Introduction / History
The Bobo Madare of Burkina Faso are speakers of the Bobo Fing language. This ethnic group is traditionally divided geographically and linguistically into a northern group and a southern group. The following information pertains to the southern group.
The primary occupation of the Bobo Madare is farming. They raise millet, sorghum, peanuts, and tomatoes, along with a limited number of chickens, goats, and other livestock. Both women and men join in the daily agricultural chores. In addition to this, women are also responsible for all domestic work including cooking, washing, child care, and drawing water. Children are expected to help with chores at a very early age. Education remains a privilege for few children, and school enrollment creates a financial strain on any family. The men spend much time talking, sharing stories, and drinking beer. Because of their work load, women have little or no free time.
Bobo Madare people have lived in Burkina Faso for generations. Change and animistic spiritual forces dominate their lives.
What Are Their Needs?
Life remains challenging for the Bobo Madare peoples. Malaria, measles, meningitis, and malnutrition annually take many lives. Health care is often inaccessible and unaffordable.
Please pray for the practical and spiritual needs of the Bobo. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers into this harvest field and to raise up workers from within this people group.
Use these resources to help pray specifically each day.
We join them in worship as we pray according to Ephesians 6:18, in the Spirit on all occasions, standing alert and persistent, asking You to guard their hearts, strengthen their faith, and surround them with divine protection.
Read“The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress.”
Read“He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection,”
Read“Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—this is God, whose dwelling is holy,”
Read“For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory.”
ReadPsalm 67:1, “May God be merciful and bless us. May His face smile with favor on us.”
ReadPsalm 66:20: “Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw His unfailing love from me.”
ReadPsalm 85:8, “I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying, for He speaks peace to His faithful people.”
ReadAccording to Your Word in Psalm 56:8: “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book,”
ReadWe pray Psalm 46:1 over Yakob and his family today: “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble..."
ReadAccording to John 15:16, You made it very clear: “You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit..."
Read“Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” (John 7:38)
ReadAccording to John 16:33, You declared: “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
ReadAccording to Your Word in Psalm 10:17, “Lord, You know the hopes of the helpless. Surely You will hear their cries and comfort them.”
ReadAccording to Your Word, we know that You are the one who “heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3)
Read“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” (Psalm 34:18)
ReadWe thank You that, according to Your Word, “no weapon turned against you will succeed” (Isaiah 54:17)
Read“Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the Lord rises and shines on you. His glory appears over you.” (Isaiah 60:2)
ReadYour Word says, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.” (Mark 9:35).
ReadYour Word says, “The greatest among you must be a servant.” (Matthew 23:11).
Read“Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the LORD rises to shine on you.” (Isaiah 60:1)
ReadIn Malachi 4:5 You have said, “I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord.”
ReadIn Malachi 4:2 it declares, “But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings.”
ReadIn Malachi 3:1, You have declared, “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me.
ReadIn Zechariah 6:12 You speak of Your Son Jesus, saying, “Here is the man whose name is the Branch; He will branch out from His place and build the temple of the Lord.”
ReadIn Zechariah 3:8, You said, “I am going to bring my servant.” Fulfill this in our day, we pray, through “Titus.”
ReadIn Luke chapter 2, we remember the story when the angels appeared to the shepherds and said, “I bring you good tidings of great joy. For unto you this day is born in the city of David Christ the King.”
ReadAs the prophet Micah spoke of Your Son Jesus in Micah 5:2—“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel”—You have always taken things that look small and multiplied them for Your Name’s sake.
ReadJeremiah 23:5–6 declares, “For the time is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line.
ReadWe thank You for Isaiah 53:2, which declares that You “grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground.”
ReadThe prophet Isaiah declares in Isaiah 42:1: “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.”
ReadWe pray Isaiah 40:3–5 over “Paul” and his teams: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
ReadYou promised in Isaiah 11:1 that “a shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit,” and so we ask for generational fruit to begin with the labor of “Dorcas.”
ReadWe remember the words from Isaiah 9:6–7: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.”
ReadIn Isaiah 7:14 we read, “The Lord himself will give you the sign: the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel, God with us.”
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