Church leaders in Afghanistan are requesting for prayers as the Taliban seized control of the country.
Through a blog post, Josh Manley, pastor of RAK Evangelical Church in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), relayed the ministers' pleas on the 9Marks page, WND reported.
Manley said that the Afghan pastors have been reaching out to him in recent days to ask for prayers, as they are currently facing an imminent danger from the hands of the Islamic group. He revealed that a minister showed him a picture of his hiding place, while another stated that the believers' situation is dangerous and can't go out like they used to do.
Further, he shared a tweet from Mindy Belz of World News Group, saying that the leaders in the country's house church networks were warned by the Taliban that "they know where they are and what they are doing."
The UAE pastor listed three things to pray for.
First, physical protection and provision.
Manley said that the Christians and their families in Afghanistan are all in danger, asking believers in pleading with God "to restrain evil and confuse the plans of evildoers." The people are also in need of physical provision since the banks are close and the ATMs are empty. Others are also requesting to be prayed in securing visas to get out of the country.
Second, spiritual provision.
The pastor stated that the Afghan church leaders are also asking to be prayed for the strengthening of their faith in the Lord, given the difficulty of the situation.
Finally, advancing the Gospel.
Manley said that despite the terrifying condition of the Christians in the country, a believer has surprisingly requested to pray for revival in Afghanistan.
The pastor shared that the American mission agencies have already pulled out their workers from the nation. He then revealed that he was able to minister to some of them and requested prayers for others who chose to stay.
"But pray especially for the Afghans who have no choice but to stay, such as one brother who has already spent time imprisoned for his faith in Afghanistan. He has assured me again and again, 'We can trust that our Lord is mighty and will care for his children.' And: 'Our hope is not in politics but in Jesus who is the King,'" he pointed out.
Manley concluded the post by citing the passage in Psalm 2: 4 and 8.
"While these days are dark and tragic, remember that God sits on his throne in the heavens. He holds the rulers of this world in derision. He promises to make the nations his Son's heritage, the ends of the earth his possession," the verses say.
The Taliban was able to gain control over hundreds of districts in the nation since the American troops left in July. On August 15, the Afghan government collapsed after President Ashraf Ghani fled out of the country, leading to the Islamic group's capture of Kabul, the capital city.
On Monday, thousands of Afghans swarmed the Hamid Karzai International Airport, desperate to catch an evacuation flight.
