Breakthrough is a monthly call to pray for the Arab world. In each edition we focus on a different country of the region, praying for breakthrough over a particular stronghold.

Welcome to another Breakthrough in which we pray for Mauritania. Some countries are easy to write about, while others are more difficult. For a number of reasons, Mauritania is one of those difficult countries, yet it is just as in need of the gospel as any other country of the Arab world region.

God loves Mauritania and hasn’t overlooked it, so neither should we. When things are difficult to pray into, that’s often more a signal of need than a reason to give up!

Prayer isn’t easy and it isn’t supposed to be easy. You may be familiar with the saying pray until you pray. That’s our goal today. Whatever your mood and whatever your personal circumstances, when you’re ready to commit some time, please pray and pray and pray for the country of Mauritania. It’s up to you how you pray. You can use the information and prayer points below, watch the Prayercast video and pray along, read your Bible and pray Scripture over the land, or simply pray as the Holy Spirit leads. Let us know how it goes and be excited about what comes next!

Country focus: Mauritania

Key verse

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. (Isaiah 35:1-2 ESV)

Mauritanian flagAbout

The Islamic Republic of Mauritania lies on the Atlantic coast of North Africa. It borders the countries of Morocco, Algeria, Mali and Senegal and is the 29th largest country of the world. Mauritania is expansively a desert country and only 0.4 percent of its land is arable. It has an estimated population of 4.5 million, which can be divided into three ethnic groups: black Moors (Haradines), white Moors (Arab-Berbers) and sub-Saharans. Arabic is the official language – spoken by about 70 percent of the population – and Islam is the state religion. Nearly all Mauritanians are Muslim, mostly following the Sunni branch of Islam. The country is one of the poorest Arab nations with a range of social and political problems, including racism, slavery, illiteracy, child marriage and female genital mutilation.

Stronghold

Muslim girl learning to read and writeThis month, we’ll be praying for illiteracy to become a thing of the past so that Mauritanians can gain freedom and independence from physical and social poverty.
Only 52 per cent of Mauritanians are literate. Women fare worse with only 42 per cent being able to read and write, while 63 per cent of men have this essential life skill. Being literate is an important factor in overcoming poverty and progressing socially and economically. It is also one of many obstacles to the gospel for Mauritanians.

Prayer points

  • Lift up those who are illiterate, praying that they would recognise the importance of this life skill and desire to have it.
  • Pray that everyone would have the opportunity to learn to read and write.
  • Pray that the Mauritanian government would do more to tackle illiteracy, not only for school aged children but for adults too.
  • Pray that as more people in Mauritania become literate, so would more learn the truth about Jesus.
  • Pray also for ministries that are seeking to share the gospel orally. One such ministry, connected to our own, would love to be able to train Mauritanian believers in orality, but this has so far been hindered by security issues.
  • Finally, pray that there would be a digital revolution in Mauritania. Pray that more Mauritanians would get online and uncover the good news. In the last two years, only 33 Mauritanians made contact with us through our online Arabic ministry. We’d love to see this figure double in 2018!

Here’s the Prayercast video to further fuel your prayers…

Thank you for your prayers!
The Arab World Media Team

Next month: Iraq