Reflections in Prayer for All Nations

By Celta Kirkland

Rev. Celta Kirklands easy-to-use daily devotional is just what todays world needs! Prayer from a right attitude can provoke positive changes in our lives, the lives of those around us, and even in our nations!

Are you struggling with issues of faith, your attitude and relationship with God, and the challenges of everyday life? Do you feel burdened by the responsibility of effectively praying for your community, your leaders, and your nation? Are you looking for practical, spiritually-sound, biblical perspectives on issues facing our world today? Reflections in Prayer for All Nations is the devotional for you.

This book is a powerful, unique daily devotional that offers solid, practical insight and true wisdom shared from the loving heart of a shepherd and intercessor. Written from Rev. Celta Kirklands real-life experiences and her more than forty years as a born-again believer, pastor, and counselor, this devotional presents each days subject, Scripture, practical examples, and prayer to help you grow and inspire you to reach out to others. It will give you strength in your own daily walk with God and remind you that you are not alone in your struggles. At the same time, it emphasizes the importance of effectively praying for your nation.

Reflections in Prayer for All Nations was written for such a time as thiswhen nations are in the turmoil of civil unrest, corruption, immorality and spiritual bankruptcy. This book is dedicated to all people of all nations: may it offer inspiration, encouragement and hope.

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (James 5:16, KJV).

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Nov 14, 2013
• ISBN: 9781490812755

Celta Kirkland

This daily devotional is dedicated to all people of all nations, offering spiritual inspiration, encouragement and hope. Reverend Celta Kirkland is an ordained Minister of the Gospel and a respected Prayer Facilitator in her homeland, the Caribbean island of Jamaica. She authored a column “Reflections In Prayer”, in the daily newspaper, the Jamaica Observer for six years and received acclaim from readers around the world. With a collection of hundreds of columns, she has been called by God – and encouraged by many readers – to publish them in this Daily Devotional, Reflections In Prayer For All Nations. “I have always wanted to contribute to the Body of Christ,” she says, “by encouraging others in their daily walk with Him.” A committed Christian since 1979, Rev. Kirkland has been involved in ministry in the United States (where she lived for nearly 40 years) and in Jamaica, working with displaced youth and counseling families in crisis. She served as Family Counselor for the Missing Children’s Support Program of Jamaica’s leading child advocacy organization, Hear the Children’s Cry. She also operated a children’s ministry in her home for many years. She continues to serve as a valued advisor to families, media resource person, and as an active Prayer Counselor. She loves gardening, cooking, writing and reading. Celta Kirkland was born in the seaside town of Port Maria, St. Mary, Jamaica, on November 3, 1940. She migrated to the US in 1963, where she worked as a registered nurse, an operating theatre specialist in neurosurgery and gynecology, and a nursing instructor. She returned to Jamaica in 2002, in answer to a call from God to pray for the land of her birth. Rev. Kirkland is the devoted mother of one son and daughter in ‘love’ (Don and Rachel) and grandmother to Victoria, Chase and Alexandra.

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Copyright © 2013 Celta Kirkland.

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-1274-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-1273-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-1275-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013918652

