The six-year study of nearly 80,000 killings in Nigeria found that Christians are disproportionately targeted by violent groups. Between 2020 and 2025, about twice as many Christians were killed as Muslims. 

That’s not all. The study also revealed a clear leader in the violence: Fulani militias were responsible for nearly four times as many civilian deaths as Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) combined.

Reverend Yunusa Nmadu is the CEO of Christian Solidarity Worldwide in Nigeria and a friend of Voice of the Martyrs, Canada. He challenges three widely held narratives about violence in Nigeria — narratives that the ORFA study also challenges.

“These false narratives are not merely academic concerns. They have real-world consequences, shaping international policies and responses, and determining whether vulnerable communities receive the protection and support they desperately need from their brothers and sisters around the world,” he says. 

Violence does not affect everyone equally

The first narrative Rev. Yunusa challenges is that “violence in Nigeria affects everyone equally.”

Boko Haram militants (Photo courtesy of VOM Canada)

He acknowledges different conflict dynamics in Nigeria, which have to be studied individually. In northeast Nigeria, for example, he points out that terrorist organizations such as Boko Haram and ISWAP operate in strength. 

“While these groups expanded their violence to include attacks on Muslim communities, the historical record demonstrates unequivocally that their campaign began with systematic targeting of Christian areas, which continues with particular impunity or intensity,” says Rev. Yunusa. 

Meanwhile, the “Middle Belt” of Nigeria contains what he calls systematic ethnic religious cleansing.

“Fulani militias, recently designated as terrorists under the Nigerians’ new counter-terrorism doctrine, conduct systematic attacks that exclusively target Christian communities and individuals,” says Rev. Yunusa. 

“These are not random acts of banditry or resource competition. They are a calculated campaign of ethno-religious cleansing, characterized by mass killings, abductions for ransom, sexual violence, forced displacement, and subsequent occupation of vacated ancestral homes of their victims.”

The herder-farmer clash is land conquest, nothing less

The second narrative Rev. Yunusa challenges is that “Muslim Fulani herdsmen clash with Christian farming communities simply because of limited resources.”

A Fulani tribesman in Nigeria. (Photo courtesy of Tagoua/Pixabay)

He points to the disparity in weapons between farmers and herdsmen as one indicator that this is false. 

“Farmers defending their ancestral lands are armed with hoes and machetes, and occasionally homemade hunting rifles. Their attackers arrive with AK-47 assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, and in some documented cases, anti-aircraft weapons,” says Rev. Yunusa. 

“How can anyone claim to be a herder while carrying sophisticated weapons, attacking farmers, and occupying their lands? This is not resource competition; it is forcible displacement and territorial conquests.”

He continues, “Climate change and resource pressures are real phenomena, but they do not cause communities to conduct systematic religious cleansing. Economic hardship does not explain why churches are specifically targeted for destruction.” 

Radical Islam fuels attacks against Christians 

The third narrative Rev. Yunusa debunks is that “the attacks by Boko Haram, ISWAP, and Fulani militants are not religious in nature at all.”

He says this narrative requires us to ignore not only extensive evidence but also the messages that Islamic terrorist groups themselves declare.

“Boko Haram’s very name translate roughly as ‘Western education is forbidden’ — a reference to their theological objection to secular education and their goal of establishing an Islamic state governed by Sharia law. From its inception, the group has explicitly framed its campaign in religious terms, declaring its intention to cleanse Nigeria of Christian influence, a term it uses interchangeably with Western influence.” 

After conducting an attack in Adamawa State in December 2025, ISWAP released a statement announcing the legitimacy of targeting Christians.  

“We are not dealing with criminals who happen to be Muslims attacking victims who happen to be Christians. No, we are witnessing ideologically motivated religious violence,” says Rev. Yunusa.

Find your place in Nigeria’s story

God is a God of truth. Pray that the message of Christ and the truth about Christian persecution in Nigeria will spread, leading to action. 

Rev. Yunusa calls for six action points from those who hear: “First, maintain moral clarity. Second, support documentation efforts. Third, condition engagements with Nigeria on the protection of religious minorities. Those who can should hold our government to account. Fourth, support civil society and FoRB defenders [Freedom of Religion or Belief]. Fifth, address the humanitarian crisis arising from these violences. Sixth, prepare for accountability.”

Rev. Yunusa says that the Christian communities he speaks for are not asking for charity or pity, but for truth, protection, and justice. 

