There are days when devotion does not feel quiet. When waiting appears hopeless and when staying seems highly risky.
In these times, faithfulness feels heavy.
I am growing increasingly aware that while many of us open our Bibles in comfort, others open them in fear. Not fear of God, but fear of what faith may cost them.
In Nigeria, following Jesus is not a private belief. It is a daily risk.
Christian communities, especially in northern and central regions, have lived under sustained violence for years. Churches burned. Pastors abducted. Families driven from their homes or killed simply because they bear the name of Christ. In recent months, the temperature of torture has been turned up, as our Christian brothers and sisters cry out for help.
And yet, they still gather to worship.
Faith That Persists in the Dark
I wonder what it means to worship when worship itself is dangerous.
To sing when your church has no roof.
To pray when your pastor has disappeared.
To forgive when justice feels absent.
Theirs is not heroic faith in the way we imagine it. It is long suffering faith. It’s faithful obedience under extraordinary pressure.
The perseverance of Christians in Nigeria confronts us gently but firmly:
What do we believe the Gospel is worth?
The Apostle Paul reminds us that we are more than conquerors.
For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.
Romans 8:36 ESV
The Call to Remember
Scripture does not allow us to separate our spiritual lives from the suffering of others in the other side of the world. Their suffering is ours. We just don’t feel the flames of the fire as readily as they do.
If one member suffers, all suffer together.
1 Corinthians 12:26 ESV
Remembering the persecuted Church is not optional. It is an act of worship. It reorients our prayers. It humbles our complaints. It grows our understanding of what faithfulness looks like in our present world.
When we remember believers in Nigeria, we are reminded that the Church is not fragile. It’s steadfast.
Faith is costly and it is alive.
A Prayerful Response
Friends, we may feel far removed from the persecution in Nigeria, but prayer collapses distance.
So today, let us pray:
- For protection over Christian families and leaders in Nigeria
- For comfort for those grieving unimaginable loss
- For courage to remain faithful under threat
- For justice, restraint, and repentance where violence reigns
And perhaps, we also pray this quieter prayer:
Lord, do not let my faith grow comfortable while others suffer for Yours.
The persecuted Church does not ask for our pity. They ask for our prayers and our remembrance.
May we be found awake, attentive, and faithful.
How can we pray for you, Nigeria?
Until my next post…
Be salty, stay lit.
Rainer Bantau —The Devotional Guy™
You can now find my articles in The Christian Grandfather Magazine.
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Amen 🙏
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Amen, Alan. 🙏
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Our wee fellowship is quite active in seeking news and praying for believers in the midst of persecution. We have contacts with brethren in India, Kosovo and Africa, but not Nigeria. We have a solemn duty to remember those in danger for serving their Lord. May our Father God continue to guide us in our prayers for our brethren in persecution 🙏
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Amen, Willie. Amen. We will pray for your people in harm’s way. Yes, we must stand with them in prayer.
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I have people near and dear to me from Nigeria, so this is very real and very personal. Their faith under such danger humbles me. They remind us that Jesus is worth everything. I’m praying for protection, strength, and peace for our brothers and sisters there. We must remember them and stand with them in prayer.
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