WestBow Press rev. date: 11/12/2013

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INTRODUCTION

JANUARY 1

JANUARY 2

JANUARY 3

JANUARY 4

JANUARY 5

JANUARY 6

JANUARY 7

JANUARY 8

JANUARY 9

JANUARY 10

JANUARY 11

JANUARY 12

JANUARY 13

JANUARY 14

JANUARY 15

JANUARY 16

JANUARY 17

JANUARY 18

JANUARY 19

JANUARY 20

JANUARY 21

JANUARY 22

JANUARY 23

JANUARY 24

JANUARY 25

JANUARY 26

JANUARY 27

JANUARY 28

JANUARY 29

JANUARY 30

JANUARY 31

FEBRUARY 1

FEBRUARY 2

FEBRUARY 3

FEBRUARY 4

FEBRUARY 5

FEBRUARY 6

FEBRUARY 7

FEBRUARY 8

FEBRUARY 9

FEBRUARY 10

FEBRUARY 11

FEBRUARY 12

FEBRUARY 13

FEBRUARY 14

FEBRUARY 15

FEBRUARY 16

FEBRUARY 17

FEBRUARY 18

FEBRUARY 19

FEBRUARY 20

FEBRUARY 21

FEBRUARY 22

FEBRUARY 23

FEBRUARY 24

FEBRUARY 25

FEBRUARY 26

FEBRUARY 27

FEBRUARY 28

FEBRUARY 29

MARCH 1

MARCH 2

MARCH 3

MARCH 4

MARCH 5

MARCH 6

MARCH 7

MARCH 8

MARCH 9

MARCH 10

MARCH 11

MARCH 12

MARCH 13

MARCH 14

MARCH 15

MARCH 16

MARCH 17

MARCH 18

MARCH 19

MARCH 20

MARCH 21

MARCH 22

MARCH 23

MARCH 24

MARCH 25

MARCH 26

MARCH 27

MARCH 28

MARCH 29

MARCH 30

MARCH 31

APRIL 1

APRIL 2

APRIL 3

APRIL 4

APRIL 5

APRIL 6

APRIL 7

APRIL 8

APRIL 9

APRIL 10

APRIL 11

APRIL 12

APRIL 13

APRIL 14

APRIL 15

APRIL 16

APRIL 17

APRIL 18

APRIL 19

APRIL 20

APRIL 21

APRIL 22

APRIL 23

APRIL 24

APRIL 25

APRIL 26

APRIL 27

APRIL 28

APRIL 29

APRIL 30

MAY 1

MAY 2

MAY 3

MAY 4

MAY 5

MAY 6

MAY 7

MAY 8

MAY 9

MAY 10

MAY 11

MAY 12

MAY 13

MAY 14

MAY 15

MAY 16

MAY 17

MAY 18

MAY 19

May 20

MAY 21

MAY 22

MAY 23

MAY 24

MAY 25

MAY 26

MAY 27

MAY 28

MAY 29

MAY 30

MAY 31

JUNE 1

JUNE 2

JUNE 3

JUNE 4

JUNE 5

JUNE 6

JUNE 7

JUNE 8

JUNE 9

JUNE 10

JUNE 11

JUNE 12

JUNE 13

JUNE 14

JUNE 15

JUNE 16

JUNE 17

JUNE 18

JUNE 19

JUNE 20

JUNE 21

JUNE 22

JUNE 23

JUNE 24

JUNE 25

JUNE 26

JUNE 27

JUNE 28

JUNE 29

JUNE 30

JULY 1

JULY 2

JULY 3

JULY 4

JULY 5

JULY 6

JULY 7

JULY 8

JULY 9

JULY 10

JULY 11

JULY 12

JULY 13

JULY 14

JULY 15

JULY 16

JULY 17

JULY 18

JULY 19

JULY 20

JULY 21

JULY 22

JULY 23

JULY 24

JULY 25

JULY 26

JULY 27

JULY 28

JULY 29

JULY 30

JULY 31

AUGUST 1

AUGUST 2

AUGUST 3

AUGUST 4

AUGUST 5

AUGUST 6

AUGUST 7

AUGUST 8

AUGUST 9

AUGUST 10

AUGUST 11

AUGUST 12

AUGUST 13

AUGUST 14

AUGUST 15

AUGUST 16

AUGUST 17

AUGUST 18

AUGUST 19

AUGUST 20

AUGUST 21

AUGUST 22

AUGUST 23

AUGUST 24

AUGUST 25

AUGUST 26

AUGUST 27

AUGUST 28

AUGUST 29

AUGUST 30

AUGUST 31

SEPTEMBER 1

SEPTEMBER 2

SEPTEMBER 3

SEPTEMBER 4

SEPTEMBER 5

SEPTEMBER 6

SEPTEMBER 7

SEPTEMBER 8

SEPTEMBER 9

SEPTEMBER 10

SEPTEMBER 11

SEPTEMBER 12

SEPTEMBER 13

SEPTEMBER 14

SEPTEMBER 15

SEPTEMBER 16

SEPTEMBER 17

SEPTEMBER 18

SEPTEMBER 19

SEPTEMBER 20

SEPTEMBER 21

SEPTEMBER 22

SEPTEMBER 23

SEPTEMBER 24

SEPTEMBER 25

SEPTEMBER 26

SEPTEMBER 27

SEPTEMBER 28

SEPTEMBER 29

SEPTEMBER 30

OCTOBER 1

OCTOBER 2

OCTOBER 3

OCTOBER 4

OCTOBER 5

OCTOBER 6

OCTOBER 7

OCTOBER 8

OCTOBER 9

OCTOBER 10

OCTOBER 11

OCTOBER 12

OCTOBER 13

OCTOBER 14

OCTOBER 15

OCTOBER 16

OCTOBER 17

OCTOBER 18

OCTOBER 19

OCTOBER 20

OCTOBER 21

OCTOBER 22

OCTOBER 23

OCTOBER 24

OCTOBER 25

OCTOBER 26

OCTOBER 27

OCTOBER 28

OCTOBER 29

OCTOBER 30

OCTOBER 31

NOVEMBER 1

NOVEMBER 2

NOVEMBER 3

NOVEMBER 4

NOVEMBER 5

NOVEMBER 6

NOVEMBER 7

NOVEMBER 8

NOVEMBER 9

NOVEMBER 10

NOVEMBER 11

NOVEMBER 12

NOVEMBER 13

NOVEMBER 14

NOVEMBER 15

NOVEMBER 16

NOVEMBER 17

NOVEMBER 18

NOVEMBER 19

NOVEMBER 20

NOVEMBER 21

NOVEMBER 22

NOVEMBER 23

NOVEMBER 24

NOVEMBER 25

NOVEMBER 26

NOVEMBER 27

NOVEMBER 28

NOVEMBER 29

NOVEMBER 30

DECEMBER 1

DECEMBER 2

DECEMBER 3

DECEMBER 4

DECEMBER 5