“They are asking the international community to see them, to hear them, and to stand with them in the darkest hour — when terrorists declare Christians legitimate targets, when militias systematically clear Christian villages, when churches are destroyed, and clergies are kidnapped and, in some cases, killed, when women are violated and children are orphaned when government treats victims more harshly than perpetrators,” says Rev. Yunusa. 

“This is not insecurity. This is not herder-farmers clash. This is not communal violence. This is persecution. This is ethno-religious cleansing, and in the Middle Belt, this bears the clear hallmarks of genocide.”

Listen to Rev. Yunusa’s full analysis and passionate explanation of Christian persecution in Nigeria at Voice of the Martyrs Canada’s website. 

A church in Nigeria. (Photo courtesy of VOM Canada)

Header photo courtesy of Gracious Adebayo via Unsplash. 

Changing the Atmosphere

Jill Payne-Holman with Prisoners for Christ says the first project they began in Nigeria in 2018 had such success that they have since opened another one in Nigeria, two in Ethiopia, one in Mozambique and one in Pakistan. So far, IBIs have graduated 260 men. These programs have radically impacted the students and also are changing the atmosphere in participating prisons.

(Photo courtesy of Prisoners for Christ)

“What turned out is the officers in the prison started to notice a difference, not only in the inmates taking our Bible school, but in the whole entire prison. The atmosphere changed. The population behavior changed, because these students, they were having such an influence on everyone else that the officers were like, ‘Wow, this is really great! We need to keep this going.’ And it got to where prisons in the surrounding area heard about it and said, ‘Can we get that in our prison?’”

Local church leaders and qualified volunteers teach the classes. The first year covers basics of the faith. The next nine months feature curriculum split between evangelism in general and evangelism specifically within a prison. The final six-month session covers church planting as well as chaplaincy skills.

Promoting Confidence in Sharing Their Faith

For many men, this is the first time they’ve participated in higher education. It may be the first time they’ve really felt like someone believed in them or their capabilities. They may feel a deep desire to share their faith, but face reservations about their abilities.

Payne-Holman says this training and degree helps take away those fears. “They are not going to be afraid to share their faith, because they have been so steeped in it. They’re so grounded. They know the fundamentals. They can explain what is redemption and why we need it, why we all need it. And because they’ve been an inmate now, they’ve got a little more credibility, right? They can actually look at someone, say, ‘Jesus changed my life. Come follow Him. He can change yours too. If He saved me from my destructive behavior, He can do anything for you.’”

Get Involved

Each new graduate provides credibility and stirs excitement for the program. It is growing and encouraging many. However, Payne-Holman says they need prayer.

(Photo courtesy of Prisoners for Christ)

“Pray that we would have open doors in the prisons, that we will get approved to go into more prisons, that they will continue to see what a positive effect this has on their inmate population and their community around them. We would pray for open hearts, the inmates to want to join these programs.”

Additionally, as with any ministry, operating costs are always a need. They provide stipends to the teachers to help keep the program from becoming a financial burden on people already operating with few resources. Each class also needs school supplies like paper, pens, and books.

While the costs are a crucial piece of the puzzle, Payne-Holman says it is clear that God is at work. “I have been surprised at how open as many of the African countries have been to us, especially again, like Nigeria, Pakistan, Mozambique – these all have very large Muslim populations, and that’s just always not well received as a Christian ministry. So, I think the Lord has really divinely touched these schools and allowed them to open and function as well as they have, and that no one has shut us down yet.”

Please pray that God would continue to open doors for the International Bible Institutes and their students and provide for their needs. If you’d like to help provide resources for IBIs, click here.

Payne-Holman says that in addition to prayer and monetary support, Prisoners for Christ recommends going on a trip to share the Gospel firsthand. They provide the training and facilitate trips to prisons where people are hungry for the Word of God. If you want to learn more about those opportunities, click here.

Representative header image courtesy of Orlando Allo via Pexels.

The opportunity began when Egby Medical Mission, a hospital in Nigeria, asked MAF to partner with their work in the country.

(Photo courtesy of MAF)

Andrew Sutton, MAF’s Nigeria Country Director, says, “There’s a lot in the news about Nigeria – the persecution that occurs there, some of the extreme terrorism that they’ve been dealing with for the last 20 years – and we’ve seen how MAF can come alongside groups that are working there in Nigeria to help overcome these obstacles, whether that’s challenges on the road or insecurity that they’re facing.

“The airplane is just a great tool to kind of help the ministry that’s already happening on the ground in Nigeria.”

