Central African Republic | Exploring with Jake

*If you’d like to read the first post in the Modern Witnesses series, click here.

Over the last few weeks, our Sunday School teacher has told us the stories of people who have suffered because they believe in Jesus. We met the Adivasi Christians who live in India, who were attacked at church. Some of the villagers wouldn’t let them get water or firewood. Even after a peace was made between the other villagers and the Christians, it didn’t stop the persecution. A little girl and her family were attacked because the girl played a Christian song on her phone.

We met Christians who live in an area of Bangladesh called the hill tracts. A group tried to keep them from celebrating Christmas a few years ago. They said they weren’t allowed to play music at their church, and said they weren’t even allowed to worship God silently! They stopped the Christians from having a special dinner they had planned to feed about 100 people.

Last week, we met Christians who live in the Central African Republic (CAR). Their country is in terrible trouble right now. A group called Séléka has taken over the country. There isn’t any light or running water. All the prisoners at a jail were set free. Many Christians have had their homes and churches destroyed. No one except God knows what will happen next in the CAR.

There are so many ways we can pray for the Christians we’ve been learning about. One special thing I am going to ask God for today is that He will help all of them stay determined. Even though they know that God loves them and will work everything out for good someday, it can be hard to keep living for Jesus. Some of them are hungry; some of them have lost everything they owned. Some of them are away from their families and don’t know when they will see them again. None of them know what will happen to their villages or their countries.

We colored a picture that we can use to help us remember to pray for them. If you’d like to color one yourself, you can find it here.

“Dear God, please help the Christians who are being mistreated because they love you to stay determined. Help them make up their minds not to give up or turn away from You, no matter what happens. We know that You are the only One who is strong enough to help them do that. Please help the people of India, Bangladesh, and the Central African Republic to know You and understand how much You love them. And please help me and all of us to be determined to follow You, no matter what. Thank You. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.”

*If you’d like to read the first post in the Modern Witnesses series, click here.

When our Sunday School teacher told us this morning that she wanted us to pray for Christians in the C-A-R, I thought she meant she wanted us to pray when we were going somewhere. But that’s not what she meant at all (though praying for people while you’re traveling somewhere is a good idea, too).

She said that CAR stood for the Central African Republic. I had never heard of it before, but she showed it to us on a map. The Central African Republic (CAR), is a French-speaking country in the middle of Africa. It’s a small country, just a little bit smaller than the state of Texas, and it is a very poor country—one of the poorest in all of Africa.

It also has had a very rough history of different people and groups fighting for control of the country. That’s what is happening right now, and that is why we need to remember to pray for the Christians in the CAR. The country’s president, President Francois Bozizé, has been in control of the country for about ten years. But several groups of people, especially some of the groups in the northern part of the country, have been unhappy with the way the president is doing things. The groups got together, named themselves Séléka, and started taking over the country. Some of them have better weapons than the military has.

Séléka started attacking people and destroying homes, churches, and businesses. When the group first started their rebellion, they told people they wouldn’t hurt anyone because of their faith. But so far, Christians have been attacked an awful lot, while people who believe the religion that is popular in the northern part of the country, where Séléka is from, haven’t been touched.

Christians in the CAR are very scared. The water and the electricity in the capital have both been shut off, so they are living in homes without light or running water. Also in the capital, a jail was attacked and all of the prisoners were set free, so people don’t know what they will do.

Please pray that God’s peace will reign in all of the hearts in the CAR and that things will work out the way they are supposed to for the country and all of its people. Pray that the people who are hurting Christians will come to understand that Jesus died and rose again, and that He loves every one of them. And please pray that God will be with the Christians, make them strong, and keep them safe.

“Dear God, thank You for showing us how much You love every person by sending Your Son Jesus to earth to die on the cross for my sins and everybody’s sins. Thank You that because You are God, death couldn’t keep Jesus in the grave, and that Jesus is alive now in Heaven forever. Help the people in the Central African Republic, and all over the world, who don’t know about Jesus’ love to know You and trust You. And please work things out in the CAR the way that is best. Please keep everyone safe. Thank You. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.”

The facts of this story are based on World Watch Monitor news articles published on March 27, 2013. For more information, please see my Parents and Educators page.

If you’d like a printable version of today’s story, click here.