Hi friends.
I published a post last night, praying for who could be one of the most evil people living today: Abubakar Shekau, the leader of Boko Haram, meaning “Western Education is Forbidden” (aka ISWAP). Continue reading
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Tag Archives: Leah Sharibu
Shatter, Shekau (A Prayer)
Have you ever wondered at what made evil people so evil?
How the villains who make headlines for their crimes became the person in the pictures?
They were a child once. They once
Lived on nothing but milk, people who were helpless,
not only in taking care of and doing good
To others,
But in even taking care of themselves.
But now, here they are.
Weapons in their hands;
Hatred in their veins.
Shekau, do your parents weep for you?
Do they pray for the light to dawn on your soul,
Lamenting who you could have become?
Sources say they do– (source).
Praise God, “Right” in religion has not become so wrong–
may those who love you never smile in pride at your headlines.
Shekau, don’t you feel empty?
“allah” keeps stringing you along,
lying to you about the wages of your deeds.
I pray
that you are made sick by what you have done–
that you are broken and rebuilt by the Christ you
look to in disdain.
Right now, you are
the embodiment of evil.
But so was the apostle Paul. This gives me Hope
–Even for you.
May your leader be seen for the coward he is;
may satan be cursed and cast down forever.
and may all those who do his work
be shattered.
These are my prayers for you, Shekau. You’re disgusting–
but not even you are a hopeless case.
I pray, I pray, I pray.
So Shatter, Shekau!
Christ alone has the glue
and the kind of Love needed
to rebuild you.
“’You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?”
– Jesus Christ
(Matthew 5:43-47, NIV)
© Annalee Hoover, 2018
Do you know Jesus?
Without Jesus, there is no real salvation. He alone is the only One who can save our souls– including even the repentant soul of someone like Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau. Learn more about Jesus, and why we need Him, here.
Please pray for…
– The Chibok girls and Leah Sharibu. Find their names and pictures, here.
– Abubakar Shekau. Evil as he is, Christ has the power to change his entire life– as He did with the Apostle Paul. Let’s pray for his salvation.
– Justice. What Shekau and Boko Haram has done is nothing short of the very essence of evil. Let’s pray that Justice is served for those who have suffered senselessly at the hands of Shekau and Boko Haram.
– Salvation for all people. Including Boko Haram members.
Thank you for your prayers and support!!!
Encouraging Yourself in the Lord
Everything in the world seemed to be against him. King David, in 1 Samuel 30, having been raided by the Amalekites, was about to be the object of his army’s wrath, as they all lamented having their women and children kidnapped. Blaming King David for the raid, his men were poised for attack, ready to kill him.
It’d be easy, in David’s spot, to believe that he was all alone. To believe that God had somehow left him, and that he was done for. But 1 Samuel 30 speaks of David doing something very different: “He encouraged Himself in the Lord.
“What does that even mean?” You may ask. We can look at different translations for insight. Most translations read something like, “But David found strength in the Lord his God.” At his weakest moment, David found strength in God.
We’re all bound to have our “weak” days– days where the cares of life pull us down, days where our weak spots are tried and uncovered. Because of this, it is more than crucial that we as Believers are able to find strength in Jesus. I have a few ways of how we can do this.
- Be well-read when it comes to the Bible. The enemy loves to come against us with lies about who Christ is, and who we are in Him. satan would love for us to quiver in fear, breaking down under the pressure that has been placed on us. This is why reading, and knowing, the word of God is so important! When we know what the Bible says concerning God, we can stand upon its Truth– and it becomes a haven in the storm.
- Remember that Jesus is our Refuge. As apart of knowing the Word, I encourage you to cling to the promises of who Christ is to you. When one truly believes that Jesus is Sovereign and our Refuge, the fears we have cannot stay. Jesus Loves you! He is for you! You can trust Him!
- Remember that perfect Love (God’s Love) casts out fear. 1 John 4:18 says this, and its truth is invaluable. When you are afraid or overwhelmed, and being attacked by the enemy, submit to Jesus in the matter. His Love will cast out all fear from the evil one, and when we submit to God, the devil flees (James 4:7).