The ministry plans to launch operations from Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city. Long-term, MAF hopes to connect remote communities through smaller airstrips closer to hospitals, schools, and ministry partners.

Andrew Sutton, left, MAF’s new Nigeria Country Director, and unidentified person from Egbe hospital, check out the airstrip being rebuilt for the hospital and MAF. (Photo courtesy of MAF)

Sutton explains those flights would meet a wide range of needs.

“Some of the requests that we’ve heard so far, it seems like the majority of those are transporting people around the country, and that could be people that need to just travel from one village to another. Sometimes those are medical flights…. also flying supplies, whether that’s for a school or a hospital.”

MAF has already cleared many administrative hurdles, but several key steps remain before flights can begin.

They hope to begin operating in Nigeria by early 2027, flying aid and ministry support in Jesus’ name. One major answer to prayer has already arrived: a donated 2025 Cessna Caravan valued at roughly $3.6 million.

“Even though some days it might feel like there’s a lot of steps left with all the regulatory process, seeing how the Lord has provided for the aircraft is a great encouragement.”

However, prayer is still needed as MAF works through the final approvals.

(Photo courtesy of MAF)

Sutton asks, “Pray through this process as we’re working through the civil aviation approval process to have visas for the country. The visas are probably the number one need at the moment, so that we can be there in the country and to help set up and to get ready for the aircraft coming over.

“Then ultimately [pray] for the airplane…. This is a big country, and it’s only one aircraft. But the Lord can work through this and to use this tool to reach inside the country.”

Find ways to support MAF’s critical Gospel aviation work here.

Header photo: Stock photo courtesy of MAF Guinea.

During a recent trip to Nigeria, Greg Musselman of Voice of the Martyrs Canada met with the local Christians.

“The idea is to really encourage believers in these nations with what the Bible teaches about persecution and to help them understand that what they’re going through is actually very rooted in Scripture,” says Musselman.

A church in Nigeria (photo courtesy of VOM Canada)

The teaching was both timely and much needed. One pastor told him, “We know that we’re going through these persecutions, but we didn’t realize the Bible taught so much.”

Understanding the biblical foundation for persecution is important. Musselman says, “It’s called the theology of persecution and discipleship, and it really spans from Genesis to Revelation in what the Bible teaches about suffering for righteousness.”

Nigerian believers were also encouraged to learn that Christians in many other countries face persecution for their faith. Knowing others share their struggles helped strengthen their resolve to persevere for the Gospel.

Diverse crowd enjoying a street festival, Nigeria (photo courtesy of via Kaybee Photography
Follow via Pexels)

Musselman says stories of persecution are often accompanied by powerful testimonies of God’s faithfulness and protection throughout believers’ hardships. Read about the time 360 hostages were freed from a Boko Haram stronghold in northeast Nigeria here.

“You hear about the attacks, but then you hear about some of the supernatural interventions of the Lord protecting people,” he says.

Pray that the Lord will give Nigerian believers strength amid their trials. Pray also that those carrying out the persecution would turn from their ways and come to know the Lord. Musselman says God continues to work in the region:

“I met so many former Muslims during my trips back and forth to Nigeria. God is really working in the Islamic world, and we’re so grateful for that.”

Visit Voice of the Martyrs Canada to learn more about how God is sustaining and growing His Church amid persecution.

Header photo: Reading Bible (courtesy of Tima Miroshnichenko via Pexels).

More than 360 people abducted during a deadly March attack by Boko Haram militants in Borno state have been released after months in captivity.

Nigerian authorities say the military rescued the captives from a militant hideout. However, local leaders insist that private negotiations secured their freedom – not the government.

“It looks like this situation may be the government using it as PR,” says Greg Musselman with The Voice of the Martyrs Canada. “I hope that’s not the truth. But there just seems to be credibility, for example, from the Borno South Youth Alliance – of course, Borno State is where this happened in Nigeria – saying, ‘No, we were the ones that were conversing with those groups that had done this.'”

Rebecca, a Nigerian woman, watched helplessly with her daughter as Boko Haram militants killed her husband and son, and burned her home.
(Photo courtesy VOM USA)

Either way, Musselman says, “These families are now being reunited. We know, of course, that’s not where things end in terms of getting back to normal. There’s just a lot of heartache and trauma and all those things that are involved. But we are grateful for that [release].”

These ongoing attacks by radical Muslim groups highlight a larger problem that plagues Nigeria.

