A CALL TO PRAYER FOR OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN SIERRA LEONE & LIBERIA
“If one member suffers, all suffer together . . . ” 1 Corinthians 12:26 -ESV
Chris Jonah, Langham Preaching country coordinator for Sierra Leone
Our hearts are increasingly drawn to the suffering in West Africa as the Ebola crisis continues to worsen—and particularly to Sierra Leone and Liberia, where Langham’s preaching movements are well developed. We wanted to share with you an update we received from Chris Jonah, the country coordinator for Langham Preaching in Sierra Leone, one of the countries hardest hit by the outbreak. He shared with us the sad news that some pastors and “prophets” are using this crisis to spread a false gospel—including saying that the outbreak is a result of God’s judgment. Though many of Langham’s training events have been canceled in Sierra Leone, Chris and other volunteers have been working to minister to those affected where they can. This includes going on the radio to share encouragement from God’s Word. He writes:
“It is very serious and we need God’s intervention. We have been able to contact the Langham folks in all the towns were we have work (15 towns) with the exception of Makeni and Kambia. We continue to make phone calls to pray for and encourage all to trust and hope in God. Our churches are trying to help but the situation is bad . . . We would appreciate it if our worldwide fellowship would continue to pray for us. There are new infections all over the country; prices have gone up significantly. Some areas and specific houses have been quarantined, and another doctor and nurse died yesterday. All the major airlines have stopped flying here, borders have been closed, and motorbike taxis, which are the main means of transport, are now required to stop running at 7:00 p.m. There is general hardship especially in the regions that have been quarantined . . .We were on the radio yesterday, Sunday, for one hour encouraging all to continue to trust in God–especially Christians. We shared from Romans 8 about the Spirit-filled, justified life. This does not exempt us from the challenges of this current time but v. 28 says God is at work for our good. It was a phone-in program, and we had a very good interaction with the public.”
John Stott said “the church’s first duty toward society and its leaders is to pray for them.” Would you join us in praying for God’s grace, mercy and healing on our brothers and sisters throughout West Africa?
