(Photo by Open Doors)
Nigeria (MNN) — You can send encouragement notes to the families of the 300 girls kidnapped by Boko Haram.
On Monday April 14, members of Boko Haram drove into Chibok, a town in northern Nigeria, in seven pick-up trucks. Some of the members of Boko Haram set government buildings on fire while others went to the senior secondary school.
After overpowering the security guards, the attackers began to load nearly 300 girls–ages 16 through 20–into the trucks. They then drove the girls deep into the Sambisa forest. A few of the girls have escaped, but the majority of the girls are still missing.
Of the 276 girls kidnapped from the Chibok boarding school, at least 165 of them are Christian, according to a list of names and a statement released by a former chairman of an affiliate of the Christian Association of Nigeria.
As of Monday May 12, the situation has become very fast-paced. After sending out a video claiming Boko Haram would free the girls in exchange for militant prisoners, the Federal Government has quickly rejected the proposal. Expect a more detailed update later this week.
Open Doors is on the ground supporting the Chibok community and the families of the missing girls.
(Photo by BBC News)
“Almost every house has a child in this school,” said an Open Doors worker. “Cries of parents could be heard all over the town as they prayed for God’s intervention.”
In addition to sending these families notes of encouragement, Open Doors encourages you can to stand with these girls and their families in a few other ways.
Open Doors asks you to continue sharing updates and stories via social media with the hashtag #bringbackourgirls to expand the reach of this message. Most importantly, these girls and their families need prayer.
Please consider the following prayer points, and then send a brief message of hope. Your messages will be hand-delivered to grieving family members.
Pray for God’s protection for the girls and comfort for the parents. Pray that they will experience His nearness and love in the midst of their suffering. Pray that the Nigerian security forces will take swift, effective action to secure the girls’ safe release.
I encourage you to hang onto Philippians 4:19 MY GOD SHALL SUPPLY ALL YOUR NEED IN PROPORTION TO HIS RICHES IN GLORY THROUGH CHRIST JESUS. Also take comfort in Psalm 46:1 GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH, A VERY PRESENT HELP IN TIME OF TROUBLE. I pray God will comfort you & protect your girls.
Remember that our Lord is faithful and He has your daughters in the palm of HIs hand! He will not forsake them!
I stand and pray with you for your daughter’s safe return!
In Christ’s love,
Jama Winiger
Praying with a heavy heart to our God with a loving heart, trusting He is caring for every precious girl who is His beloved daughter in the faith. He is Able to rescue and protect and many I know are praying night and day we will soon see that come to pass. Praying for his comforting strength to everyone in Nigeria who loves them too.
My husband and I are praying and I having received the names of 180 of the girls, I have posted 10 names per day on Facebook. Believe me, there are many, many prayers being prayed on their behalf. Lord, we pray a hedge of protection over these girls and for your comfort through your Word and through songs in the night. We pray that the plans of the enemy could be thwarted and you would release the captives in your Name, Lord Jesus Christ! May the girls find You are a strong and mighty tower, to whom they may continually run. May our mighty God be a shield about these girls and we keep trusting that You will deliver them from the hand of the enemy and back to their families. Amen.
I am praying that God would visit the Boka Haram with dreams and visions that will reveal Jesus to them – our only hope!
Praying with you for your precious daughters.
Dear Friends in Nigeria,
Please know that our hearts are heavy also over this terrible act. I am praying God’s hand of protection would extend towards your lovely daughters. Know that our God is able to make all Grace abound towards you and your family. Please hold on to HIS Word and be encouraged. You are not alone!
I am praying daily at 3:00, the Divine Mercy hour for your girls. The Divine Mercy hour is the hour at which Jesus requested St. Faustina to pray with the promise;
“In this hour, you can obtain everything for yourself and for others for the asking…In this hour, I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion”.
So each day I pray for the release of the girls, and until they are released, for them to have strength and wisdom, but most importantly that they have the loving arms of God protecting them.
Many hearts are lifted in prayer for your girls, and I pray God’s strength and hope for families as well.
Keep trusting that our Lord and Saviour is in control, and is with you during this time.