DECEMBER 6

DECEMBER 7

DECEMBER 8

DECEMBER 9

DECEMBER 10

DECEMBER 11

DECEMBER 12

DECEMBER 13

DECEMBER 14

DECEMBER 15

DECEMBER 16

DECEMBER 17

DECEMBER 18

DECEMBER 19

DECEMBER 20

DECEMBER 21

DECEMBER 22

DECEMBER 23

DECEMBER 24

DECEMBER 25

DECEMBER 26

DECEMBER 27

DECEMBER 28

DECEMBER 29

DECEMBER 30

DECEMBER 31

REFERENCES

New Testament Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from The Amplified Bible, Copyright© 1954, 1958, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Old Testament Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from The Amplified Bible, Copyright© 1965, 1987 by the Zondervan Corporation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked DR are taken from the Douay-Rheims Bible, The Challoner Revision Edition by the John Murphy Company, Baltimore, Maryland, 1899.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version. Public Domain.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 b, The Lockman Foundation Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the New International Version Bible, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Usedd by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version Bible, Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message (MSG) Bible, Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from The New Living Translation Bible, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House

Scripture quotations marked RSV are taken from the Revised Standard Version (RSV) Bible, Copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the, Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

PHOTOGRAPHS: All photographs are the sole property of the author, Celta Kirkland.

FOREWORD

Reflections in Prayer for All Nations is a powerful devotional that will be a blessing to millions of people all over the world. I have known Celta Kirkland for many years as a pastor, steadfast friend and fellow labourer in Christ. I know, and believe that every reader will know, that the prayers in this book are Holy-Spirit inspired and written from a shepherd’s and intercessor’s heart, so fervently, effectively and relevant to this generation.

Rev. Alice Watson

This daily prayer devotional is truly inspiring, coming from the heart of God written by a true intercessor. These prayers are destined to transform lives and turn nations to Christ. Thank you Celta for your obedience to God’s voice to bring forth Reflections in Prayer for All Nations to reach this generation.

Love and Blessings,

Alda Landers

I believe this book Reflections in Prayer for All Nations will be a blessing not only to the body of Christ, but to the entire world because of its author Celta Kirkland, whom I have known as a dear friend and prayer partner for many years. She has a passion for the souls of men. As an adamant intercessor her heart breaks with what breaks the heart of God.

Elder Dyra Wallace

Prayer changes things and situations. The author lives and breathes this truth. Thank God for calling her to lead the nations in prayer through the publication of this book. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (James 5:16 KJV). If these prayers are prayed with the same fervency and faith with which they were written, results will be inevitable.

Etta Gillespie

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First and foremost my reverent and sincere thanks to the Spirit of God who was my constant inspiration and guide in the production of this devotional.

My love and appreciation to my family, son Don, daughter-in-love Rachel and my beloved grandchildren, Victoria, Chase and Alexandra for their love, patience and encouragement during the process of compiling this book.

