Burundi Prayer Requests

Here are some specific prayer requests to remember for the country of Burundi:

• Good governance:  President Nkurunziza & cabinet, the Ministry of Health, and other leaders -- that they would serve as instruments of righteousness (Romans 13:3-4); pray for moral integrity, wise advisors, and spiritual grace to do the right things in the right way.
• Healing, restoration, and forgiveness along tribal lines -- that the church would lead the way in this area; pray for genuine respect and cooperation as the two tribes build Burundi's future together.
• The surplus of firearms from decades of conflict contributes to the sudden rise of violent crime.   Pray for the effectiveness of disarmament and gun amnesty programs, many of which are run by church bodies; pray for people to hand in their weapons and pursue peace rather than lawlessness. 
• Widespread corruption persists, with bribery all but requisite for transactions of almost any nature.  A 2008 survey ranked Burundi among the top states where corruption is worsening.  Pray for the lasting change only the gospel can bring.
• Internally displaced people and refugees to be able to return to their homeland.  For those who are educated and potential leaders, pray that they will have the burden to come back and help restore their country.
• Hundreds of children who were once child soldiers, now demobilized – pray for them to become part of families, to be healed, to live in peace, and to be able to go to school.