. The militants turned to walk out, leaving one remaining elder alive. He courageously called out, ‘What about me?’ They turned and asked if he would renounce Jesus. ‘No’ was his defiant response. At a distance, they shot him also but didn’t kill him. He lived and spread the story about what had happened. This tragic event is not an isolated incident but a regular occurrence.
How Can I Pray?
I’m sharing these stories for two reasons. First, to make you aware that this is what is happening in many countries right now. It is a dangerous world for many believers and those serving in missions. Second, this is a call to pray for our fellow believers in these regions.
Here are some ideas of how to pray for the scene in Mozambique and Burkina Faso:
Pray for peace in the region, for the insurgents to be defeated and to withdraw.
Pray for the safety and protection of the church planters, Christian workers and all fellow believers in the region.
Pray for our persecuted fellow believers to have endurance, courage, and peace from the Lord.
Pray for the WO families that have had to evacuate to experience God’s peace, comfort and consolation.
Pray for the families of those believers who’ve already been martyred for their faith .
Pray for a mighty move of the Holy Spirit throughout these troubled regions.
Pray for more workers to be sent by the Lord into these harvest fields once the immediate danger has past.
Remember the prayer of King Asa: “LORD, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. LORD, you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against you” (2 Chronicles 14:11).
Please take time to pray for these trouble spots.
Thank you.
Notes
- Conceicao, P. (2022) Uncertain times, unsettled lives: Shaping our future in a transforming world. Human Development Report 2021/2022. United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
God bless,
Bruce Hills
World Outreach International Director
World Outreach International Director
Bruce has served as International Director of World Outreach since January 2017. He joined the World Outreach team in July 2010 as Leadership Development Director, a role he served in up to his appointment as International Director.
