Current Wars Across the World

As we read Jesus’ prophecy below, it’s no surprise that so much persecution and war have erupted across the world.

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.

“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of Me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Jesus (Matthew 24:6-14 NIV)

Today, let’s pray for the nations experiencing conflict and for the many millions suffering in the midst of terrorism and violence.

Pray for . . .

• A hunger for Christ to grow in every heart.
• The Good News to spread widely in the midst of fear and hardship.
• Christians to rise up in love, blessing their neighbors, praying for them, counseling them, and pointing the way to salvation.
• Those with access to Bibles to hungrily read them and find Christ.
• God to comfort those who have lost loved ones in the war, and draw them to Himself.
• Those who fear for their children’s future to place their faith in Christ.
• Those who have been arrested, detained or imprisoned for standing up for what is right, that they will be comforted, strengthened, freed and saved.
• Refugees to meet Christians who will shelter them, help them and lead them to Christ.
• Those confused by propoganda to distrust the lies, and in their search for truth find Jesus.
• God to step into every life, lift the veil from their eyes and show them who He truly is through powerful personal encounters with Him they cannot deny.
• The Gospel to reach into every unreached people group such that no one is left without a clear invitation to salvation.
• A Great Awakening to Christ in every heart all across each of these nations and the world.
• Christians’ love to shine like beacons in the darkness, drawing all people to Christ.
• The church to grow by the millions, to strengthen in truth, faith, hope and love, and spread out into all the world to reach all peoples with the Gospel.
• God to protect every Christian and bless them abundantly, constantly multiplying their supplies so they can freely bless others, shining God’s love and drawing them into His arms.
• Military, political and other leaders and fighters to feel remorse over the evils of war and have the courage to do what is right.
• Every evil plan to fail, and all who foment or engage in those plans to turn to Christ before it’s too late.

The cumulative losses of life in each current war are estimated below (See Wikipedia.org’s list of “ongoing armed conflicts”) to grip our hearts with compassion for those still living who have lost much and to pray for the lost to know Christ before it’s too late.

Worldwide Conflicts in 2023

Wars between nations:

• Russia and Ukraine (since 2014, about 220,000 dead; about 100,000 in 2022 and about 95,000 in 2023)
• Israel and Palestine (since 1948 about 27,000 + about 6,000 Oct 7-23, 2023)

Civil war:

• Myanmar (since 1948 about 210,000 fatalities, nearly 8,000 in 2023 and probably more than 20,000 in 2022)
• Somalia, including Kenya (Somali civil war since 1991 more than 500,000, this year more than 5,000 already)
• Ethiopia (since 2018 about 378,000, with an estimated more than 105,000 in 2022 and more than 1,000 this year)
• Syria (since 2011 more than 613,000, this year more than 3,000)
• Yemen, including Saudi Arabia (since 2014 about 377,000, this year nearly 2,000)

Civil war/terrorist insurgency:

• Afghanistan, including Pakistan (since 1978 about 2.6 million)

Terrorist insurgency:

• Nigeria (since 1998 more than 19,000); bandit conflict (since 2011 more than 14,000); Boko Haram insurgency also including Cameroon, Niger and Chad (since 2009 about 368,000); Nigeria and northern Chad (insurgency since 2016, about 644); with Cameroon (conflict in the Niger Delta, since 2003 about 2,500)
• Congo (DRC), including Uganda (since 1996 more than 74,000) and including Rwanda and Burundi (Kivu conflict, since 2004 more than 25,000), also the DRC Katanga insurgency (since 1963 more than 3,400)
• Insurgencies in the Maghreb region: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Benin, Togo, Algeria, Tunisia, Chad, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, Ghana (since 2002 more than 54,000)
• Haiti (gang wars, since 2020 more than 1,100)

Civil War/drug war:

• Colombia, including Venezuela and Ecuador (since 1964 more than 453,000)

Drug war:

• Mexico (since 2006 about 69,000, this year more than 4,000)

Ethnic Violence:

• South Sudan including Sudan (since 2008 more than 400,000), and the Sudan conflict, which began this year, more than 5,000

Terrorist insurgency/political unrest:

• Iraq (since 2003 possibly over 1.2 million)

Ongoing conflicts with less than 1,000 deaths in 2022-23:

• Iran (since 1918 more than 58,000 deaths)
• Pakistan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa insurgency, since 2004 more than 61,000), with Iran (Balochistan insurgency, since 1948 more than 21,000),
• India (northeast ethnic clashes since 1954 about 40,000, including the current Manipur crisis), Naxalite-Maoist insurgency (since 1967 more than 14,000), and India and Pakistan wars (since 1947 possibly 2 million)
• Philippines civil conflicts (since 1969 about 213,000) and drug wars (since 2016 about 32,000)
• Turkey, Iraq and Syria (Kurdish-Turkish conflict, since 1984 about 60,000)
• Azerbaijan and Armenia (since 1988 more than 49,000)
• Libya (since 2011 about 43,000)
• Egypt Sinai insurgency (since 2012 more than 7,000) and other insurgency (since 2013 more than 5,800)
• Central African Republic (since 2012 more than 14,000), and including DRC (Lord’s Resistance Army insurgency since 1987 more than 100,000)
• Mozambique including Tanzania (Cabo Delgado insurgency, since 2017 more than 6,000)
• Cameroon (Anglophone crisis, since 2017 more than 6,000)
• Bangladesh drug war (since 2018 more than 800) and other internal conflict (since 1999 more than 1,500)
• El Salvador gang crackdown (since 2022 more than 152)
• Somaliland in northern Somalia (Las Anod conflict this year about 300)
• Jamaica political conflict (since 1943 more than 1,000 deaths)
• North Korea and South Korea (since 1950 about 3 million)
• Indonesia (Papua conflict, since 1962 about 500,000)
• Morocco and Western Sahara (since 1970 more than 21,000)
• Angola (Cabinda War since 1975 about 30,000)
• Peru (internal skirmishes since 1980 about 70,000)
• Senegal (Casamance conflict since 1982 more than 5,000)
• Thailand (insurgency in the south, since 2005 nearly 7,300)
• Paraguay (insurgency since 2005, more than 145)
• Brazil (favelas in Rio, since 2006 more than 800)
• Russia (Islamic State insurgency in North Caucasus, since 2017 more than 200)

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Mikaela Vincent and her husband are missionaries who live by faith, trusting in God to provide for their needs as they pray for and share Christ with the nations. If you would like to help their ministry through giving a donation, shopping at Mikaela’s online bookstore, praying for them or inviting them to speak at your church, retreat or other event, click the buttons below:

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