God bless and you all are in our prayers
May your daughters have a hedge of protection and safety under the wings of the most High.
Your plight is devastating but be encouraged that so many in the world love you and will pray until the rescue is over and justice and righteousness is the norm in your country…God bless.
Keeping you and your precious girls in my prayers. Praying for your strength and their courage! Praying they can feel Jesus’ presence with them and bring them home!
Dear Father,
Please be with these families. Please give your mercy and comfort to those who are suffering, especially those waiting and wondering. Give them peace, draw them closer to you in this time of suffering and ultimately may this horror be used to glorify you. Let them know that you love them. Give them trust in you. I pray for the release of the girls. And, I pray that you would be working, because God you do work, and you may already be at work. Ultimately Lord, may your name be glorified. Whatever happens, draw us close to You.
In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.
The bible say’s : ‘ It is not by might nor by power, but by My spirit say’s the Lord…now is the time to surrender everything to God and trust that He is in control. The angels of the Lord encamp around those who fear Him, and He delivers them…Families and communities of the stricken area of Chibok, I I urge you all to keep vigil, and watch the miraculuos power of God defend your children. God is a God of love,and perfect love cast out all fear. Do not be afraid, be of good courage, for He has overcome the world…trust in Him and you will not be disappointed.
Sending love and prayers for your wonderful girls. God will surely bless them and see them through this hardship. Stay strong, be in the Bible for wonderful courage….you are not forgotten…
We will pray for your dear daughters and we will not forget you!
Thank you for bringing these girls into the world, providing them with their needs and sending them to school. You are loving parents and know that we have a loving Father in heaven. HE is not so far away that he cannot see your tears or hear your cry. HE has promised to be near you, and feels every pain that you suffer for this terrible injustice;we bind with you in Hope to the Eternal One Who said , t Greater is HE that is in you, than he that is in the world.
May you remember that as a mother I am also heartbroken over the kidnapping of your precious daughters.
Public prayers and the pleas to remember our Nigerian mothers are constantly going forth! May you also remember that no matter how it looks, this situation is only a comma and not a period. It is not absolutely hopeless. We will yet hope against hope.
We will yet trust God for a miraculous outcome . You are loved! We are praying for you! Your family is definitely not forgotten. May you be comforted by the love and faithfulness of Daddy-God for you and your family!
Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord. We cry out to the Lord in your behalf and for your daughters.My heart is torn! We pray God will give the girls wisdom and strength to be able to help each other. We pray that some of your daughters will have visions of Jesus to comfort them and you all. We pray they will be freed soon. We have no strength, but God has strength for us. Psalm 73:26 God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Please know that your daughters and families are in my thoughts and prayers. We pray for their safety and that God will supply their every need (Philippians 4:19) during this extremely difficult time. We pray that God will give you strength, hope and peace as you earnestly wait for their safe return. My heart breaks for you as parents. You are not alone! Romans 8:26: In the same way the Holy Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, my heart goes out to you in your time of grief. I pray that God will remind your daughters of His promise in psalm 50:15, “Call on me in your day of trouble; I will deliver you and you will honor Me. In psalm 91:11 He promises to give His angels charge over them, to keep them in all their ways. I pray that the God of all comfort will strengthen them and their families with His grace as you all go through this heart rending experience. We will not forget you. We love you. We are praying.
Dear bro. And sisters
Please have faith and believe that the lord is working all things out for you and your children’s good. Prayer and faith are powerful! God is there when we can’t be and he is there with you even now..
Praying your strength and comfort in theses hard days..
God bless you all…
In Jesus name
Just as our God delivered the Isrealites from under cruel, unusual bondage HE will deliver our girls from these cruel taskmasters.
My prayer has/is that these members of Boko Haram would accept Jesus as their personal Saviour and Lord AND that HE will show HIMSELF to these people as ALMIGHTY GOD,
WITH SIGNS, WONDERS, MIRACLES, AND WITH A STRONG HAND OUR GIRLS WILL BE RELEASED AND RETURNED TO THEIR PARENTS SAFELY. I am praying!