Warfare Wednesday: Afghanistan

"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7

This week, as we continue to pray for President Obama, it seems fitting that we should include prayers for the country of Afghanistan. Tomorrow, the citizens of Afghanistan head to the polls to elect a president- and in the recent weeks, fighting in the country has picked up quite a bit. The attacks by the Taliban are an attempt to keep people from going to the polls to work, and it's a tactic that may very well work. The Afghan government is so concerned about voter turnout, that they're asking the media in the country to stop reporting about violence for several hours- in an effort to get people to leave their homes and cast their all-important votes.

We need to pray for continued diligence and wisdom for the American soldiers that are on Afghanistan soil- as well as abundant protection. The US presence there is not a waste- it is important and vital to helping the Afghanistan people defeat the Taliban, who seeks to rule with a horrendous iron fist.

I was just reading an article the other day about schools in Afghanistan. It's only been a few years now that girls have been allowed to go to school in Afghanistan, yet they still need to adhere to the country's ideals that the girls and boys should be separate. So the boys go to more traditional schools, and the girls get the leftovers. The girls get to go to schools in roughly assembled tents. They are squeezed in, because so many girls want to go to school- and finding Afghan women to teach all these girls is also presenting a challenge. At the same time, every time these girls go to school, they are putting their very lives in danger, as they are frequent targets for Taliban attacks. Can you imagine wanting to get an education so badly that each and every day you're willing to put your life on the line for it?

God loves the Afghan people. I pray that He changes the hearts of those preparing attacks for election day. I pray that he gives the citizens courage to step out and vote, and that He protects them as they go along their way. I pray that a peace will spread through the country, and that the people will be able to celebrate the freedom of voting for their president. I also pray that God will give President Obama continued wisdom when dealing with Afghanistan.