The following are additional prayer requests that explain some of the main spiritual strongholds we've encountered in over twenty years of missionary work connected to Africa. 

Spiritual Strongholds

Pray against the spiritual forces that hinder God's work in the church:

There are five major barriers in many churches on the African continent. Pray with us against these strongholds

1.    Covetousness & Jealousy

-      Covetousness  and jealousy do not allow people to prosper because they can’t build capital in private businesses. Without capital they remain in poverty and this contributes to much of the poverty in Africa. Pray that the conviction and understanding of what jealousy is, will be real in hearts. Pray for an understanding in hearts of God's Tenth Commandment.

-        If someone is succeeding then relatives will take the profits. This is part of the established cultural rules in many groups and is expected. Pray that Christians will be able to politely say "no" to relatives or find creative ways to help relatives without becoming bankrupt themselves.

-        There is much pressure to conform to the group or community. Items must be ‘shared’ although it is not voluntary sharing but is more like ‘social theft’.  Pray that people will begin to respect each other, their individual achievements and allow others to prosper in wholesome ways. 

-       Pray that churches would begin to give liberally support foreign missions programs, to see their own pastors, evangelist, missionaries and church workers blessed beyond what they themselves may have. Pray that people would have a heart to give.

2.    Prejudice – Tribalism

Hearts are suspicious or closed to other tribes or other people groups. While there is much intermarriage between language groups, long histories of slaves taken from one tribe to another and other forms of oppression and war between tribes still remain. 

-        Pray that people would be judged not by 'the color of their skin but by the content of their character'. Many people rejoice when their tribe or race is elected to a political office but they have little understanding of that person's character or political stance. Pray that people would stand up for correct political issues and not be concerned about their tribe gaining power. 

-       Pray that churches would begin to have a heart for the lost beyond their own language groups or their own county, rather than just supporting church planting among 'their own kind'. 

-       Pray that pastors and church leaders across Africa will teach against prejudice and tribalism.

-       Pray that church members would see their sins of prejudice and show God’s love to all regardless of what country, race,  or tribal group they come from.

-   Pray that people would learn to 'love their enemies' and be bold enough to put that into practice.

3.    Fear of Witchcraft

Witchcraft, charms, and all the superstitions associated with animistic beliefs are hard for many westerners to understand. Yet some knowledgeable people say that witchcraft influences much of daily behavior in sub-Saharan Africa. Some have estimated that less than 10 percent of the African church is free from witchcraft and charms.

-       Pray that church members would not live under the fear of being witched. Pray that they know that 'Greater is He that is us than he that is in the world".

-       Pray that God's truthfulness and authority would be displayed in power encounters. 

-     Pray that Christians would be convicted of sin when they rely on charms or "traditional medicine" (not herbs but incantations and sacrifices) to heal sicknesses or infertility. 

-      Pray that those who bring false charges of witchcraft would be exposed. In many rural villages uniqueness and creativity are squashed because if someone has different ideas they may be  suspected of being a witch.

 4.    Spirit of Poverty

It has been a fault of western missions that they have not taught the church in many places to not only be self supporting, but also to be a missionary sending church. Pray that local churches would see how blessed they have been with the Good News of Jesus and want to share that. 

-       Pray for integrity in local leaders handling finances in the churches.

-        Pray that governments and churches would begin to refuse foreign aid that is only damaging to their economy.

-        Pray that churches would see how blessed they truly are and begin to support their own pastors, missionaries and outreaches from their own resources. 

-         Pray that Christians would be convicted of hording the produce from their gardens and not sharing with those in need within their church. 

-         Pray that in the Bible translation projects that we are working in, that the local people would take the lead in supporting the projects financially.

 5.    Lack of love

We all need to grow in love. Very few, maybe less than 3 percent of African churches, regularly support foreign missions programs. They may also leave outreaches to orphans and widows to foreign missionaries who come to their land, but they themselves do not always reach out in love to the needs nearby. 

-        Pray that there would be a burning love in the hearts of people to see Jesus receive the reward of every tribe, tongue and nation! Ps 2

-        Pray that outreaches are not done because they are the 'right thing to do' but that they spring out of  the only pure motive for our actions: Love for God.

-        Jesus said, “If you love me you will obey me” that obedience includes His command to go.  Pray that Christians are burned with their love for God.

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