Welcome to Week 7 of “Bless the Nation 50 Days of Prayer” which is from May 28 to June 4, and focuses on the family. #50Dayd2BlesstheNation. Alf James spoke to Robbie Black about the week’s theme.
Pray for God-fearing families with healthy relationships
Genesis 1:27-28 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Mark 10:6-9 But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.
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While we hope and pray for unity in the nation, we need to acknowledge that the first circle of unity starts within the family, according to Robbie Black, national coordinator of United Prayer for South Africa.
He says the family, church and nation are all Biblical units of society with the family being foundational.
“I believe our families and marriages are under severe attack by Satan, because of the truth that the unity of the nation starts in the family.
“The brokenness of families that we experience in our society is replicated in brokenness in our communities and our nation.
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“Families are both the heart and backbone of the nation. Our nation’s morals, sense of responsibility and cultural health are rooted in our families.
“Healthy families become healthy Church families, which becomes a healthy nation.”
Biblical guidance
Black says the responsibility both on and for the family is huge on every role player.
It is first and often only in the family that we learn of sacrificial love instead of conditional love that demands something in return, which is a vital lesson for individual members of the nation, because the life of the nation sometimes demands members to make a sacrifice for others, as does the family.
“We have to look to the Bible for guidance on how our families can become that beautiful, precious gift that God intended through marriage, because the power that comes through unity and prayer in the family can become the strength of the nation.
“The family is able to reflect the love and unity between the Holy Father, Holy Son and Holy Spirit, which God wants to extend through our family relationships to our communities and nation,” says Black.
He encourages us, during this last seven days of the “Bless the Nation 50 Days of Prayer”, to pray about the sanctity of marriage, because these days we do find that many have discarded the biblical view of marriage.
“Prayer within the family is just as important as prayer for the family as it contributes to building unity, stronger relationships and growing our faith.
“If we read 1 Peter 3:7 we are told that it is important to safeguard the unity between husband and wife so that nothing will interfere with our prayers — Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honour to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.
“Unity between family members is so important, because if we pray in unity we can be sure that the Lord hears us and that we can expect answers to our prayers,” says Black.
Week 7: 28 May – 4 June: Family
DAILY BLESSING FOR WEEK 7: In the name of Jesus Christ we bless the families in South Africa with responsible, loving, god-fearing fathers and mothers, with healthy family relationships, with respect towards parents and children, with healing for wounds of abuse and rejection; we bless the fathers in our nation with the ability to care and provide for their families and to love and cherish their wives and children; we bless the mothers in our nation with the ability to protect and nourish their families, to love and support their husbands and to raise their children in the fear of the Lord; we bless parents to responsibly discipline and train their children in godliness; we bless married couples with godly marriages; we bless the children, including the orphans in South Africa with a safe and protective environment, with respect for and obedience towards their parents, with a future filled with promise. May they grow up to know the Lord. We bless single and lonely people, single parents and divorcees; may they know the companionship of friends and family, may the Lord provide in all their needs, comfort their hearts and heal their wounds. We pray for perpetrators who abuse men, women and children, who lead our youth astray with immoral relationships, that they will turn from their wicked ways and find healing for their own addictions and wrongful behaviour.
PRAYER-WALK/DRIVE: Your neighbourhood.
PRAY FOR: Families, fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, babies, toddlers, children, teenagers, young adults, singles, elderly, divorcees, single mothers and fathers, marriages, lonely people, pregnant mothers, gays, lesbians, depressed and suicidal family members.
INTERCEDE: for the salvation of perpetrators: rapists, paedophiles, abusers, domestic violence offenders, and adulterers.
The daily prayer guides throughout the 50 days are:
1. Daily Mirror
Allow the Holy Spirit every day to search your heart and bring conviction of wrong attitudes, thoughts, motives and words that can hinder God’s blessing to flow through you.
Daily Prayer: Father God, please forgive me for hardening my heart towards other people. Where I have become insensitive to your voice and to the suffering of people, I ask that You will remove the darkness and bring light and life. Help me to love again, and look at other people with compassion and mercy. Help me to guard my heart.
2. Surrender yourself
Surrender your life into God’s hand and allow Him to transform your heart, to direct your words and actions to become a blessing to South Africa.
Daily Prayer: Father God, please forgive me for every harsh word that I had spoken in anger, impatience, hatred or insensitivity, to family members, to people of other races, to leaders or to foreigners. Remove every curse from my lips and use me as an instrument of righteousness to bless South Africa. Help me to watch my words.
3. Bless South Africa
Pray this prayer daily for 50 days over South Africa and the people living in our nation:
Daily Blessing: In the name of Jesus Christ I bless South Africa: The LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” Num.6:24-26, (NKJV).
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Mat.5:2-12, (NKJV)
“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)
How to participate:
Download the Prayer Guide to Bless the Nation from http://ifsaprayer.co.za/category/resourcesmedia/ or http://www.jwipn.com/50-days-to-bless-the-nation-16-april-to-4-june-2017/
Receive a daily Whatsapp message from +27 817161203 with practical prayer-walk suggestions;
Receive a daily video clip with inspirational message from +27 798791848;
Prayer-walk with a friend. Pray for the present needs of people and places you see.
Read Scripture aloud. Turn biblical phrases into prayers. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes and to pray according to the Father’s heart. Address your prayers to God when contending with evil. Ask God to restrain spiritual enemies so people can be redeemed.
Hi Alf, thank you so much for your uplifting article. However, we need also to pray and intercede; not only for the wicked, but for the many good people who have not realised their need for Jesus Christ. GOD Bless; your Brother.