A Call for Black Christian Prayer for the Democratic Republic of Congo
Only the power of Christ can drive out the darkness that has tormented the Democratic Republic of Congo for decades.
The violence tearing apart the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo barely makes the news, especially in Western media. But silence from the media does not permit Black Christians to be silent. We cannot ignore the suffering of our brothers and sisters simply because their pain feels far away. The chaos in Congo is not new; it is decades deep, soaked in bloodshed, displacement, trauma, and spiritual warfare. As Black believers, we must come before God with urgency, asking Him to bring true, lasting peace to the Congolese people and to the Rwandan forces involved in this conflict. Millions are living through horrors most of the world refuses to acknowledge, and it is our responsibility to stand in the gap.
The fighting between Congolese forces and the M23 rebel group escalated in early 2025, but the roots of this war stretch back to the Rwandan genocide of 1994. European colonialism played a major role in this division. Belgian colonizers carved the Rwandan people into rigid ethnic categories, Tutsi, Hutu, and Twa, elevating one group over the others and planting seeds of division that still bear deadly fruit today. Even though the Rwandan government no longer officially recognizes these divisions, the wounds remain. Rwandan forces continue to fight in eastern Congo over land, minerals, and power.
The M23 rebels, supported by the Rwandan government, seek control of Congo’s mineral wealth, protection of Tutsi interests, and influence over the region’s political landscape. Meanwhile, China has become deeply involved in the conflict, drawn by Congo’s massive reserves of rare earth minerals, the same minerals used to power modern technology. China has provided drones and advanced weaponry to the Congolese government, but its growing control over Congo’s resources has worsened the economic and humanitarian crisis.
Political leaders outside Africa have attempted to intervene, but peace agreements have repeatedly collapsed. Since 1996, more than six million Congolese people have died. Over seven million have been forced from their homes. Families are living without medical care, without food, without sanitation, and without safety. The Congo is facing the largest food insecurity crisis in the world, and yet the world remains silent.
So what can Christians do?
Beyond humanitarian aid, mission work, donations, and raising awareness, Black Christians must pray. We must pray for peace between Congo and its neighboring nations. We must pray that the Tutsi, Hutu, and Twa people remember that before colonizers divided them, God created them in His image, equal, valuable, and worthy of dignity. We must pray that the spiritual chains of division, hatred, and violence be broken. We must ask God to dismantle every plan of the enemy, every scheme rooted in greed, and every force that seeks to exploit Congo’s land and people. If foreign involvement in Congo’s resources is driven by greed, we must pray that God disrupts it and strengthens the Congolese government to reclaim what belongs to them and steward it with justice.
Many Tutsi and Hutu people identify as Christians, which means the truth of God’s Word, unity, peace, forgiveness, and love must be reflected in their actions. The violence ravaging Congo is not from God. It is from Satan, the author of confusion, destruction, and division. Only the power of Christ can drive out the darkness that has tormented this region for decades.
Prayer for the Democratic Republic of Congo
Heavenly Father,
Your children come before Your throne to honor You as holy and the one true God who can end wars that have raged for far too long. We ask that Your will, the will that establishes peace, justice, and order, be done in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. Lord, give the people of Congo rest and peace in their souls as they endure chaos and violence. Provide them with the medical care and food they desperately need. Bring an end to the war that is destroying their land, and establish peace across the entire region.
Forgive your children for the hatred and violence they hold against one another. Forgive them for forgetting that every human being, no matter their ethnicity or color, is made in Your perfect image. Lead them away from temptation, whether it comes from foreign nations seeking to exploit them or from people within their own borders who sow division and confusion. Raise leaders who trust You fully and seek wisdom from above.
And in all of this, Lord, may You receive all the glory, honor, and power, for the earth and everything that breathes belongs to You.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
