He's in Charge, part 2 (Intern Insights)
If you read part one of this post, you will remember that the issue of domestic violence was the topic at hand. We prayed for laws to be implemented in West African countries so that abuse against females would be stopped. This is a continuation of that discussion, just approaching the subject from a different angle. A follow-up request in the monthly prayer calendar asks that we pray for church leaders to teach men to respect and protect women and young girls. It also challenges us to lift up those females and ask the Lord that they would respect themselves and not allow men to treat them with indignity.
God, I can’t go any further without first coming to you in prayer. Would you please be with pastors and church leaders in West Africa as they diligently impart your truth to those they minister to? Let their words be powerful and convict people’s hearts to turn from their sinful ways. Be with women in that region who are mistreated by the men in their lives. Lord, let them fall so in love with You that they would not settle for a man who doesn’t exemplify that same love in his actions and words. Open their eyes. Make them aware of the respect, provision, and dignity they deserve.
Lastly God, I beg of you, end the physical, emotional, and verbal abuse forced upon thousands of your daughters. Convict the hearts of men who have forgotten your love and your call to extend that love to the women in their lives. Amen.
In West Africa, husbands, boyfriends, and significant others are depriving females of economic resources needed for basic necessities. In some scenarios, if women dare to request money for expenses like food, medicine, or school fees, the appeal results in dangerous disputes with physical and verbal violence as the outcomes. Trying to make household ends meet and to simply be a good wife and mother has become a risky endeavor for many females in these toxic situations and relationships.
Ever heard the term “walking on eggshells”? It’s the feeling of trepidation one experiences when in the presence of a particular person. They know that the smallest thing or a seemingly innocent comment could send this individual in to a rage of anger. It fosters a frightening and upsetting environment, especially when taking place in your own home. And I can only imagine the many West African women who face conditions like this every day.
Let’s pray that the Lord would take them out of these circumstances where they experience so much pain, shame, degradation, and humiliation. Pray that any physical and psychological repercussions from abuse would be healed by the Lord and that He would bring men to see how harmful and scarring their actions can be.
Be informed and inspired by reading Morgan's full Intern Insights series.