We believe in the power of prayer to bring change – not because of our words, but because of His power. While some prayers are yet to be answered, and not all good news can be shared publicly, we are ever grateful to God for his faithfulness throughout 2024.
Free Eritrea
In May, we stood outside the Eritrean embassy in London for our annual prayer and protest vigil, declaring: Two decades is too long. This was a significant year, as six church leaders marked their 20th year in detention – without charge, trial or access to their families.
With Church In Chains (Ireland), Human Rights Concern-Eritrea and Release Eritrea we delivered a joint letter reiterating our call for the release of every prisoner of conscience.
Thank you to everyone who joined us in person or used our Digital Protest Pack to show your solidarity on social media. Until we see this nation transformed, we will keep on praying and standing with the people of Eritrea.
Visit csw.org.uk/FreeEritrea for details of any future events.
Pray for Leah
Leah Sharibu turned 21 years old on 14 May 2024. It was yet another birthday spent as the hostage of terrorists, and so we joined together to pray once again for her release. We’ve done this every year since she was taken in February 2018, and we will not be silent until she is safely home.
Many of you will know that Leah was the sole Christian among a group of 110 girls abducted from their school in Dapchi by terrorists from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
The surviving girls were returned home a month later following negotiations, but Leah was not among them. She had refused to convert in exchange for her release and has been in captivity ever since. Sadly, Leah is one of hundreds of women and girls held by terrorist factions, including 82 of the 276 girls abducted from a school in Chibok, Borno State, whose whereabouts remain unknown.
To mark Leah’s birthday, CSW Nigeria held a protest in Kaduna, followed by an expert panel discussion on social media that evening. They then led us in a global online prayer meeting for Leah and the many others who have been abducted in Nigeria. It was hugely encouraging to see people gathering to pray from all over the world!
Here are some of your prayers from the night:
