David Platt, the pastor at McLean Bible church in Washington, D.C. prayed for God's deliverance over East Africa dealing with a plague of locusts amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In a recent podcast of "Pray The Word" posted on Radical, Pastor Platt, shared a prayer request for people in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Uganda who are under the threat of locust swarms.
"How God's people continually turned from him, and God saved them," the author of the book, 'Radical' said with one Bible verse from Psalm 106:47, 'Save us, Oh Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations that we may give thanks to your Holy name and glory in your praise.'
"This verse is in so many ways applicable right now as we turn our eyes to God in the middle of a pandemic and say, we need Your salvation, Your deliverance, Your provision," He added.
Then he shared one prayer topic requested from one podcast viewer, Carissa for people groups around the world who are facing particular needs during this time, especially rural Uganda and Ethiopia and Kenya and Somalia.
According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO), the current situation in East Africa remains extremely alarming as rising numbers of Desert Locusts has become an unprecedented threat to food security and livelihoods in the Horn of Africa. In its latest locust watch update, the UN said more swarms form and mature in northern and central Kenya, southern Ethiopia and probably in Somalia.
"Think East Africa, who in addition to dealing with this virus, are dealing with a plague of locusts. Many people must make the choice between protecting themselves from this virus or protecting their food source from the locusts," Pastor Platt continued.
"Just a plague of locusts that descended over the last couple of months. The likelihood is that more are on the way that are just devastating crops, devastating food supplies, and having a disastrous effect on top of this virus," he explained.
"Imagine natural disaster on top of a global pandemic. And this is what our brothers and sisters, peoples, people groups across East Africa are experiencing right now. And so I want to lead us to pray for God's provision and salvation and deliverance among them for people who are at this moment, not just facing a global pandemic, but are facing a real threat of potential starvation as a result of a plague of locusts," He urged to pray together.
In the prayer that continued for several minutes, the pastor prayed, "God, we pray for your grace, for your provision, for your power on behalf of our brothers and sisters in countries like Ethiopia and Kenya and Somalia and Uganda right now. Even as I mentioned Somalia, the number of people there who have little to no access to the gospel. God, we pray for your merciful provision there in the midst of this pandemic on top of this plague of locusts."
"God, we pray for all kinds of ministries that are working across these countries. God, we pray that you would bless them, grant them favor. God help us, help us and our lives and our churches to know how we can best be a part of showing your provision to our brothers and sisters in these countries and through them to so many who are in need," He prayed with a desperate heart.
According to FAO, it is the worst outbreak of Desert Locusts seen in the region for decades. Tens of thousands of hectares of croplands and pasture have been damaged in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia with potentially severe consequences in a region where 11.9 million people are already food insecure.
