The week of April 9 – 15 has been designated by a number of prayer networks as week of prayer for Mauritania. We'd like to encourage all who have a heart for Mauritania and its people to organize prayer gatherings for Mauritania during that week. Prayer topics for each day of that week will be sent out by April 3. There will be 3 days of intensive prayer and fasting April 12 - 14.

Please pray for the Lord's help and grace in all the preparation for this dedicated time of prayer for Mauritania, and that He would raise up many intercessors around the world to pray for Mauritania and its people throughout 2012 and beyond.

In recent weeks, a number of individuals who pray regularly for Mauritania have sensed the Lord urging prayer for humility, confession, repentance and unity on three levels:

1.    among all those who are committed to praying for it – That we would guard our hearts and be quick to confess any sin or seek forgiveness and work to restore broken relationships so that nothing would hinder our prayers. We sense the most important preparation for the week of prayer in April is our own humility, purity and right relationship with the Lord and one another
2.    among believers in Mauritania – May the Lord pour out His grace and kindness in the lives of believers in Mauritania, leading them to recognize, confess and repent of any sin in their lives, including deeply entrenched sins that are "strongholds" in the culture - including love of money, pride, deception or manipulation, racism, occult practices, sexual sin. Pray for healing of divisions and unity among believers.  Pray for God's "rain" in their lives, softening hard hearts and refreshing and renewing those who are weary and dry.
3.    Prayer for conviction of sin, confession, and repentance within the country as a whole: In studying the ministry of John the Baptist, we are reminded that before Jesus began His ministry, there was a large movement of confession of sins and repentance throughout Judea and Jerusalem. John was called to "prepare the way" for Jesus to come, and calling people to confession was a key part of that preparation. Pray for God to pour out the Holy Spirit in Mauritania, convicting Mauritanians of their sin and helping them recognize that they are sick, in need of a savior to heal and restore and reconcile them to God.

Key Scriptures: Mark 1:1-8; Luke 7:27-30; Mark 2:16-17; Malachi 3:1-3; John 16:7-11