To my Spiritual Overseers, Apostles Michael and Catherine Young, who are true Apostles of Christ. Their Christian walk exemplifies the true character of Jesus Christ. My sincere love and gratitude for their guidance and servant leadership in my walk as a disciple of Christ.

My heartfelt gratitude to my dear friend and sister in Christ, Betty Ann Blaine who has been a tremendous support during this process.

My love and gratitude to my newly found adopted son, Ian Lynn, whose light-hearted encouragement caused me not to take myself so seriously, helping to relieve any undue anxieties.

To my precious sisters in Christ, Dyra Wallace, Alda Landers and Etta Gillespie whose prayers and intercessions have been diligent and consistent. Many thanks for your love.

My deep appreciation to Sandy McIntosh, specialist writer, who assisted with the compilation, citations and editing.

My deep appreciation to Alice Watson, without whom this work would have been personally overwhelming. She so generously gave her time and expertise in the technical work and formatting of this devotional, paying attention to every tedious detail resulting in excellence which made her contribution to this book invaluable. I pray that her rewards would not only be heavenly but also in this life!

INTRODUCTION

It was 12 years ago that the supernatural power of Almighty God caused the lives of two women to converge. Little did we know at that time that the genesis of this Daily Devotional had been established simultaneously.

Those two women were Celta Kirkland, the author, and myself—she the visionary and scribe and I, the witness. Reflections In Prayer For All Nations is more than a compilation of prayers. It is the story of a journey of a prayerful woman who heard the voice of God, and heeded.

Returning to Jamaica, the homeland, was the furthest thing from the author’s mind when the call came, and it happened on what might otherwise have been an uneventful Atlanta day.

The voice was clear and insistent. Celta, I want you to return home to Jamaica to pray. What Lord? was her reply. Again the voice, I want you to return home to pray. There was no need for any other enquiries. The instructions had been given, and quick and joyful obedience would follow.

Celta returned home to Jamaica without hesitation. In the natural world, the move appeared to be rash and foolish. In fact, friends and family questioned the decision with a mixture of curiosity and concern. After all, there were no familial ties or connections back home. How would she manage? How would her day-to-day living necessities be met?

Undeterred by sincere skeptics, Celta settled back into Jamaican life in an uncharacteristically smooth and seamless way for someone who had lived abroad for over 40 years.

When God dictates the path, He also clears the pathway. After searching fruitlessly for a home in the more luxurious and pristine tourist areas of Jamaica, God led Celta to a modest, yet beautiful home in the crime-riddled capital, Kingston. Every door opened for the quick purchase of the home which among other things continues to serve as a haven for prayer, food and fellowship.

Foremost in the mind of the sincere skeptics was the escalating crime and moral decline in Jamaica. A country distinguished as having more churches per square mile than any other on planet earth, was exhibiting alarming signs of spiritual decay, in both private and public life: the lewdness of popular music; the lack of civility and courtesy on the streets and in public places, signaled the new normal. Such was Jamaica at the time of Celta’s resettlement.

The day that the two of us met, we both knew that it was the hand of God. Not only did we feel as if we had known each other for 100 years, we both had the same calling on our lives for Jamaica. It only took a few prayer meetings to recognize that there was a spiritual bond between us—that our Creator knew us both before the foundation of the world.

The Word of God Never Returns Void, and so the instruction given for Celta to return home to pray would become a reality.

The miracle happened on August 13, 2004. We had gone to see the editor of the Jamaica Observer, one of the two leading newspapers in the country. Our appointment was to propose two new columns: one would be an opinion column written by me named Heart to Heart, and the other, a prayer column by Celta called, Reflections in Prayer. We walked completely by faith that morning.

What happened after that was inexplicable in the natural world. Without hesitation and without the usual administrative and bureaucratic delays, the editor agreed to both proposals, and exclaimed at the end of the meeting that, nothing like this has ever happened before. For a secular newspaper to carry a tri-weekly prayer column was completely unprecedented!

It was somewhere after the third or fourth publication of Reflections in Prayer that I began to understand the full scope of Celta’s vision and mission—it was about nations and nationhood. I noticed that every single prayer had the word nation embedded in it.

"Reflections In Prayer For All Nations is a daily devotional for such a time as this—a time when nations all over the world are grappling with problems of crime, corruption, immorality, and spiritual degradation, among other serious and pressing maladies. What can we do? people are asking everywhere. The answer is prayer, making Reflections In Prayer For All Nations a devotional for all peoples and all nations.

