Bless the Nation 50 Days of Prayer: Day 17

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Bless the Nation 50 Days of Prayer: Day 17

Video Clip Link

Click on the following link to watch the video clip of today’s devotional:

https://youtu.be/p3yRt2CRflg

 Text Version of Video Clip

Introduction:

Welcome to day 17 of “Bless the nation- 50 days of prayer”. In week 3 we are focusing on the business sphere and bringing God back into the marketplace in South Africa. Graham Power, Executive Chairman of Power Construction and Power Group of Companies, is also actively involved in the Global Day of Prayer. Graham firmly believes that God has a plan for Africa, and that we all have a role to play in the Transformation of our continent. He shares a message on corruption in the marketplace, that we need to fight and stand up to, with references from God’s Word.

Devotional by Graham Power:

Good day friends, I bring you greetings from Cape Town. I think we all know that things are quite tight out there. In the business world, in the economy.  With what has recently happened with the economic downtown and downgrade. All of that effects our economy and the business world, it effects unemployment and it is a huge concern, but probably a larger concern is a thing that really impacts you and I on a daily basis is the issue of corruption and collusion.

Two scriptures that really impacted me are found in Proverbs, Proverbs 11:1 The LORD abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are his delight. I must say that when I read that for the first time, it really sank in and challenged me. The other one is in Proverbs 20:17 Food gained by fraud tastes sweet to a man, but he ends up with a mouth full of gravel. Now as a contractor building roads, I know that gravel is not pleasant to eat, and that one really makes me chuckle.

I know and I believe each of us in the market place are challenged by this issue of corruption on a daily basis. I am of the view that corruption must be the greatest weapon of mass destruction that is facing the planet today and we know that it is something that we face every day and it’s difficult to do business unless you give someone some form of backhand or some form of compensation and it’s something we have to fight against. When I think of cancer chewing away through a person’s body, to me that is like corruption that is chewing away through the economy and through the cities, and through our communities, and that is something that is affecting all of us on a daily basis. I am of the view that greed and pride are the things that drive people to want more, and so you want to compete with your neighbour, compete with those that have a bigger home, a bigger car, a bigger farm, and so all those material things we tend to chase after. And we know that at the end of the day, that does not give us inner peace and that we are not able to sleep well at night if we know that we have got into this kind of thing.

2 Chronicles 7:14 is a scripture that I carry on my arm everyday and it says, “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” I believe that is a promise God gives you and I, and I want to challenge you, firstly, that each of us take time daily, to spend 15-20 minutes to half an hour in quiet time in prayer with the Lord.  Secondly, that all of our dealings we do on an ethical basis, what we call ‘Unashamedly Ethical.’ That we do it on a basis that if anyone were to find out about it , we would not be embarrassed. To me the checklist of ethics, is how would it make me feel if my wife and kids knew about this deal, and how would it make me feel if it were published in the newspaper – that is the kind of checklist, the kind of acid test for me on every deal or every decision that I make. Then of course the promise that God gives you and I, “That I will hear from heaven, then forgive your sins and heal your land.” I believe this means healing me, my family, my work place, my church and sports club, wherever I am involved.

So, I would really like to say that we maybe very concerned about our country and very concerned about our politics, but I am excited to say that I believe we will not go the route of Zimbabwe. I believe that there are many positive things that are going to see South Africa being a light to Africa, and Africa a light to the world, and I believe this will happen soon. So, please, join me in praying for our nation, praying for our leaders, in government, in business, in church, in society, so that we can see that our children and grandchildren are able to really benefit from the decisions that you and I make on a daily basis.

So, bless you and goodbye!

Daily Prayer Guide:

Father God, we pray according to the prayer of Jesus in Matt.6:11, that You will give us our daily bread and provide in all our needs. We intercede for every person that is unemployed, begging on the streets, homeless, poor, desperate and needy. Please bless South Africa’s economy so that we can create jobs for every person with a heart to work. Please bless the work of our hands. We pray for the salvation and deliverance of those who resorted to crime, prostitution, smuggling, theft, corruption, illegal activities, alcoholism or drugs as a solution to their problems. We bless the foreigners amongst us and pray that there will be no extortion of money or abuse of any kind in our formal or informal business relations with people from other nations. We bless South Africa!

PRAYER-WALK/DRIVE:  Pray for Infrastructure (roads, airports, harbours, railways).

PRAY ALSO FOR: Factory workers, road and construction workers, flight attendants, pilots, freight businesses, bus and taxi drivers, garage attendants, domestic workers, etc.

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