Tearfund and our partners in Nigeria are helping communities tackle poverty, respond to and recover from disasters, and be better prepared for future crises. We work in partnership with local communities, churches and Christian organisations. This week, let’s pray for Nigeria and for the good works which God has begun.
Sunday 21 January
As the sixth most populated country in the world, Nigerians are mostly either Christian or Muslim, and there are more than 250 distinct ethnic groups. Religious and ethnic tensions mean there are frequent violent attacks and a climate of fear in some parts of the country. Pray for lasting peace and harmony between groups engaged in conflict.
Monday 22 January
When Amina and her husband lost their main source of income, they were devastated. Tearfund partner Jos Green Centre offered them new work collecting discarded plastics. ‘They met us where we were weeping and they talked to us,’ says Amina. ‘The job is a huge relief.’ Pray they will earn enough income to pay for their children’s education.
Tuesday 23 January
The local church is the hub of many communities across Nigeria. Tearfund and our partners are supporting churches as they take action to meet local needs in areas such as food production, water supply and sanitation, healthcare and education. Praise God for how local Christians are stepping up and being catalysts for transformation.
Wednesday 24 January
Josephine is married with four children. She runs a catering business in Plateau State. But it was a challenge to access clean water for her work. A Tearfund partner helped her with training in good practices for hygiene and sanitation, as well as digging a borehole nearby. Josephine shared this message for Tearfund supporters: ‘May the Lord grant you grace and enable you to do more to reduce people’s sufferings in this world.’
Thursday 25 January
Godwin’s father always encouraged him to look after trees. But he didn’t follow this advice, often abandoning what he had planted. When he learnt from Tearfund partner Rural Development Counsellors for Christian Churches in Africa how he could use trees to make an income, his life turned around. He started using leaves to make simple herbal remedies, which he sold. Thank God for Godwin’s humility and entrepreneurial spirit.
Friday 26 January
Abba is a farmer from Kaduna State. After struggling for years with pests and poor harvests, she is now able to generate a steady income by adopting sustainable farming techniques. And she’s very grateful for the training she received from Tearfund partner RURCON. ‘Pray for us that we will never go back to those days before the training,’ she says. As you pray for Abba, think of the joy she feels today.
Saturday 27 January
‘Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.’ (2 Corinthians 9:10–11) As you pray for Nigeria, ask God to speak to you through this scripture.
