Hope for Sudan

I'm a little behind on this... My apologies! But I wanted to encourage you to pray for Sudan. On January 9th, Sudan is said to declare independence. This is a huge mark in light of decades of civil war and genocide.

Samaritan's Purse is hosting 7 days of prayer which started on Jan. 3rd. Since I'm a little behind, I wanted to list out the first four days but please check their website each day as they post the new daily prayer focus. Also for more information on the work that Samaritan's Purse is doing in Sudan, read here.

Day 1: Pray … • for stability and peace during an unpredictable time in Sudan • for pressure on the central government to keep the vote free, fair, and transparent • for the Sudan Council of Churches to have wisdom and godly leadership

Day 2: Pray … • for protection for pastors who are determined to preach the Gospel • for the spiritual education of Christian children in the churches • for Christian families that are moving south in anticipation of southern independence

Day 3: Pray … • that pastors will meet regularly for prayer and fasting • that churches will grow, even under challenging circumstances • that all Sudanese will respect the outcome of the vote

Day 4: Pray … • for protection of minority rights and respect for all people groups • for support from the international community during this very sensitive time • for protection for church buildings and property

Samaritan's Purse has also posted a brief history of Sudan on their website that I thought might be useful as well when praying:

A History of Conflict Sudan has been embroiled in political turmoil since it gained independence from colonial rule in 1956. The central government in Khartoum, which was largely under the control of Arab Muslims, was constantly at odds with the mostly Christian and animist people groups in the south.

A major civil war erupted in 1983 when Khartoum tried to impose Islamic Sharia law and other controls on the nation. Bloody battles between northern and southern armies continued for more than 20 years, until the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was reached in 2005.

Under the 2005 agreement, southern Sudan was granted autonomous rule for six years. In April of 2010, the first democratic parliamentary and presidential elections in 24 years were held. The peaceful elections set the stage for the upcoming referendum on independence for southern Sudan, set for January 9.

"...Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people." Ephesians 6:16-18

Let us pray for our brothers and sisters in Sudan.