How to pray for Afghanistan, and opportunities for you and your church to give and act in response.
Following the scenes of fear and panic in Kabul, a humanitarian crisis is developing. The Taliban have declared that the war is over and have offered assurances of safety for the people of Afghanistan, but many are choosing to flee since such words are unlikely to be backed up in practice.
PRAY: We are calling on all our supporters to pray for this situation. There are points further down this page to help guide your prayers. We have also produced a number of resources for use in churches including a printable prayer sheet, downloadable slides for PowerPoint and Keynote and a video which can be viewed below. Each can be downloaded by clicking on the links below the video.
GIVE: We are also welcoming donations towards the relief effort. All donations to our Action fund between now and the end of September will be allocated to work among those who have fled Afghanistan. This will include support for those crossing borders into neighbouring countries, as well as those arriving in the UK with empty hands and broken hearts. In each case, work amongst the displaced will be carried out by communities of believers with a heart for sharing the gospel.
ACT: There is a real need for local churches to welcome migrants into their communities at this time, and an opportunity to glorify the Lord Jesus as they do so. We are currently aware of likely needs in Sheffield, Scarborough, Watford, Leicester, Colchester, Chelmsford, Derby and Southampton. Churches outside of these areas might consider sharing financial resources and/or providing expertise in areas such as welcoming migrants, translation, mental health support and trauma counselling. Get in touch to offer help or to request further information.
HOW TO PRAY
- Lift up all those who are vulnerable at this time – Christians, women and government officials in particular.
- In light of comments by senior UK officials that not all foreign nationals will make it out of the country, pray for those stranded in the nation – ask the Lord to protect them and smooth their path to safety.
- Pray for British, American and other foreign troops who have been working with the Kabul Security Force. Pray that they would be led wisely and protect those at risk.
- Lift up the church in Afghanistan, asking God to strengthen their faith, unite them in love and shine forth the light of the gospel through them.
- Pray for protection and provision for the growing number of displaced people.
- Ask that channels would remain open for the provision of emergency aid in the coming weeks and months.
- Pray for political leaders here and around the world as they respond to this uncertain and distressing situation.