Bless the Nation 50 Days of Prayer: Day 38

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Introduction:

Welcome to day 38 of “Bless the Nation” – 50 days of prayer. Our focus this week is on the Arts, Culture and Entertainment sphere and it is appropriate to have Michelle-Lize van Wyk share today’s devotional message. Michelle-Lize is an artist from Stellenbosch who worships God through her art and believes that by beholding the Father, we become vessels of God’s ideas and plans for the earth. She believes that we, as a nation have reached Ground Zero and for us to move forward, we need to switch from tearing down to building up and start creating our new future along with God, building on the solid foundation of Christ

Devotional by Michelle-Lize van Wyk

I know what destruction looks like. Since I had to drive through Ground Zero for almost a year of my life. I went straight from the one area, in New York, to the other and I had to drive by train through Ground Zero. I know what destruction looks like, and death and devastation. It is necessary sometimes, for things to be completely broken down to the floor. When I went to Bloemfontein to the “It’s Time” event, when I walked onto the grounds, I just had this strong sense that the Lord was saying to me: “This is Ground Zero. This is the place where everybody is level, where nothing or no man is exalted. The only thing that is exalted is Me.”

There was that one little hill where the crosses were, but the rest were level and there was no ministry or person that could exalt itself. So everything was level and why do I say this when we are supposed to speak about the arts and creativity and the beautiful things of life. I say this because this is the place we start creating. This is the place were we start rebuilding and making beautiful and building up.

So I think that is why the creative is so necessary. The people who come with the plans and the people who come with the visions, the people who come with the willingness to beautify, to make beautiful again, to build up.

I just want to read this one scripture in Isa 61:4 “And they shall rebuild the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former desolations and renew the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.”

Just to be practical. How do we rebuild? I just keep on thinking of the song: “Lets start at the very beginning, a very good place to start”. When we start rebuilding, I think the first place as Christians, or the first stop for us, is the cross of Christ. And what He did there for us. He set us free. By His blood or through His blood we are set free and ways are opened up for us where we are set free from fear and set free from so many things. We are liberated to create and to become creative. If anything stands in your way, I just want to pray that you will be released in the name of Jesus, because of His blood, because of His blood. His blood opens up a way where there seems to be no way. That you will be released and nothing will have a hold on you so that you cannot be creative. Just to start and it is difficult to start when everything around you is devastation and it is a mess, but to turn, to repent and turn away form what has happened and to turn with your face towards God.

I just keep on thinking of that one scripture that says “Enter His courts with thanksgiving and with praise”. So just turn away from this destruction, turn your head up to Him and start praising Him and thanking Him for what we have got. And that is, I would say a very good starting point, just to start loving Him and say thank you to Him. And then the big thing is when you think of creation there is that part in Proverbs and also the part in Genesis where we see Jesus seeing the Father and looking at the Father, while He was creating, beholding the Father. He was like a child, playing with His Father and I think that song that they kept on playing at the ‘It’s time’ event -“I’m no longer a slave to fear, I am a child of God” I think that is the position from where you create, being a child, remembering the fact that you are a child of God, remembering that He saved you and that He set you free and that you are His child and that He is your father and that you are no longer a slave to fear. I think just start there.

Often the tasks that are ahead of us are just so huge that we completely – we just think O no! I can’t even start the task that You are giving me, Lord. What You want me to do is too big, rewriting the whole education for South Africa, whatever. It might seem to big, but just to have a starting point is good and to ask for His wisdom in the situation. He says when you ask for My wisdom, I will give it to you and just to start playing like a child, enjoying Him and looking away from the devastation into the light and just walking into that and so I just want to bless you with that and there is no person that is not creative. Each and every one of us has been created in the image of God – the image of God is, He is creative. He shows Himself as being the Creator. So just to know that one can always start afresh, one can always start anew and just to walk away from what is behind and just step into this new season. I just want to bless you with that.

Daily Prayer Guide:

In the name of Jesus Christ we bless South Africa’s artists! May God be honoured in everything they create. We pray that they will be filled with the knowledge and understanding of God’s infinite glory and holiness, and will find creative ways to express it. With them, we want to bless our Creator God: Blessed are You, our God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ…that we should be holy and without blame before You in love” Eph.1: 3-4, (NKJV)

PRAY FOR: Photographers, artists, cartoonists, sculptors, architects, etc.

PRAYER-WALK/DRIVE: Your local art shop, art gallery or at any sculpture in a park near you.

# 50 Days to Bless the Nation

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