“There’s misinformation that’s saying, ‘Well, both Christians and Muslims are also suffering from the insurgency,’ says Musselman. “Yes, Muslims are suffering because groups like Boko Haram and ISIS as well in the west part of Africa are also targeting anybody that doesn’t go along with their ideology. But Christians are targeted.

“You see groups like the Boko Haram that have clearly stated that part of their goal is to go after the Christians. So they target the churches, the Christian villages, the pastors, and other religious leaders, and really the group’s ideology historically has identified Christians as the primary target.”

The threat has evolved over the years as Boko Haram splintered and other extremist groups gained influence.

“They have become more radicalized, and it’s not just the Boko Haram. There have been split-off groups of the Islamic State West Africa Province. ISIS, of course, [has] networks all around the world. So their resources are greatly increased.”

Nigerian church (photo courtesy of Tosin Superson via Pexels)

Musselman says Christians can rejoice with families welcoming loved ones home while remembering that many others remain in captivity.

Pray for healing from trauma, protection for vulnerable communities, and wisdom for Nigerian leaders. Pray also for Muslim extremists to stop the violence and embrace Christ as Savior.

Learn more about The Voice of the Martyrs Canada’s work at vomcanada.com.

Header photo: Boko Haram militants (Photo courtesy of VOM Canada)

Circumstances surrounding the freeing of the hostages are disputed by local leaders, who say months of locally-led negotiations led to their release. More information may come in the week ahead, but for now, “Let’s celebrate the fact that 360 people who were hostages are now freed. That is a great accomplishment, and that is a good day,” says Todd Nettleton with The Voice of the Martyrs, USA.

The start of the Mandara Mountains just to the north east of Jimeta/Yola (Photo, caption by Leigh Bowden via Wikimedia Commons, copyrighted free use)

A video released by the Nigerian army of the freed hostages shows a crowd of many women and children gathered at night. The people were located in the Mandara Mountains of Borno State. Borno State borders Niger, Chad, and Cameroon.

“It is an area where [Boko Haram fighters] have some level of control or feel some level of safety. Obviously, keeping 360 people captive, there’s a lot of logistics that would go into that. So this was a place where they felt they could do that,” says Nettleton. 

At the same time as the good news, reports continued this past week of attacks by militants or bandits across Nigeria. An article from TruthNigeria says at least 30 people have been killed in attacks since June 1, with dozens abducted. 

“We have seen in other cases attacks, people were pulled off a bus and kidnapped. Even though the army has this, I would say, victory to be able to free those hostages, as you look across the country it is not getting safer,” says Nettleton. 

Nigeria is almost equally divided between Christians and Muslims, with the majority of Muslims living in the north, and the majority of Christians living in the south. Attacks across the country have multiple layers that make it hard to pinpoint blame and motivation. Ethnic tensions, faith-based clashes, and even competition for land resources are all present. 

“There is reporting that this is all sectarian violence. It’s the Fulani versus other tribes. Or it’s cattle herders versus farmers. Or it’s Muslim versus Christians,” says Nettleton. “There are elements of all of those things that are taking place in northern Nigeria. It is also purely criminal activity. It is kidnapping for ransom, really as a business.”

(Photo courtesy of VOM USA)

Nettleton says VOM knows of cases where pastors and church buildings have been targeted. Nevertheless, “they’re advancing the gospel, even under threat, and with the full knowledge that they’re doing so in a dangerous environment.”

If attending church ever seems like a burden to you, remember the gift that it is. “On those days, let’s think about our Nigerian brothers and sisters who choose to gather, even knowing their lives are in danger. Let’s be inspired by their example.” 

Find your place in the story. Praise God for the 360 men, women, and children who have been freed from captivity. Then pray for endurance for Nigeria’s Christians. These are challenges God has allowed them to face for many years.  

“The gospel is the answer to what is happening in northern Nigeria,” says Nettleton. “We should pray that the gospel will advance and pray specifically even for terrorists to meet Jesus.”

Header photo: People praying in Nigerian church (photo courtesy of David Iloba via Pexels)

US President Donald Trump described Abu-Bilal al-Minuki as “second in command of ISIS globally.” The US and Nigeria also conducted additional air strikes against ISIS forces on Sunday.

(Photo courtesy of Unknown Nations)

Greg Kelley with Unknown Nations hopes for a little more stability in Nigeria now that al-Minuki is reportedly gone.

“This individual was largely behind a lot of the organization and the instabilities — not just in Nigeria, but this has spilled over into neighboring countries,” he says. (More on al-Minuki here.)

Other leaders within ISIS will fill the gap left by al-Minuki soon enough. But there’s something more Kelley doesn’t want us to miss. 

