The people of Morocco are beginning to come to terms with the severe losses - death, injury, and destruction - wrought by this weekend’s earthquake. As the number of victims continues to rise, and as the extent of the destruction continues to be made known, we know that lives have changed in an instant.
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. It was the strongest to hit the region in a century and centered near the ancient city of Marrakech. The epicenter of the quake was near Marrakech, a popular tourist spot. 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.
In the face of this tragedy, a global community turns to prayer, seeking solace, strength, and hope for the people of Morocco. Here's how you can join in praying for Morocco:
God of all mercy, we lift our voices in sorrow and lament at the news that over 1000 have died in the earthquake in Morocco. Caring and loving God, we come to you in this time of tragedy to seek your embrace of our siblings in Morocco who are in pain.
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.
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Here are specific areas to focus on in prayer:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
We particularly lift up to you the family of the Evangelical Church in Morocco - our partner - and for its presence and witness in seeking interfaith cooperation and harmony and for the many people the church serves in the country. We offer prayers, too, for the first responders, the medical professionals, the rescue workers, and for those who volunteered to offer a helping hand.
God, upon you we rely, and to you we turn. You do not waver, and you do not abandon. We grieve the thousands of people who entered eternity after a devastating 6.8-magnitude earthquake, Sept. 8, in Morocco. As the death toll rises above 3,000, this is a time many will worry about their spiritual state. Moroccans follow Islam and are taught that a Muslim must be buried within 24 hours of death or Allah may not accept them. Less than 2% of the 37 million people in Morocco believe the gospel and have placed their faith in Jesus Christ. God made a way for local believers to reach devastated areas with urgently needed help within hours of the earthquake.
PRAY for wisdom and humility as local believers serve their fellow Moroccans. ASK Him to give believers boldness to share about the hope they have in Christ.
It is important to pray fervently now, and without delay, as many are still dying in the rubble of the earthquake. We are not able to assist them physically, but we can offer spiritual solace by praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet for them as it is a powerful and efficacious spiritual tool.
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Jesus told St. Faustina:
Pray as much as you can for the dying. By your entreaties obtain for them trust in My mercy, because they have most need of trust, and have it the least. Be assured that the grace of eternal salvation for certain souls in their final moment depends on your prayer (Diary of St. Faustina, 777).
At the hour of their death, I defend as My own glory every soul that will say this chaplet; or, when others say it for a dying person; the pardon is the same (Diary, 811).
When we pray The Divine Mercy Chaplet for them, we apply the power of Our Savior’s suffering and death as an atoning sacrifice of His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity at the moment when it’s most needed.
Recourse to The Divine Mercy through the Chaplet becomes the last hope of salvation for the dying, healing for the wounded, and a consolation for the grieving.
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Jesus promises to bestow a powerful final grace of mercy for the dying when others intercede for them. Saint Faustina wrote:
I often attend upon the dying, and through entreaties obtain for them trust in God’s mercy, and I implore God for an abundance of divine grace, which is always victorious. God’s mercy sometimes touches the sinner at the last moment in a wondrous and mysterious way. Outwardly, it seems as if everything were lost, but it is not so. The soul, illumined by a ray of God’s powerful final grace, turns to God in the last moment with such a power of love that, in an instant, it receives from God forgiveness of sin and punishment, while outwardly it shows no sign either of repentance or of contrition, because souls [at that stage] no longer react to external things. Oh, how beyond comprehension is God’s mercy! Although a person is at the point of death, the merciful God gives the soul that interior vivid moment, so that if the soul is willing, it has the possibility of returning to God (Diary, 1698).
Realizing that God’s mercy is infinite and incomprehensible, what St. Faustina is telling us is that God directly intervenes with the soul, giving the soul the last chance for true contrition and salvation, despite the fact that no sacramental Confession or the Anointing of the Sick was possible.
It is at such times we can also pray short Divine Mercy prayers for mercy on behalf of the victims and their families, such as, "Jesus, be merciful!" or, "Jesus, I trust in You!" or, "O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus, as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You" (Diary, 187).
Likewise, we can pray the Rosary on behalf of the dying. In reciting the Hail Mary, we ask our Immaculate Mother to pray for us, sinners, now and at the hour of our death. She obtains for us mercy and grace through her Divine Son.
Let Jesus’ words console us:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
Keep us ever mindful of all the suffering around us, that we might never let an hour pass without praying for your grace and remembering that we are its mediators. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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.
Prayer for Morocco Earthquake Victims
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