Pray for Nicaragua
A colonial city on the shore of Lake Nicaragua.
Photo: Guillaume Baviere from Uppsala, Sweden, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
About Nicaragua
The capital is Managua. People speak Spanish, with Miskito, Creole English and other languages on the Caribbean coast. Christianity is the main faith, with Catholics and evangelicals the two largest groups.
Source: Wikipedia, with the cited sources it lists.
Prayer briefing for Nicaragua
Last updated October 2026. Facts come from the sources listed below.
Current events
On 19 July 2026, at the anniversary of the 1979 Sandinista revolution, President Daniel Ortega said there would be no more elections in Nicaragua. In June the United States placed sanctions on more than 100 Nicaraguan officials and relatives, after what reports say was the death in custody of Brooklyn Rivera, a Miskito leader. In January the government released dozens of prisoners, but reports say many people remain detained for political reasons.
We pray for: Immediate relief, safety and urgent help.
Leadership and politics
Nicaragua is led by co-presidents Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo. A constitutional reform in 2025 created the co-presidency and extended the presidential term from five to six years. The general election that had been due in November 2026 would now fall in November 2027, though the President has said no more elections will be held.
We pray for: Wisdom, integrity and justice for those in authority.
Economic health
The IMF reports growth of about 3.8% in 2025 and expects about 3.4% in 2026, with inflation near 2.5%. Money sent home by Nicaraguans abroad is about 30% of the economy, so many families depend on relatives overseas. About one in eight people live below the poverty line of 3.65 US dollars a day, and tighter migration and trade rules abroad are a risk.
We pray for: Provision for families and honest stewardship.
Social and cultural issues
The Caribbean coast is home to the Miskito, Creole, Sumu and Rama peoples, alongside the majority on the Pacific side. Many Nicaraguans have left the country, and the 2025 reform made it legal to strip people of nationality. Families divided by exile and by migration, and communities on the Caribbean coast, are among the most vulnerable.
We pray for: Reconciliation, peace and protection of the vulnerable.
Spiritual landscape
Nicaragua is a deeply Christian nation. A 2020 Latinobarómetro survey found about 45% Catholic, about 38% evangelical and about 14% with no religion, and a 2025 poll suggested Protestants may now outnumber Catholics. The Moravian Church is strong on the Caribbean coast, Baptists in the Pacific region, and Pentecostal churches among the poor in towns and the countryside.
We pray for: Spiritual awakening, hope and the spread of truth.
Religious freedom
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom has recommended that Nicaragua be named a Country of Particular Concern. Reports say more than 300 religious figures have gone into exile since 2018, including Catholic bishops, and the legal status of the Moravian Church was cancelled in 2024. Several pastors have been arrested, and some small churches on the Caribbean coast have lost their priests or pastors.
We pray for: Protection for believers and freedom to worship safely.
Historical wounds
Nicaragua has known long years of conflict, including the revolution of 1979 and the struggles that followed. The unrest of 2018 began a season of deep division, arrests and exile that continues today. Many families carry grief and separation across borders.
We pray for: National healing, breaking old cycles and deep forgiveness.
Let us pray together
Our Father, we come to You together for Nicaragua. Comfort those who are detained, those who grieve and families who live apart. Give wisdom, integrity and justice to those in authority, and lead the nation in a way of peace. Provide for every family, especially those who depend on loved ones abroad. Protect the peoples of the Caribbean coast and all who are vulnerable, and bring reconciliation between those divided. Strengthen the faith of Your people in every church and let Your hope be made known. Keep believers safe and give them freedom to worship. Heal the wounds of past conflict and exile, and lead Nicaragua in forgiveness. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Sources
- Wikipedia: 2026 in Nicaragua (events and sanctions)
- Teletica / DW: Ortega says Nicaragua will hold no more elections (July 2026)
- Por Esto: Nicaragua releases dozens of prisoners (January 2026)
- IMF: Nicaragua 2025 Article IV consultation (January 2026)
- La Prensa: USCIRF report on religious freedom in Nicaragua (May 2026)
- Wikipedia: Religion in Nicaragua
More ways to pray
PrayerCast shares short prayer videos for the nations. Watch its video for Nicaragua and pray along.
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