The crisis in Afghanistan has stirred many hearts to pray. Horrific scenes of desperation and the promise of greater persecution should prompt believers to intercede for Christians trapped in this country. The Scripture states, “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” (Hebrews 13:3, NIV). When any part of the body of Christ is suffering, the whole body of Christ should sense the pain and intercede to the Lord on their behalf. How should we pray?
Pray for peace, deliverance, and protection. When Peter was put in prison by Herod in Acts 12, the church was gathered in the home of Mary, the mother of John, and prayed for him. Miraculously, the Lord sent an angel to deliver Peter from the locked cell and bring him safely out. His chains fell off and gates opened on their own. The prayers of the saints brought deliverance by the hand of God. Jesus taught us to pray, “deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:13). The church should pray for our brothers and sisters in Afghanistan to be delivered from this evil.
Pray for God’s will and God’s glory. Sometimes it brings glory to God when His people face difficulty. The Bible says, “For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil” (I Peter 3:17, NKJ). We live in a broken world and God is glorified when His people trust Him even during times of distress. When Jesus faced the cross on the night before He died, He prayed in the garden, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will but as You will” (Matthew 26:39, NKJ). God is at work in the world and the suffering of God’s people is a part of the struggle in our fight with darkness. Joseph declared to his brothers at the end of his life, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20, NIV).
And finally, pray for the salvation of souls. Our greatest opportunity to witness for our faith is when we walk through trials. The world watches how the faith of a believer sustains him or her in the dark times of life. It is easy to be a witness in times of prosperity, but often more effective during times of adversity. When Daniel faced the lion’s den with confidence and peace, the king who had him condemned confessed his own faith in Daniel’s God when he was released from the den unharmed the next morning. Pray that Christian suffering in Afghanistan would point the lost to Christ. Paul said it like this as he suffered in prison, “And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News” (Philippians 1:12, NLT).