“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
March the 6th, marks the World Day of Prayer for 2026. This year our hearts and minds turn to the Church in Nigeria, and the women who are carrying the burdens of life in a beleaguered place, where people have suffered death and persecution at the hands of forces hostile to the Christian faith. The message this year is “come to me and I will give you rest.”
Jesus Christ, Lord of Lords, give your people strength, and liberate them from oppression! Over the ages, ever since the time that the Apostles went out into the world preaching the word of God, Jesus’ followers have walked the path of suffering. They followed in their Master’s footprints, unflinchingly and with joy.
Our sisters and brothers in Nigeria are also walking this path in a world divided by conflict and where the force of ideology has supplanted mutual understanding and care. In the place of love and fellowship are hatred and division leading to violence against neighbour. While many of us are fortunate to not experience these travails, we have a responsibility, on this special day, to pray for all our sisters and brothers in Nigeria, for we are one body in Christ and we know that he hears all our prayers. It is a beautiful thought that all over the world, Churches of different Christian denominations are working together to support in prayer those who are undergoing oppression, anxiety, fear and want for the sake of our gracious Lord.
Christians in Nigeria are resilient and they are strong in their faith, and this is all the more reason for us to lift our hearts and minds to God on their behalf so that almighty God can strengthen them even more so that, through the power of his Spirit, they may overcome their burdens and find peace on their journey, the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding.
We live in very troubled times, may we remain steadfast and may God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven. This we ask in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Tell Out My Soul 
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