(Prayer Journal no. 16 vol. 2)
Afghanistan, a country of around 38 million people, has been recaptured by the Taliban on Sunday, August 15, and is once again declared an Islamic Emirate. After American and NATO troops began withdrawing in May of this year, the Afghan security forces could not defend their country, and Afghans are again faced with the prospect of complete domination by the Taliban.
Let us pray for the Afghan people with these words from Psalm 72—The Reign of the Righteous King.
“For he will save the needy when he cries for help,
the afflicted also, and him who has no helper.
He will have compassion on the poor and needy,
and he will save the lives of the needy.
He will rescue their life from oppression and violence,
and their blood will be precious in his sight.”
— Psalm 72:12-14
Let us pray:
1. for the Afghan people to turn to the Lord, the Righteous King, and put their trust and hope in Him.
2. for the safe evacuation of all foreign nationals still in Afghanistan, particularly for the Filipinos still awaiting repatriation.
3. for the safe and orderly departure of people affiliated with the US government.
4. that there will be no more evacuation chaos that will lead to more deaths. Pray for strength, resilience, and comfort for the Afghan people. Based on reports, Kabul residents are living in fear right now as the Taliban have already started house to house searches in some neighborhoods, registering names and looking for people on their target list.
5. for an end of hostilities and human rights abuses in Afghanistan and for all parties to allow immediate, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access.
6. for the immediate restoration of security and civil order in the country.
7. for the Afghan people to live in safety, security, and dignity.
8. that Afghanistan will not be a sanctuary of terrorism again like Al Qaeda did before. Instead, pray for peace to finally reign in the land after being troubled by more than 40 years of war.
9. for the safety of the Afghan people and their protection from criminal acts or human rights abuses; also pray that the nation will focus its efforts on rebuilding its homeland.
10. for more countries to open their borders to Afghan evacuees and for the Lord to bless the economies of the countries receiving the influx of refugees.
11. for wisdom for the American government on the best course of action moving forward and for the abatement of criticisms, condemnations, or assignments of blame by the American people.
12. for the redemption of more than 300, 000 Afghan security forces who take the blame for the fall of their country to Taliban fighters, ranging in number from 58,000 to 100,000. They were not ready to take up the fight even after receiving training and modern equipment from the US. “You can resource, you can train, you can support, you can advise, you can assist. You cannot buy will, you cannot purchase leadership, and leadership was missing,” said a Pentagon spokesman.
13. for the world to work together to suppress the global terrorist threat in Afghanistan.
