Bless the Nation 50 Days of Prayer: Day 41

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Introduction:

Welcome to Day 41 of the ‘Bless the Nation 50 Days of Prayer.’ John Wesley was hugely involved in the Christian revival that broke out in England in the 18th century. This revival transformed an entire nation, averted a civil revolution, and had consequences that continue to reverberate around the world to this day. It is therefore a great privilege to have the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of South Africa, Rev Ziphozihle Siwa, share a few thoughts with us today. Rev Siwa, who, as part of the South African Council of Churches, is at the forefront of current interaction with the government, uses the example of Nehemiah to guide us in strategy and in prayer for our nation today.

Devotional by Bishop Ziphozihle Siwa

Nehemiah 1:4

When Nehemiah heard the news of great trouble and humiliation the people were in back home; “he sank down and wept; and for several days he mourned, fasted and prayed.”

Nehemiah 2:17:

            After taking time to see for himself, he took others with him to see and then said:

            “You see the trouble we are in… Come let us rebuild… and suffer this indignity no longer.”

Indeed we cannot “unsee” what we have seen as contained in the Unburdening Panel Report, we have to act and pray for the end of the indignity. I ask that we join together in prayer:

“Almighty God, Lord of life, we have sinned against you and against fellow human beings as well as against the whole creation in thought, word and deed, in the evil we have done and in the good we have not done. This we did through ignorance, through weakness and sometimes through our own deliberate fault. We are truly sorry and repent. Guide us Oh God, in new ways and grant that we serve you in newness of life. Lead South Africa to justice, dignity, honesty, true repentance and forgiveness.

Lord, we trust you. In the recent past you rescued us from a situation when we were at war with each other before 1994. You granted us space to sit down and talk. Now 23 years later we have committed further mistakes and atrocities that threaten to launch this country into crisis. Grant us willingness to find spaces of listening to each other, sit down as the nation and discern new ways of getting out of this deep dark hole of moral and constitutional illegitimacy.

Help us to work together towards healing and embracing afresh the values of social justice and fundamental human rights as well values that contribute to the ‘improvement of the quality of life of all citizens and free the potential of every person.’

Lord in your mercy hear our prayers and use us as your agents to fulfil the post- Apartheid dream of a just, reconciled and equitable society free of violence, prejudice, corruption and injustice.” AMEN.

Daily Prayer Guide:

In the name of Jesus Christ, we bless and pray for South Africa’s entertainment industry. May it be cleansed and purified from all perverse, immoral and occult influences. We pray for Christians to refuse to participate in any occult, sexual or addictive activities. We pray for the Church to take an active role in providing young people with healthy social alternatives to the entertainment given by the world. May people in South Africa be set free from addiction to pornography, visual stimulation, computer games, gambling, drugs, alcohol, etc.

PRAYER-WALK/DRIVE: Bars, shebeens, adult entertainment sites, gambling-houses, casinos, drug-hotspots, brothels, game-centres, human-trafficking hotspots, escort agencies, night clubs, etc.

May we live pure and holy before the Lord our God, in Jesus name. Amen

# 50 Days to Bless the Nation

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