May God be praised!

Betty Ann Blaine

Friend and Partner in Nation Building

JANUARY 1

A CONVINCING ARGUMENT

If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself. Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about the words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. (2 Timothy 2:13-14 Kings James Version)

Quite often, my Christian brothers and sisters engage themselves in very convincing, verbose and energetic arguments with nonbelievers regarding the sovereignty of our Lord Jesus Christ. However, more often than not, these passionate verbal exchanges prove futile, and that time which should be spent in action is spent instead on words.

I believe that there is no better or more convincing argument than that of the exemplary lifestyle of the believer, which evidences love, peace, joy, patience, wisdom, unity, signs and wonders, and frankly, all the divine attributes of Jesus himself.

If we resolve daily to allow Jesus to be Himself in us, rather than try to prove His existence in arguments, we will meet with unlimited success.

Eternal Father, mold our character to be a perfect reflection of You, no matter how humbling or painful it may be. Teach us the discipline required to truly love our brothers and sisters, so that others may know we are indeed Your disciples because of our mindful love, which will become contagious in our nation. In Jesus’ name, amen.

JANUARY 2

GREAT IS OUR GOD

For great is our God above all gods; but who is able to build Him a house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain Him. (2 Chronicles 2:5-6 KJV)

Solomon had been commissioned to build a temple for God; however, he was humbled when he realized that the God he served could not be contained in a building made by men’s hands. Although no expense was spared on materials and the most skilled workmen in their various specialties were employed, Solomon, being king, still lamented, Who am I that I should build Him a house? (2 Chronicles 2:6 KJV) Are we guilty of believing that God’s presence can only be confined to the buildings we erect no matter how humble or grand?

The truth is that God is omnipresent. He is everywhere simultaneously. He can be found in the hearts of those who sincerely seek Him, whether in the remotest part of the earth or in the busiest city. Not only is God omnipresent but He is also omnipotent, all powerful. God is Elohim, the Creator of us all and all of creation. God is omniscient: all knowledge and wisdom are contained in Him.

Psalm 105:7 tells us that He is God, our God in charge of the whole earth. If God is omnipresent, omnipotent, Elohim and omniscient, how can we relegate Him to a mere building, denomination or culture? His eyes continue to go to and fro over the whole earth so that He may be strong on behalf of those whose hearts diligently and sincerely seek Him. The keys to unleashing God’s presence and power are: 1) to seek Him with all our hearts (prayer); 2) to worship Him in spirit and in truth (holy lifestyle); and 3) to obey His commandments (submission).

Eternal Father, today as a nation we declare Your greatness and we acknowledge You as the God above all gods. We patiently wait for the manifestation of Your glory and deliverance. In Jesus’ name, amen.

JANUARY 3

KEEP PRAYING

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. (Ephesians 6:18 New International Version)

This time of year is usually a time of reflection over the past year and making resolutions for the coming year. May I suggest that among our resolutions, the decision to intensify and continue praying should take priority. There are six types of prayers, namely: (1) the prayer of agreement; (2) the prayer or petition; (3) the prayer of thanksgiving; (4) the prayer of intercession; (5) the prayer of commitment; and (6) the prayer of consecration.

Today, we will examine the prayer of agreement. Let us use as a reference, Matthew 18:19 which says, If two of you … agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father. When we come up against challenges that we find too big to handle on our own, we should find a prayer partner or partners with whom we can pray harmoniously and in agreement.

God has committed to honour our prayers as long as they are not in contradiction to His Word. This type of prayer is not silent but should be prayed within the hearing and understanding of each party. We must not pray simultaneously but rather take turns; however, we must pray in agreement with the common subject matter.

Eternal Father, today we pray in agreement with our brothers and sisters that as we humble ourselves, seek Your face and turn from our wicked ways, You will honour our prayers, forgive our sin and heal our land, this beautiful nation—land we love. In Jesus’ name, amen.

