Here are some prayer requests that flow out of GoFest last week.
* Pray for those who committed themselves to missions. This was and is a very serious commitment. The expectation was clearly that they would move into the northern states of Nigeria or North Africa. Northern Nigerian states are under Shari’a law and so the cost could well be total for them as they follow through. Please pray for faith, courage, boldness and wisdom to serve God in these very difficult places.
* Pray for the organizers of the event and Christian leaders in Nigeria. Last week they were able to face up to some hurts and divisions that exist. Pray for bitterness to be dealt with and for unity to grow among those that influence the students and the believers in the country. As in most places I visit, disunity among believers is a real challenge and hindrance to the work of the church.
* Pray for the church in Nigeria. One returning missionary spoke of the massive change in the country as prosperity teaching has really taken hold. Pray for clarity and balance since this teaching can be so harmful to the work of the gospel. Pray for those who preach to preach the Word accurately.
* Pray for Lagos specifically. Such a sprawling mass of people, yet potentially so influential in Africa because of numbers alone.
* Pray for Nigerian Christians. They are bold and full of vision. These are good things. But pray for humility so that they might have a voice outside their own borders. Pray for servant-hearted leadership and a willingness to work together (it is always easier to form a new ministry and be the president of it, than it is to work alongside those already doing the same ministry).
* Pray for Nigerian’s overseas. Many of the larger churches in London and other places are Nigerian churches. Pray that they will increase passion for reaching out to other races as well as Nigerians.
* Pray for the individuals I spoke with. The young man with a passion to mobilize people for missions. The young man with a growng ministry, but a desire to study at the seminary there so he can be better equipped for teaching and preaching. The young lady with deep pain from her past that is struggling to address the bitterness issues left by those scars. I could go on, but this gives a brief sense.
* Pray for those without access to the medicine that got me through the conference. A cheap medicine meant that for me a stomach ailment was not great inconvenience, yet for many across Africa it remains a great killer.
