Praying for Girls

Since becoming the parent of one, and then two, girls, I've noticed a lot more about how society teaches them "who" they are. There are plenty of things to worry about as a parent, and I use prayer as an antidote to anxiety: God, protect my girls. God, keep them safe through the night. God, help them [both] sleep tonight so I don't go insane. God, heal the cold/ear infection/scar/surgery. God, teach me to manage tantrums, understand their language, love them as you do.

As I've become more aware of society's messages for girls, my prayers have become more specific: God, help me raise my girls to know they're valuable because you created them and not because they're skinny. God, how do I teach my children to have resilience and emotional intelligence? God, help me raise children who are neither bullies nor bullied. God, help me to instill values and moral guidance in my girls which will help them make good life choices. God, please protect my girls from evil and adults who seek to do girls harm.

I choose not to worry, because I can only do the best I can do. I trust that God will help me. I trust that God will care for and provide for my girls. I trust that the future holds hope for them. I let go of the worry that God's help won't be enough, and God's providence won't overrun the possibilities of evil, and that the future might hold more pain than hope. I let go of these anxieties because I can't do anything but the best I can do, with God's help. Evil exists, and good exists, and I choose to live believing in the good.

But evil exists. Not because God "allows" it, but because humans perpetrate it.

I have been avoiding reading the news stories of the 276 Nigerian girls who have been abducted. I have been avoiding thinking about it. In turn, I have avoided praying about it. And for that, I repent.

If it were my girls, I would be praying night and day. I would be wailing, sobbing, begging, planning. These may not be my girls, but they are God's girls. So today, I begin to pray. For each of those girls, those beautiful children of God. And I ask you to pray, too.

In her blog post, "Please Pick One," Jan Edmiston commits to choosing the name of one girl, and asks others to do the same. Pray for one girl each day until she is found and reunited with her family. Pray as though she is your girl, God's girl. Pray for strength and safety and courage and God's presence of peace. Pray for her rescue. Pray for whatever you're led to pray for, but pray. Please pray.

We know the names of only 180 of these girls. So I pick 2, one for each of my girls.

I pick Saraya Musa. And one of her friends, whose name we do not know and whose face I can only imagine.

As Jan invited her readers, I invite you, too. If it helps to hold you accountable, put the name of your girl in the comments section, below.


Deborah ​Abge, Awa ​Abge, Hauwa ​Yirma, Asabe ​Manu, Mwa ​Malam Pogu, Patiant ​Dzakwa, Saraya ​Mal Stover, Mary ​Dauda, Gloria ​Mainta, Hanatu ​Ishaku Gloria ​Dama, Tabitha ​Pogu, Maifa ​Dama, Ruth ​Kollo, Esther ​Usman, Awa ​James, Anthonia Yahonna, Kume ​Mutah, Aisha ​Ezekial, Nguba ​Buba, Kwanta ​Simon, Kummai ​Aboku, Esther ​Markus, Hana ​Stephen, Rifkatu ​Amos, Rebecca ​Mallum, Blessing ​Abana, Ladi ​Wadai, Tabitha ​Hyelampa, Ruth ​Ngladar, Safiya ​Abdu, Na’omi ​Yahonna, Solomi ​Titus, Rhoda ​John, Rebecca ​Kabu, Christy ​Yahi, Rebecca ​Luka, Laraba ​John, Saratu ​Markus, Mary ​Usman, Debora ​Yahonna, Naomi ​Zakaria, Hanatu ​Musa, Hauwa ​Tella, Juliana ​Yakubu, Suzana ​Yakubu, Saraya ​Paul, Jummai ​Paul, Mary ​Sule, Jummai ​John, Yanke ​Shittima, Muli ​Waligam, Fatima ​Tabji, Eli ​Joseph, Saratu ​Emmanuel, Deborah Peter, Rahila ​Bitrus, Luggwa ​Sanda, Kauna ​Lalai, Lydia ​Emmar, Laraba ​Maman, Hauwa ​Isuwa, Confort ​Habila, Hauwa ​Abdu, Hauwa ​Balti, Yana ​Joshua, Laraba ​Paul, Saraya ​Amos, Glory ​Yaga, Na’omi ​Bitrus, Godiya ​Bitrus, Awa ​Bitrus, Na’omi ​Luka, Maryamu Lawan, Tabitha ​Silas, Mary ​Yahona, Ladi ​Joel, Rejoice ​Sanki, Luggwa ​Samuel, Comfort ​Amos, Saraya ​Samuel, Sicker ​Abdul, Talata ​Daniel.
Rejoice ​Musa, Deborah ​Abari, Salomi ​Pogu, Mary ​Amor, Ruth ​Joshua, Esther ​John, Esther ​Ayuba, Maryamu Yakubu, Zara ​Ishaku, Maryamu Wavi, Lydia ​Habila, Laraba ​Yahonna, Na’omi ​Bitrus, Rahila ​Yahanna, Ruth ​Lawan, Ladi ​Paul, Mary ​Paul, Esther ​Joshua, Helen ​Musa, Margret Watsai, Deborah Jafaru, Filo ​Dauda, Febi ​Haruna, Ruth ​Ishaku, Racheal Nkeki, Rifkatu Soloman, Mairama Yahaya, Saratu ​Dauda, Jinkai ​Yama, Margret Shettima, Yana ​Yidau, Grace ​Paul, Amina ​Ali, Palmata Musa, Awagana Musa, Pindar ​Nuhu, Yana ​Pogu, Saraya ​Musa, Hauwa ​Joseph, Hauwa ​Kwakwi, Hauwa ​Musa, Maryamu Musa, Maimuna Usman, Rebeca Joseph, Liyatu ​Habitu, Rifkatu Yakubu, Naomi ​Philimon, Deborah Abbas, Ladi ​Ibrahim, Asabe ​Ali, Maryamu Bulama, Ruth ​Amos, Mary ​Ali, Abigail Bukar, Deborah Amos, Saraya ​Yanga, Kauna ​Luka, Christiana Bitrus, Yana ​Bukar, Hauwa ​Peter, Hadiza ​Yakubu, Lydia ​Simon, Ruth ​Bitrus, Mary ​Yakubu, Lugwa ​Mutah, Muwa ​Daniel, Hanatu ​Nuhu, Monica Enoch, Margret Yama, Docas ​Yakubu, Rhoda ​Peter, Rifkatu Galang, Saratu ​Ayuba, Naomi ​Adamu, Hauwa ​Ishaya, Rahap ​Ibrahim, Deborah Soloman, Hauwa ​Mutah, Hauwa ​Takai, Serah ​Samuel, Aishatu Musa, Aishatu Grema, Hauwa ​Nkeki, Hamsatu Abubakar, Mairama Abubakar, Hauwa ​Wule, Ihyi ​Abdu, Hasana Adamu, Rakiya ​Kwamtah, Halima ​Gamba, Aisha ​Lawan, Kabu ​Malla, Yayi ​Abana, Falta ​Lawan, and Kwadugu Manu.