Late Friday evening, the country of Morocco was hit with a 6.8 magnitude earthquake, followed by a 3.9 magnitude aftershock on Sunday evening. The epicenter of the quake was near Marrakech, a popular tourist spot. At the time of this writing, at least 2,862 people have died, with more than 2,500 injured, with countless others missing.
Not only have thousands of people lost their lives, but the country has suffered massive destruction as well. Buildings are destroyed, roads are demolished, and many areas are inaccessible. Right now, Morocco needs our prayers. Will you join us in praying for Morocco? Here are four ways you can pray:
“Right now, Morocco needs our prayers.”
1. Pray for those who need help.
Officials have not released numbers for the amount of people who are missing, but there are surely many who are unaccounted for. Let’s pray Psalm 91:4-5 over those who are missing, lost, trapped, sick, hurt, and dying: “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not feel the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day.”
2. Pray for the survivors.
This tragedy will no doubt be traumatic for the Moroccan people, and they will feel the after effects for years to come. Pray that those who survive can heal physically, mentally, and emotionally. Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
“Pray that those who survive can heal physically, mentally, and emotionally.”
3. Pray for the rescue workers.
Those who are working tirelessly to find and save as many as possible need our prayers. Pray that the Lord will give them protection, wisdom, and stamina to do their jobs well. Pray that they would be successful in helping as many people as possible and that many more rescue workers would be sent to help. As I write this, I know that IDES (International Disaster Emergency Service) is working with mission partners in Morocco to provide physical help and spiritual hope, as well as preparing an assessment team to address the most pressing needs. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Ps. 46:1).
4. Pray for the Christian church in Morocco.
Pray that believers will stand strong and for new believers to come to Christ in the midst of this tragedy. Since Morocco is a closed country to the Gospel, sharing one’s faith has to be done very carefully. Morocco is a Muslim country with very few Christians. In fact, Operation World states that only about 0.1% (about 2,000 people) of the population is Christian. Let’s pray 1 Corinthians 15:58 over the Moroccan Christians: “Therefore my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
“Pray that believers will stand strong and for new believers to come to Christ in the midst of this tragedy.”
As followers of Christ, we get the opportunity to lift up our requests to our Heavenly Father who we know hears our prayers and sees our needs. What a privilege that is!
