Safety and education are fundamental rights. We would all agree that children everywhere should be able to grow up free from fear and with safe schooling. That basic wish is a distant dream for many families in parts of Nigeria, where the risks of kidnapping for ransom, violent attacks from armed militia, forced displacement and restricted access to education are the reality.
Find out more at csw.org.uk/nigeria
Sunday 12 January
Thousands of families have been forced to flee their homes after being targeted by armed groups and having had their ancestral lands violently occupied. Pray for the tens of thousands of children growing up in camps for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), and specifically for educational provision for displaced children.
Monday 13 January
Pray today for schools in vulnerable communities, for the protection of children in those communities and that the authorities would prioritise their safety and wellbeing. Pray particularly for the full and speedy implementation of Nigeria’s Safe Schools Initiative.
Tuesday 14 January
Lift up Nigerian students in the north and centre of the country, especially female undergraduates who have been targeted by terrorist factions for abduction. Pray for freedom for captives and recovery for released survivors, as well as effective strategies for the protection of students across these regions.
Wednesday 15 January
Today we pray for the 16 children of the Du Merci orphanages who are yet to be returned home. Pray for the children’s comfort and wellbeing. Please pray as well for Professor and Mrs Tarfa as they continue their struggle for the return of their children.
Thursday 16 January
Remember in prayer the girls and young women in Shari’a states who are at risk of abduction, forcible conversion and forced marriage. Ask God the Father to release all who have been abducted and bring the perpetrators to justice so that this abhorrent practice would be stopped forever.
Friday 17 January
Today we ask you to pray a special blessing on the CSW team in Nigeria. Pray especially for those on the team who are parents, bringing up incredible children, that God would give them grace, wisdom and great joy!
Saturday 18 January
Lord Jesus, we pray for all who have been affected by the wave of abductions and attacks in Nigeria. Please comfort those who grieve, and give courage and hope to parents who are longing for the return of their children. As you blessed the children in Mark 10:16, we ask that you would gather the children of Nigeria into your arms and bless them with security and freedom. Amen.