- Act upon what you read in the Word. It is crucial to not only be a wellspring of knowledge when it comes to scripture, but to also live out what you know. Again, submitting to Jesus in all things helps us to resist the devil and his schemes.
What about you? Do you have any biblical insight into how we can strengthen ourselves in the Lord? Let’s talk about it! 🙂
Jesus loves to come alongside us, giving us His strength to meet the need in any situation. We can trust in Him, friends! Let’s encourage ourselves in Him, and draw from the strength and help He so lovingly yearns to share with us!
Do you know Jesus?
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
(Matthew 11:28, NIV)
This is Jesus’ loving invitation to all of us… but what does it mean for you, personally? Read about who Jesus is, and what He has done to provide rest for us, here.
Please pray for…
- Those, like David, who feel hard-pressed on every side, and need the rest and relief only found in Christ.
- The Chibok girls and Leah Sharibu. Pray for their fathers, as their fathers spend another Father’s Day without their daughters.
- For a revival in the lives of many in Nigeria. We need Christ if we are ever going to be healed as people and as nations!
- For renewed peace and rest in corrupt areas, such as Northern Nigeria.
As always, Thank you for your prayers and support!
God: A Good, Good Father
“’I finally got my freedom Mama,’ Rebbeca quoted Leah to have said in the dream.”1 Rebbeca, the mother of Leah Sharibu, reported seeing her daughter Leah in a dream—where Leah reassured her mom that she had been fed well, and where they “hugged each other very tight” so that they could not be separated again. Rebbeca cried when she woke up from the dream, begging God for it to become reality.
The Love of a parent and their child is one that is fierce, a Love that cannot be broken, even by time, location, and evil. Love, in the purest form, does not give up, and does not let go of Hope. It always trusts, and always perseveres… even when the one you love is nowhere in sight.
It’s true: This type of love does not end. But even in the fierce love a mother or father may have for their child, God’s Love for His Children—those who believe on His Son, Jesus Christ—is fiercer still.
“Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close.”
(Psalm 27:10, NLT)“Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you!”
(Isaiah 49:15, NLT)
I want to encourage you, today: No matter how your relationship (or lack of one) with your earthly father is, Jesus Loves You… and His Love will never let go of you, and never give up on you.
This Father’s Day, may you run to the Father who always has His eyes upon you, and trust in the God who will sustain you to your own old age (Isaiah 46:4). He will never give up.
This Father’s Day, please also pray for those fathers and mothers, waiting for their daughters from Chibok to come home, soon.
You are Loved. Happy Father’s Day. ❤
Do you know Jesus?
What is the proof that God is a good, good Father, a God who always does what is best for us? Romans 8 says, “What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:31-32, BSB)
God proved His Love for us in giving Himself for us. He is completely trustworthy. Learn more about this God, who Loves you so much, here.
Please pray for (find the prayer sheet for your blogpost, here)…
- The Chibok girls. Please pray that they would be able to be freed, soon. You can find their names and pictures, here.
- For those who have lost their fathers in the war against Boko Haram.
- For those waiting for the Chibok girls, and Leah Sharibu, to come home.
- For those who struggle with their relationships (or lack of ones) with their earthly fathers. May Jesus bless and comfort you, if you struggle with these relationships.
Thank you for your prayers and support!
1 As read in this article: http://www.pulse.ng/news/local/leah-sharibu-appears-to-mother-in-a-dream-id8423597.html
Never Losing Hope: Prayer for the Parents of the Chibok Girls
“She’s a special child. My first daughter. She’s my adviser. She makes me happy all the time and comforts me when I’m down. She’s my everything,” said Esther Yakubu said of her daughter Dorcas Yakubu1. From dying of health issues, to being hurt and injured in car accidents, countless parents have passed away since their daughters were abducted by Boko Haram in April of 2014. Sadly, the pain these parents go through on a daily basis shows no real sign of relenting.
Just as I touched on the pain those children in Northern Nigeria are going through right now in this post, I felt I should take the time to shine the spotlight on the parents of those kidnapped, like the Chibok girls. While many parents of these girls have been reunited with their daughters, many more have not. Since the abduction four years ago, 18 parents of the Chibok girls have passed away2.
