Lost In the Prairies.....Found by God

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Colossians 1:9 NIV84

Please be in prayer for all believers. Please feel free to share any prayer requests or praise requests in the comment section of the post. I would ask that if you read this blog on a Wednesday that you take time not just to pray for those who are persecuted, but also for each other. We may not know each other, but we can take joy in praying for each other and the power that God has when we pray globally. Blessings to you all.

France has taken decisive action by launching a military campaign against Islamist rebels that aggressively seized control of northern Mali last year. More recently, the militants have been trying to advance further into the south, posing danger to the Christians who were forced to flee to this area. With links to al-Qaeda, the rebels are also imposing a harsh version of sharia law in the territory. 

Their attempted progression into southern Mali has sparked alarm. Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced: "Obviously we are very concerned about the situation, and the development of essentially an entire terrorist region is of grave concern to everybody in the international community." French foreign minister Laurent Fabius further explains that had France not intervened, there was a risk that the advance could result in "appalling consequences." 

The Islamist takeover of northern Mali has already had a devastating impact on the Church in the region. Christians have been driven from their homes, and all church buildings in Gao and Timbuktu were destroyed. Many of the believers affected by the attacks fled to Bamako, where they have been living in refugee camps. There is added concern that if the militants were to advance further south, these refugees would be left with absolutely no safe haven in their homeland.