How To Pray For Afghanistan
The new stories from Afghanistan horrify my imagination. And the reports slipping out by through Christian agencies keep me up at night. I cannot imagine enduring what they are going through.
And so I do all I know to do. I pray.
But my feeble words seem insufficient. I’m so glad I can count on
Romans 8:26-27: Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (ESV)
I must keep praying when I don’t know what to pray, and allow Spirit to interpret.
Besides, we are commanded to pray, and the helplessness of any given situation, or our logic that “nothing can be done,” does not get us off the hook of obeying.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. ESV
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Five Scriptures To Pray
But I want to give you Scripture to pray - that I’m praying - for my brothers and sisters in Afghanistan who know the Taliban is out to kill them. So here are five passages to pray through. Following each one is a prayer I drew out of the Word.
Psalm 91:2-5, 9-11 ESV
I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, ...
Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place-- the Most High, who is my refuge-- no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
Oh Heavenly Father, thank You so much that, You are our refuge and our Fortress.
I ask for those Believers in Afghanistan, who fear for their life, that they would feel Your wings wrapping around them. They would feel Your refuge. Your safety.
I ask You Lord that you would give them strength in their heart. That You would be so present with them even though they are in a dark night with arrows flying all around them, that they would not feel fear because they would feel You.
Oh Lord, I ask that you would bind the evil that wants to come near them and that You would command Your angels to surround them and just supernaturally protect them. We ask that in the name of Jesus. Amen.
2 Kings 6:15-18 ESV
When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?" He said, "Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." Then Elisha prayed and said, "O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see." So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the LORD and said, "Please strike this people with blindness." So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha.
Father God, I thank you that you are a God who comes into our moments and into the midst of what is going on around us. You are not a God who is far off. You are a God that is present with us.
Lord God, I ask that You open the eyes of the believers in Afghanistan And that they would see Your mighty Army surrounding them. They would sense that even though they feel so outnumbered, actually there is more with them than there is against them.
Father God, I ask that you strike those who are hunting blind. That You would it so they can't even find them. They can't see. They have problems. They cannot follow through with whatever their plans are because You thwart them. We ask that in the name of Jesus
Psalm 27:1-3 ESV
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.
Oh Jesus, I just ask that You would give these sweet brothers and sisters in Afghanistan Your light. That they would rest in your salvation. That they would feel You as their stronghold under their feet and all around them as a protection and as a hold.
That they would be so aware of You and all that You give that they wouldn't even till fear. That does not sound possible, and it's not in the flesh. But Lord that You would be so real to them that they would know that You have never left them - not for a moment.
I ask that You would make their adversaries stumble and fall. That You would trip them up over and over again. You would give them confidence in their heart that no matter what happens they would feel You. Your presence would never leave them. In the name of Jesus.
Psalm 3:3-8 ESV
But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.
I cried aloud to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy hill. I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me.
I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.
Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked. Salvation belongs to the LORD; your blessing be on your people! (Selah)
Oh God, I ask that You would bless Your people in this land that are so surrounded. Lord, that you would bless them with Your presence and Your protection.
Lord, I ask that you would strike every enemy on the cheek and break the teeth of the wicked. Salvation belongs to You, so I ask that you would save these people.
I ask that You would protect the women and children from evil intent. That Your shield and glory would lift the head of them. That they would feel Your presence.
Oh Lord, I can’t do anything to save them and I just long to. But I know You love them so much and I ask that You would protect them and that they would feel You answering them as they cry to You. That You would even give them sleep. That they would feel You sustaining them. They would know there is not other way for them to keep going than Your Holy Spirit inside them allowing them to continue.
But Lord I do ask that You strike their enemies and protect them. In the name of Jesus.
Romans 8:35-37 ESV]
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Oh God, thank you that this horrible circumstance cannot separate one person in Afghanistan from Your love which surrounds them. Your love doesn't stop on Earth but is eternal. That you have an eternal plan for each soul that has turned to you.
Father God, thank You that no matter how bad things get, nothing can separate them from You.
My heart cries out for their protection and I ask for You to arise for Your people. For there to be stories to come out on the other side of this of Your glory and Your love and Your presence for these people. I ask for families to be protected.
I ask for doors to be open to them to escape the country. And I ask just for Your hand.
And Lord, even as these believers facing this are still asking us to pray for revival. So we pray for revival in Afghanistan. I pray for the Taliban that they would be broken as they see the faith and love of the believers in that country. And that You would start revival; You would cause repentance; and You would cause protection. In the name of Jesus.
Keep Praying!
The need for prayer will not decrease, but only increase. We need to keep praying.
Let us lay our lives down in prayer for our family in the Lord who are literally laying their lives down for following Jesus.
In notes a link to an article that has more scripture to pray: