Afghanistan: Pray this prayer

As the Taliban settles into power in Afghanistan and reinstates Sharia (Islamic law), the small population of Christians in the country fear the worst. In a recent interview with Reuters, high-ranking Taliban commander Waheedullah Hashimi confirmed that Afghanistan would not be a democracy under the Taliban, and that they will implement no law but Sharia.

During their rule in the 1990s, the Taliban had been known to have an extreme interpretation of Sharia, including imposing oppressive rules for women and violent punishments on ‘infidels’, including believers who have left their Muslim faith to follow Christ.

Brother Samuel (name changed), Open Doors Field Director for Asia, asks for prayers: “These are uncertain times for Christians in Afghanistan. It’s absolutely dangerous. We don’t know what the next months will bring, what kind of implementation of Sharia we will see, but we continue to ask you to intercede for our brothers and sisters. They are facing insurmountable adversity. We must pray without ceasing.”

In an exclusive interview with CBN, local believer Hamid (whose name has been changed for security reasons) shares fears that the Taliban will eliminate the Christian population. He says: “We know a Christian believer who we’ve been working within the north, he’s a leader and we’ve lost contact with him because his city has fallen to the Taliban. There are three other cities that we have lost contact with our Christian believers.”

“Some of the believers are known in their communities, people know that they converted from Islam to Christianity, and they are considered apostates and the penalty for that is death,” Hamid continues. “The Taliban are famous for carrying out that punishment.”

Since the Taliban took full control last week, chaos and an eerie sense of calm has come over Afghanistan. Images of locals stampeding to board US airships have flooded social media, while in the streets and marketplaces, rifle-brandishing members of the Taliban roam to keep the peace.

Ex-President Ashraf Ghani, previously reported to have fled in Uzbekistan or Tajikistan, has now resurfaced in UAE. Accused by the Russian Embassy in Afghanistan of leaving the country with a helicopter full of cash, Ghani maintains in his first public address that he was forced by his security officials to leave Kabul to prevent bloodshed.

Please continue to pray for Afghanistan.

A prayer for Afghanistan based on Psalm 57:1-5

Have mercy on them, my God, have mercy on them, for in You they take refuge. They will take refuge in the shadow of Your wings until the disaster has passed. We cry out to God Most High, to God, who vindicates us. He sends from heaven and saves, rebuking those who hotly pursue. God sends forth His love and His faithfulness. Your children in Afghanistan are in the midst of lions, forced to dwell among ravenous beasts. Men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be over all the earth. Amen.

*Name changed for security reasons.