Pray For Workers
Mauritania needs people who can serve with patience, cultural understanding, humility, and perseverance.
Pray for Christian workers, local Christian Believers, Bible translators, humanitarian workers, media ministries, and others who have opportunities to build relationships with Mauritanian communities.
Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
Matthew 9:38
Pray For Courageous Christian Believers
Christian Believers who come from Muslim backgrounds can face intense family and social pressure.
Pray for Christian Believers in Mauritania to persevere courageously through the persecution.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9
Pray For The Languages Of Mauritania
Mauritania’s people groups speak several languages. Hassaniyya, Bamanankan, French, Jola-Fonyi, Pulaar, Serer-Sine, Soninke, Tamasheq, and Wolof among the primary languages represented by its people-group database. Scripture availability varies considerably by language.
Pray for Bible translation, audio Scripture, Christian media, and discipleship resources that communicate the Gospel in people’s own languages.
And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?
Acts 2:8
Pray For A Movement Of Disciples
Don’t simply pray for individual conversions. Pray for multiplication—disciples who make disciples, churches that plant churches, and communities that reach neighboring communities.
And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
2 Timothy 2:2
Capital: Nouakchott
Region: West Africa / Sahel
Population: Approximately 5.4 million
Official languages: Arabic, including Hassaniyya
People groups: 17
Unreached people groups: 15
Population in unreached groups: Approximately 99.8%
Mauritania sits on the western edge of the Sahara, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Sahel. Its population includes Arab-Berber communities as well as Black African peoples, including the Fulani, Soninke, Wolof, and Bambara. Arabic and several other national languages are spoken across the country.
Mauritania is overwhelmingly Muslim. Only around 0.2% of the population is Christian and 0.1% evangelical, although these figures are estimates rather than census data.
Mauritania is a striking example of why countries are not the same as people groups.
15 of Mauritania’s 17 people groups as unreached. Four are classified as unreached frontier groups.
Among the larger unreached communities are:
- Haratine (Black Moor) — approximately 2.64 million people in Mauritania; There is virtually no Christian presence.
- Beidane (White Moor) — approximately 1.78 million; predominantly Hassaniyya-speaking and overwhelmingly Muslim.
- Soninke — approximately 278,000; predominantly Muslim and classified as unreached.
- Berabish Bedouin — approximately 80,000; There is no significant Christian presence.
- Bambara — approximately 27,000 in Mauritania, with a small but measurable Christian presence.
For many communities, the challenge is not simply geographical distance.
Mauritania’s Islamic identity is deeply embedded in public and cultural life. The constitution recognizes Islam as the religion of the state and citizenry, and the country’s legal framework incorporates Islamic law. Mauritanian law prohibits apostasy and blasphemy and provides severe penalties, including the death penalty, although the government has not applied capital punishment for those offenses.
There is significant social pressure surrounding conversion from Islam, including pressure from families and communities. It reported that Christians faced restrictions concerning public religious activity and proselytization.
They are people whom God loves.
The prayer is not simply that barriers would disappear. It is through Scripture, Christian witness, dreams and visions, relationships, media, local Christian Believers, and every avenue God chooses.
Pray For Those Who Have Never Heard
Pray for the millions of Mauritanians living in unreached people groups. Pray that God would create genuine opportunities for them to encounter the Gospel.
meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains,
Colossians 4:3
Pray For The Haratine and The Beidane
The Haratine are one of Mauritania’s largest communities, with approximately 2.64 million people in the country. Its current profile classifies the group as overwhelmingly Muslim, with Christian adherence estimated at 0–0.1%.
The Beidane, sometimes called White Moors, are another major community in Mauritania. There are approximately 1.78 million people in the country and reports a very small Christian presence.
Pray that the Gospel would reach communities where generations have had little opportunity to hear it.
Indeed He says,
‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant
To raise up the tribes of Jacob,
And to restore the preserved ones of Israel;
I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles,
That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ”
Isaiah 49:6
Pray For Open Doors
Mauritania can be difficult for conventional missionary activity.
Pray for creative opportunities for the Gospel through relationships, education, business, humanitarian service, media, technology, and other legitimate avenues.
For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.
1 Corinthians 16:9
Heavenly Father,
We bring Mauritania before You.
You know every person who lives beneath the Sahara sun. You know every family, every village, every city, every language, and every community.
You know those who have never heard Your Name. We ask You to open doors for the Gospel.
Raise up, workers. Strengthen Christian Believers. Protect those who follow You. Give wisdom to those serving quietly. Provide Scripture in the languages of the people. Use relationships, conversations, media, technology, acts of compassion, and every legitimate opportunity to make Christ known.
We pray especially for the Haratine, the Beidane, the Soninke, the Bambara, the Bedouin communities, and every other unreached people group in Mauritania.
Where there is fear, bring courage. Where there is isolation, bring fellowship.
Where there is darkness, bring light. Where there has been no church, establish Your Church.
And where people have never heard, make a way for them to hear.
May the Gospel take root in Mauritania and spread from person to person, family to family, and community to community. In Jesus’ mighty Name, Amen.