As the rest of these parents wait, day upon day, for signs of their daughters coming home, many have been hit with the news that many of these girls claim they do not want to come home, as seen in a recent video from Boko Haram3. This news has done nothing but tear down the Hope and Comfort that these parents have even further.
In their darkest of days, parents like those of Dorcas Yakubu are praying that God would intervene, and do what only He can do. As I wrote about in the post concerning the kids of Northern Nigeria, all we can do is pray, advocate, and act. This week, as Father’s Day comes upon us, would you pray over these girls– and the parents who are endlessly waiting for them?
“Dear Lord Jesus,
We come before You, lifting up the parents of the Chibok girls, and others– parents such as Rebecca Sharibu and Esther Yakubu. Father God, we pray that You would draw these parents to Hope in You for their daughters and sons.
As the Chibok girls have reportedly said that they do not want to be freed, we pray that it isn’t true; we pray that You would intervene on behalf of their lives, and would free them mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically, as only You can do. Please bring these parents to have Hope, Trust, and the tenacity to keep praying for their daughters and sons. Thank You, Lord Jesus.
In Jesus’ Name we pray,
Amen.”
Esther, Dorcas’ mother, has not lost hope yet– and whenever she wants to remember her daughter, she sings Dorcas’ favorite song, according to CNN. “I used to hear her sing (it) always,” said Yakubu. “Anytime I want to recall her to my soul, I sing that song.”
May these parents continue to sing songs of Hope & Strength; may they rely on Jesus, and never give up. Please continue praying for these parents, especially the fathers of these young women. Thank you.
Do you know Jesus?
“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!”
(Isaiah 49:15, NIV)
Around 2,000 years ago, the one and only true God stepped on the scene of humanity. The God who genuinely cares for the people He created came to die for them, so that they might become His children through what Jesus Christ did on the cross. Learn more about Jesus, why He came to earth, and why it should matter to you, here.
1 https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/08/africa/nigeria-chibok-girls-mother-yakubu-intl/index.html
2 http://www.pulse.ng/bi/politics/18-parents-of-chibok-girls-have-died-in-last-4-years-id8142185.html
3 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5270483/Abducted-Chibok-girls-say-wont-return-Boko-Haram-video.html
3 Ways to Cherish Nigeria’s Children
“Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
(Proverbs 31:9, NIV)
It’s no surprise. The corruption found in Nigeria takes many forms; from church, to government, to the lives of Nigeria celebrities, this corruption can be seen everywhere. Continue reading
VOICE OF THE MARTYRS: Helping the Needy in Nigeria
Photo courtesy of Voice of the Martyrs. Used under Fair Use.
Voice of the Martyrs says that they are “committed to providing widows and children of martyred Christians.” They are doing this through supporting, encouraging, and connecting widows with churches; through vocational training for widows (and quite possibly older orphans); and through discipling widows and orphans. They also help those “Front-line workers” who are working to share the Gospel in such hostile regions like Northern Nigeria.
Right now, they have a special offer for donating to Persecuted Christians in Nigeria. You can find a direct link to donate to VOM’s Nigerian Widow and Orphan offer here.
Thank you for your support!
Do you know Jesus?
“I will not leave you as orphans…” (John 14:18a, NIV)
Thousands upon thousands of people in this world have never known what it is like to have a Loving, Protective, Good Father.
Thankfully, God is the ultimate Father– and He gave His very life for our sins to prove His Love for us. Learn more about Jesus, what He did, and how it proves His Love, here.
Please pray for (you can find the prayer sheet, here)…
- Those who have lost their loved ones because of Boko Haram violence. As in the story of a woman named Christina, thousands of people have lost their loved ones and their health due to Boko Haram violence. Please pray for people going through such horrendous times.
- The Chibok girls & Leah Sharibu. Please pray that they would come home, soon. You can read their names and see their pictures here.
- The parents of Leah Sharibu. Her mother’s name is Rebecca; her family has been suffering since her abduction. Please pray for them to have Peace and Hope.
Thank you for your prayers!