“The encouraging thing about this that we haven’t seen in the last 15 years is a robust involvement from the Nigerian government and military,” Kelley says of the joint Nigeria-US operation.

“A lot of the people that we know that we’ve spoken to are encouraged that there’s accountability finally taking place. The Christian church is encouraged today. They’ve been praying for accountability.”

Nigeria’s response to Islamic insurgents has often been criticized. Government leaders maintain that extremists target people of all faiths, not mainly Christians. Yet according to Open Doors, more Christians were killed in Nigeria between October 2024 and September 2025 than in the rest of the world combined. Of the 4,849 deaths recorded in their reporting period, 3,490 were believers in Nigeria. 

Find your place in the story

Regardless of political debate, Kelley says the need for gospel workers remains urgent. Nigeria’s estimated 237 million population is divided nearly in half between Muslims and Christians.

“This [joint operation] is putting [Nigeria] on the front lines and to the front of our attention, so that we can be praying for northern Nigeria,” Kelley says. 

Among northern Nigeria’s unreached people groups are the Fulani, the Hausa, and the Kanuri. 

“Pray for laborers that would be sent forth into these [northern] areas,” says Kelley. “There are 100 million Muslims in northern Nigeria, and well over 95% of them have never heard the gospel message.”

Many of these missionaries could come from southern Nigeria, which Kelley explains is predominantly Christian. 

Pray also for gospel resources and godly leaders to reach into the north. 

“We need to pray for resources like our solar-powered audio Bibles in the Hausa, Fulani, and Kanuri languages that can be sent in there,” says Kelley. “We need to send mature leaders who are strong in the Word of God, who understand the Quran, who can help educate and lead these people to Christ.” 

The header image is a stock photo of a region in north central Nigeria, courtesy of Mathias Owa Martins via Unsplash. 

Floyd Brobbel with The Voice of the Martyrs Canada says, “Their report claims that since 2009, at least 190,000 Nigerians were killed, and about 70% of that would be Christians. So there seems to be a very clear targeting of the Christian community in northern Nigeria.”

(Photo courtesy Voice of the Martyrs USA)

The report lays out how Nigeria has been hiding the genocide of Christians through misinformation campaigns and misleading narratives. Instead, government officials have described the violence as regional instability and even attributed it to climate change.

“The Christian cry within the North that our government is not doing anything to counteract these problems is true, and it’s well documented.”

Boko Haram and Fulani extremists attack Christian communities and others who stand in the way of their goal to establish an Islamic caliphate.

Brobbel encourages believers around the world to take action for our Nigerian brothers and sisters in Christ.

“We need to be raising a voice and asking our governments to hold the Nigerian government accountable to these things that are happening in their country. Like, what are they doing to counteract these problems?”

(Photo courtesy VOM USA)

Pray also for the persecuted Church in northern Nigeria to be salt and light, so they can reach their persecutors for Christ.

Brobbel urges, “We really need to pray for those that remain and for those that flee, that they would be effective and bold in their Christian faith and continue to proclaim the Gospel courageously, because this is how things change.”

He also asks Christians to pray for Muslim extremists in northern Nigeria, that they would:

• encounter God’s Word and have visions of Jesus.
• have their hearts softened and eyes opened to biblical truth.
• be held accountable for their actions.
• give their lives ultimately to Christ.

Get involved with VOM Canada at vomcanada.com/engage.

Header photo: Nigerian believers pray for intervention. (Photo courtesy of VOM Canada)

If signed into law, the bill would cut aid to Nigeria in half… unless its government meets three conditions. Those conditions hinge on stopping what US lawmakers are calling a genocide against Christians in Nigeria. Here are those three requirements:

• “taking effective steps to prevent and respond to violence and hold perpetrators accountable”
• “prioritizing resources to support victims of such violence, including internally displaced persons”
• “actively facilitating the safe return, resettlement, and reconstruction of communities impacted by the violence.”

Greg Kelley with Unknown Nations says that the nomadic Fulani people have become the main attackers of believers in Nigeria. Yet they are more than just enemies. 

“They’re fiercely opposed to the gospel. Yet what makes them very significant is they occupy more than 12 countries throughout Central Africa,” he says. “The largest concentration of Fulani happened to be in the country of Nigeria, where a lot of these atrocities that we’re speaking about are taking place.”

