The Good Shepherd in North Africa

Centuries before Islamic armies arrived and subjugated the population, North Africa was the vibrant homeland of Christianity. However, over time, Islamic sharia has slowly choked the existing Christian communities, leaving this region as one of the most concentrated Islamic populations in the world today.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

In fact, North Africa’s 100 million Muslims make up 98–100 percent of the population in Mauritania, Western Sahara, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya.

Yet, at the heart of each North African nation, is a stubbornly persistent Berber community, whose roots are lost in antiquity. For the Berbers, North Africa is their homeland and, despite centuries of cultural oppression, there remain at least 19 distinct Berber people groups in North Africa, with 30–40 million speakers of Berber languages.

Though their numbers are difficult to determine, the appearance of new Christian churches in North Africa attests to a growing allegiance to Jesus Christ. Indeed, if you travelled through the villages of the Berber mountains, visiting homes and churches of believers, you would see framed pictures of Jesus depicted as the Good Shepherd,
with the words “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” written in a local Berber language.
A Berber woman named Zeinab explained, “The shepherd means so much to us because we are a people who have sheep. We know how the shepherd must love the sheep and hold the sheep close to his heart.”
These Berber believers are no longer sheep without a shepherd. They have found their Shepherd and are listening to His voice.
  • Give thanks for the growing Berber Church in North Africa, and that the Good Shepherd is making Himself known amongst the Berber communities.
  • Pray for the Berber believers, who face many challenges living in dominant Muslim countries. Pray for access to Bibles and training and discipleship materials in their own heart languages, to help them grow in their faith.
  • Pray for protection for North African believers, as they face persecution and even death because of their faith.
  • Pray for a move of God across this region, that over this time of Ramadan, many Muslims will encounter Christ Jesus is life transforming ways and come to faith in Him.

Isaiah 40 vs 11: “He tends his flock like a shepherd: he gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young

Source: http://www.30daysprayer.com

The message will be closed after 20 s