notesbynora

Hebrews 13:3 — “Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.”

All around the world, our brothers and sisters in Christ face persecution for the very faith we freely proclaim. In Nigeria, countless believers are enduring unimaginable hardship — churches burned, families displaced, lives threatened — all because they follow Jesus.

As Christians, we cannot turn away. We must stand in the gap. Prayer is not a passive act; it is a weapon of spiritual warfare. When we lift up the persecuted, we are standing shoulder to shoulder with them in the Spirit, declaring that they are not forgotten and that God’s light still shines in the darkest places.

Sometimes it’s easy to feel helpless when we hear such stories. But Scripture reminds us that the prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective (James 5:16). Every time you whisper a prayer for a believer in danger, Heaven moves. Every time you intercede, angels are dispatched. When we remember them in our prayers, we join the heart of Jesus Himself — the One who intercedes continually for us.

Let us also pray for the persecutors — that their hearts would be softened, their eyes opened, and their lives transformed by the very Christ they seek to silence. The story of Paul reminds us that God can turn even the fiercest enemy of the Church into one of its greatest champions.

So today, pause and pray. Pray for courage, for protection, for provision, and for peace. Pray for the widows and the orphans. Pray for the pastors still standing strong despite fear. Pray for revival in Nigeria — that what the enemy meant for evil, God will use to spark a wave of faith that cannot be extinguished.

Prayer:
Lord, we lift up Your children in Nigeria who suffer for Your name. Surround them with Your strength and courage. Protect their families and provide for their needs. Let Your presence be a shield around them. And Father, we pray even for their persecutors — that Your mercy would break through hardened hearts and draw them into the light of salvation. Teach us to be faithful intercessors, remembering always that when one part of the body suffers, we all suffer. In Jesus’ name, Amen.