Moderator
Staff Member
I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. Colossians 4:18
In April 2014, Boko Haram—an Islamic extremist group—abducted 276 girls in Nigeria, compelling them to convert to Islam and forcing many into marriage, according to Open Doors (an organization that serves persecuted Christians worldwide). Some of the girls escaped, and some have been released via negotiations, but as of 2016, nearly two hundred girls remain missing.
Open Doors advocacy director Kristin Wright met with the parents of the girls in 2015 to let them know that Christians around the world were praying for them. You can imagine the stress they’re under. Wright reports that at least eighteen of the parents have died of stress-related diseases since the abduction.
She also made this observation on the organization’s website: “However, the fathers we spent time with said they do not see the persecution they are facing as something extraordinary, but as a natural part of being a Christian and walking in the footsteps of Jesus.”
In today’s verse, the apostle Paul asked fellow believers to remember his chains. This very moment, captive girls need you to remember their chains. As you pray with your family today, remember these girls. Become their advocate. If, by God’s grace, they’re released, find another group of persecuted Christians and keep your family informed of their plight.
In April 2014, Boko Haram—an Islamic extremist group—abducted 276 girls in Nigeria, compelling them to convert to Islam and forcing many into marriage, according to Open Doors (an organization that serves persecuted Christians worldwide). Some of the girls escaped, and some have been released via negotiations, but as of 2016, nearly two hundred girls remain missing.
Open Doors advocacy director Kristin Wright met with the parents of the girls in 2015 to let them know that Christians around the world were praying for them. You can imagine the stress they’re under. Wright reports that at least eighteen of the parents have died of stress-related diseases since the abduction.
She also made this observation on the organization’s website: “However, the fathers we spent time with said they do not see the persecution they are facing as something extraordinary, but as a natural part of being a Christian and walking in the footsteps of Jesus.”
In today’s verse, the apostle Paul asked fellow believers to remember his chains. This very moment, captive girls need you to remember their chains. As you pray with your family today, remember these girls. Become their advocate. If, by God’s grace, they’re released, find another group of persecuted Christians and keep your family informed of their plight.
