Last September we saw a massive answer to prayer in Colombia, when the government and the leftist rebel group the FARC announced that they will sign a peace agreement in March 2016. This was a huge breakthrough for Colombia, a country which has been devastated by civil war for over 50 years.

However, it’s still fragile ground for a Christian in Colombia at present. Churches, church leaders and new converts to Christianity are regular targets for far-right neo-paramilitary groups and leftist rebels. Even worse, in some areas indigenous Colombians are severely restricted in their human rights, including religious freedom. As a result, these citizens face having religious conformity forced upon them or a worse fate of imprisonment, death or extradition.

So while we give thanks for the peace agreement announcement, we also have faith that God has more in store for Colombia; for where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

• Praise God for the announcement that a peace agreement between the FARC rebels and the Colombian government will be signed, a long awaited answer to prayer;
• Ask God that the final date for a peace deal will go ahead, and that the FARC will follow through with their promise to put down their weapons;
• Pray for a miracle, that other military criminal groups will follow suit and end their violence;
• Ask God for justice to be served for the victims of the long-running conflict, especially with the new special tribunals that have been set up to put the perpetrators on trial;
• Thank God for the courageous Christians in Colombia and pray that Christ may dwell in their hearts, and be a source of strength and hope in the face of persecution;
• Pray for a change of hearts in the Colombian government, that they would recognise the indigenous Colombians as deserving of the same rights as the rest of the population;
• Ask God that the Holy Spirit would protect churches and their leaders from persecution, and pray for God to soothe and comfort those who have already been subjected to violence and ill-treatment.