Nigeria Missions Prayer Alert. Oct. 2022 – Jan. 2023
REACHING THE SAHEL REGION OF AFRICA
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.” Isaiah 43:19-21 NIV
During this quarter, we shall be praying for the Sahel Region of Africa. The Sahel has been in the spotlight most recently for all the wrong reasons. The Sahel stretches approximately 3,100 miles through more than ten countries from the Atlantic coast of Senegal to Sudan at the Red Sea. A geographical transition zone between the Sahara in the north and the Savannah in the south, the region is mainly hot and dry.
The Sahel is linguistically and ethnically diverse, the people groups who live there are faced with many challenges such as the harsh climate, droughts, famines, political instability and violent extremism. They are traditionally nomads who travel with their herds to seasonal grazing grounds, the various people groups have each maintained their own strong cultural identity which can be a challenge when reaching out to them.
The main issues are that the belt is mostly Islamic, with some of the largest Muslim unreached and unengaged tribes of the world, with least access to the Bible in their languages.
Most of us in the south of the Sahel region have received Christ’s love, we therefore need to share with those in the region who are yet to know him. Mission agencies in Africa (and especially Nigeria) should prioritize the Sahel; as it is home to some of the most unreached peoples on the continent.
In addition to the need for the Gospel, the Sahel has great needs. There is a need for community transformation to take place in terms of education, health, clean water, agriculture and for people to experience the love of Christ. These issues need skilled professionals to address them. Professionals in areas such as agriculture and health can train and equip people with skills and knowledge that they can then take back to their villages and implement what they have learned.
To see the Sahel reached with the gospel, we must begin with prayer. We need to pray and seek wisdom of God on how to share Christ’s love in this difficult region. We need to pray that the churches in the region, actively reach out to those who are yet to know Jesus Christ. Those who believe should then be discipled, become self-multiplying churches that can spread across the region. However, for this vision to be achieved, there is a need for partnerships. The Nigeria Mission Movement should partner with other agencies in Africa that are already working in the region so that they can learn from one another and make reaching the unreached more effective and efficient.
If you work and are passionate about the Sahel Region, then join us to pray this quarter about reaching the Sahel Region. During this period, NEMA will be hosting a Strategic Gospel Communication Conference, October 10-14, in Abuja, Nigeria, to chart the way forward in engaging the Sahel Region with the Gospel of Christ. For the Lord is …making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
Download The Nigeria Missions Prayer Alert