JANUARY 4

MISTAKEN WEAKNESS

Comfort the feeble minded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man, but ever follow that which is good. Pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:14, 15, 17 KJV)

Paul gave us a wealth of instructions on how to live a holy and blameless life unto God. Those of us who seek to obey and live these instructions are often mistakenly regarded as men and women of weakness. We are sometimes ridiculed and thought to be fools for refusing to render evil for evil (not using the methods of the world to defend or confront). However, the very opposite is true. God’s unbeatable track record has been proven over and over not only in biblical times but also in current times. We will find that when we choose to be obedient to God’s Word and patiently look beyond our human faults, refusing to play the blame game, comforting those who are hurting, supporting those who need our assistance, and truly loving those who may be unlovable, we will not only gain God’s approval and peace but also His alliance. If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31 KJV).

The truth is God is our Commander-in-Chief and we attentively listen and diligently obey His commands. He tells us that love overcomes evil; that the battle is not ours but His; that we are more than conquerors; and that we have the victory in Jesus Christ. I truly believe the length of the battle depends on the level of our obedience and our humble submission to God’s commands. The process of maturity is ours; God has already secured the victorious end! Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:24 KJV).

Eternal Father, as a nation, we have pledged to play our part in advancing the welfare of the whole human race. Today, we pledge to diligently obey Your Word and humbly submit ourselves to Your command, not rendering evil for evil but skillfully using our victorious weapons of love, patience and kindness. In Jesus’ name, amen.

JANUARY 5

THE NUCLEUS OF LIFE

Know ye that the Lord He is God; it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves, we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. (Psalm 100:3 KJV)

God is the living center of all creation, for He is the Creator of all things. Separated from Him, we would have lost our umbilical lifeline. When we choose to separate ourselves from God our Creator we lose our very substance and abort our divine purpose. Anything separated from its context or nucleus becomes meaningless, disoriented, and essentially useless. There are those of us who sincerely believe that we don’t need God and depend on our own abilities to weather our everyday lives with their many challenges.

It is also true that we may experience what we believe to be success. However, history has proven that this type of success is most often illusive, temporary and unsustainable. Whether we admit it or not, we need God to be Lord of our lives! Nothing can exist on its own—not pleasure, ideas, talents or gifts. As the saying goes, No man is an island, so if we need each other, how much more do we need God, the One who made us?

The good news is that if we find that we are separated from our lifeline and desire to be reconciled, Jesus, the Son of God, stands ready to forgive our confessed sins and establish a loving relationship with our heavenly Father and Creator.

Eternal Father, as a nation we have strayed from You and have gone our own way. Today, we repent, ask forgiveness, and admit that without You we can do nothing. We pray that You will keep us by Your grace and mercy, so that we will be dependent on You only. In Jesus’ name, amen.

JANUARY 6

THE PASSIONATE RESPONSE

I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people; and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations…God has spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice. (Psalm 108:3, 7 KJV)

The psalmist responded passionately to God’s Word. He chose to rejoice at the entrance of God’s Word into his heart, which enlightened his understanding. We also can make the choice either to receive God’s Word with gladness and joy or to reject His Word and remain unresponsive.

In Psalm 19 David tells us that in spite of our cultural diversities, there is no speech or language where God’s voice is not heard. David tells us that the heavens declare the glory of God and the earth speaks of His handiwork. Therefore, denying the presence of God in His creation has no debatable credence. Nature itself declares His sovereignty! Although it is God’s nature to be merciful and long-suffering, in the final analysis we will all be held accountable for our response to God’s evident and unavoidable truth and existence.

When we allow the truth (Word) of God to enter our hearts, the spontaneous response will be that of passionate praise and rejoicing. This is not just a mere emotional feeling which is transient, temporary and sometimes described as happiness, but rather an indwelling, permanent joy that is not dependent on situations or circumstances.

Eternal Father, we will praise You as a nation for You are our Lord. Your Word of truth has gone forth and will not return void, but will accomplish Your will and prosper. Therefore we will rejoice and declare Your greatness and Your power to deliver and to protect. Be exalted Lord above the heavens and let your glory be above all the earth. In Jesus’ name, amen.

JANUARY 7

WHO IS OUR NEIGHBOUR?