These disciples of Christ are passionately sharing God’s Word in North Eastern Nigeria.
(Photo, caption courtesy of Unknown Nations)

The Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa reports that the Fulani Ethnic Militias were responsible for nearly half of the 36,056 civilian deaths they documented across Nigeria between October 2019 and September 2024. The violence has only continued since then.

(Read a May 2026 report on Fulani militants from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom here.)

Kelley says the clash comes down to Fulani herdsmen and Christian landowners.

“[The conflict zone] has largely been an area in the northern part, but as grazing lands have changed, and the Fulani are moving into territories further south, that’s what’s causing the increase of these hostilities,” he says. “But they’re very aggressive. I mean, you don’t tell a Fulani ‘no.’ If you own land, and they come through and trash your land, the farmers are not happy about that. There’s a confrontation.”

What’s the answer?

The population divide between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria is right around 50/50. Kelley says the biggest frustration is over the Nigerian government often looking the other way as Christians are killed. 

“You’re talking about 100 million Christians are saying, ‘When is the government going to finally hold these people accountable?’” he says. 

The gospel is the answer. Kelley notes that some of Unknown Nations’ best missionaries are former Fulani militants who have had an encounter with Christ. Pray for more such men and women. 

“Yes, the people that are terrorizing, the people that are killing, they are our target, and we share the gospel of Jesus Christ with them,” Kelley says. “We’ve heard so many stories of Fulani coming to know Christ. It’s the Apostle Paul’s story.”

One way to reach the Fulani is through audio resources, since they are oral learners. That’s why Unknown Nations has distributed thousands of solar-powered audio Bibles, micro SD cards, and their Bible app into northern Nigeria, “because they gather around and they listen to the Word of God, and God changes their hearts,” says Kelley.

“Praying for the same-culture missionaries that are Hausa, that are Fulani, that are Kanuri is going to be how we reach northern Nigeria with the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Header photo: Audio Bibles bring the Gospel to people from oral cultures. (Photo courtesy of Unknown Nations)

While global deaths from terror have dropped in the last year, Boko Haram in Nigeria and the IS-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in the DRC continue to plague those countries with terrorist activity. 

Greg Kelley with Unknown Nations says location is not coincidental, as terrorists have a clear strategy.

“They look for vulnerable areas: places where they can create more strongholds with their radical ideology. Northern Nigeria is a representation of that. [Democratic Republic of Congo], because of its instability, is representative of it.”

Kelley says the absence of government response in these areas emboldens the terrorists. 

For the church’s part, many Christians in Nigeria’s south struggle to empathize with or minister to their northern Muslim neighbors. But there, in predominantly Muslim communities, the believers have a different outlook. 

“If you go to the North,” Kelley says, “and you meet someone who came out of Islam who would be a Muslim Background Believer, when they come to faith in Christ, they become infernos for the Gospel.”

He points out that the believers’ insistence on staying in their area mobilizes ministry partners to join the work. 

“We constantly have to move missionaries. The reality is that’s where the mission need is. It’s not in the South. It’s in the North.” 

Meanwhile, in the DRC, ongoing conflict and humanitarian need further expose the vulnerable citizens of that nation. Kelley says where the battleground exists, our mission should follow. 

“Where are the battlelines? Where is the threat coming? That’s where we need to mobilize and deploy our resources, which in this case is Northeast Congo,” he says. “That’s the location that people listening to this, praying for this, need to center their targeted resources: prayer, finances, personnel.” 

The citizens of these countries are suffering, and they represent the least of these Jesus talks about in Matthew 25:40. Without diminishing the call to meet their physical needs, Kelley reminds us of another instruction from Jesus: one in Matthew 28:18 – 20. 

“We need to look at these places and then ask the next question, which is, ‘What is the nation or people group being affected? Have they had a Gospel witness, or have they not?’” Kelley says. “Because you could be responding to a humanitarian need in a place that’s 95% Christian. That’s wonderful. No one is telling you to stop doing that. But that can’t be your only expression of the Great Commission.” 

Please pray for Nigeria and DRC, including the various people groups represented within these countries. Pray for the Lord of the harvest to send forth workers, and pray for a plentiful harvest as a result. 

Please also pray for the families, communities, and nations affected by global terrorism. Ask the Lord for protection, courage, and resilience as believers live out their faith in the toughest of circumstances. 

Pray also for the terrorists, whose hearts of darkness mirror those of every sinner in need of our glorious Savior, Jesus Christ. 

May the Lord be glorified as these souls find hope in Him!

Above image courtesy of Prince Kwembe via Unsplash. Featured image courtesy of Ian Panelo via Pexels.