Pray for the Kanuri Manga of Niger

Just under 700,000 Kanuri Manga people live in the east of Niger and far north-east of Nigeria. They are a sub-group of the larger Kanuri tribe and before colonialism they were a very powerful empire.

Most of them are farmers, growing mostly grain crops in a harsh environment as well as raising sheep, goats and the horses which are a symbol of prestige among them. The Kanari Manga are Sunni Muslims, with no known Christians among them.

The Kanari are fond of using proverbs, developed to teach life lessons with simple phrases, such as:

“At the bottom of patience there is heaven.”

“One does not love another, if one does not accept anything from him.”

“He who does not know the road holds back even the one that does.”

Today the Kanuri Manga face great physical and spiritual needs. Their climate causes famine to return like a season every year.

The terrorist group Boko Haram has recruited some of their people, and killed others, causing many to flee to refugee camps, calling to mind the Kanuri proverb, “When you see a rat fleeing into a fire, where it was fleeing from was hotter than the fire.”

How to Pray

• Pray for blessings on the Kanuri Manga, that God’s kingdom will reach them in all its fullness and bless them in spirit, soul, and body. Pray for good rains, and an end to famine and poverty. (Matthew 5:44-45)
• Pray that God will bring peace and prosperity, an end to violence, and that there will be reconciliation among the people of this region. Pray that all refugees will be able to live in safety and be able to return and build up their communities again. (Proverbs 30:5)
• Pray for more Christians in this area to be bold in sharing their faith and for more efforts to share the Gospel among them. (Proverbs 1:7)