You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind. And love your neighbor as yourself. (Luke 10:27 New Living Translation)

In the context of this verse, we see that this lawyer’s motive was not a sincere desire to know how to inherit eternal life, but to exhibit his expertise in religious laws. His intention was to test Jesus in the hope of discrediting Him from being the true Messiah. He obviously was not satisfied with the answer Jesus gave to his first question, so facetiously he asked this second question who is my neighbor? The illustration Jesus gave in answer to that question left no room for misunderstanding or further questions. A Jewish man had been robbed and left to die on the street. A Jewish priest passed by, saw the injured man, but chose to cross to the other side of the street and went on his way. Another religious man, a Jewish temple assistant, also passed by the injured man and did nothing to help. There were no reasons given for their actions, but one thing is sure—they were not neighbourly!

The ironic twist to this is that a Samaritan man who belonged to a nation regarded by the Jews as inferior (being of mixed ethnicity) was the one who in passing by showed neighbourly love. He attended to the injured man’s wounds and took care of him. From this we learn that everyone who is in need, regardless of culture or social standing, is our neighbour.

Whenever we are in doubt as to who is our neighbour, we may use this illustration as an authentic point of reference. Remember, love has no color, gender or distance. Our neighbour may be next door or hundreds of miles away. If we say we love God and we don’t love our neighbour, then we are in gross error and, in essence, are hypocrites.

Eternal Father, our prayer as a nation is that we will love You with all our hearts. In so doing, we will be Your true witnesses as we love our neighbours as ourselves, regardless of ethnicity or social differences. In Jesus’ name, amen.

JANUARY 8

THE PRAYER OF PETITION

Therefore I tell you whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (Mark 11:24 NIV)

Jesus, in speaking to His disciples, gave them the principles of the prayer of petition. The key to a successful prayer of petition is our FAITH. We must believe that we have already received our request even as we are praying! Another very important component is that we cannot harbour unforgiveness in our hearts. Forgive others quickly so that our Father will forgive us our sins. Unforgiveness is an absolute barrier to our prayers.

Remember, God is not impressed by our loudness or eloquence, but it is the sincerity of our hearts that counts. When we pray according to God’s will, we have the confidence that He hears us. He has promised that if He hears us we will be granted what we have asked for. He encourages us to ask so that we will receive. We should not just wish or dream, but ask boldly in prayer, believing.

Remember God is our Abba (Daddy) Father whose pleasure it is to give good gifts to His children. When we pray with this kind of confidence and according to His will, our prayers of petition are sure to get results!

Eternal Father, as a nation we come confidently to You believing that we have received those petitions that we have asked of You. We ask that You would forgive us of every sin we have committed, as we forgive those who have wronged us. You have taught us to call those things that have not yet been manifested as though they are. We thank You for our righteous nation; a nation of peace, safety and prosperity, whose God is the Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.

JANUARY 9

STAY IN THE LIGHT

Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. (Isaiah 60:1 KJV)

The opposite of light is darkness—they are opposing forces, and therefore they cannot cohabit. When light appears, darkness is consumed; it cannot exist in the presence of light. On occasions in our lives we have experienced periods of disappointments and discouragements. It is at these times that darkness courts us and is most persuasive in engaging us in self-pity parties. This will only lead to despair, depression, isolation and hopelessness, sinking us deeper and deeper into the realm of darkness.

However, there is good news: we do not have to sit there and die; light is just a decision away! No matter how deep we are in darkness, the light of Jesus Christ is able to reach the deepest depth and completely obliterate every atom of darkness, and bring new hope and encouragement. We have biblical trailblazers who have walked that way before. David often, at times of discouragement, chose instead to encourage himself in the light of the Lord. The prodigal son arose out of his dilemma and went back to his father. The lepers said, why should we sit here and die, let us arise… All we need to do is to give God all those situations we believe are insurmountable or impossible and allow His light to shine; letting the glory of God completely erase the hidden pain and emotions which have been hiding in the darkness of despair.

Eternal Father, today we as a nation choose light rather than darkness, we say come shine upon us and let Your glory fill our nation. We give You all our cares, for we are convinced that You are able keep that which we have committed to You against all unfavorable situations, and let the peace and glory of Your presence shine upon us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

JANUARY 10

AND THE SUN STOOD STILL

Joshua prayed to the Lord in front of all the people of Israel. He said let the sun stand still over Gibeon and the moon over the valley of Ajalon. So the sun stood still and the moon stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated their enemies. (Joshua 10:12-13 NLT)

Joshua was a human being like you and I. However, he did not think it presumptuous to ask his Heavenly Father to do the supernatural.

When we read about Joshua we learn that he made a commitment to serve the Lord wholeheartedly. His famous words were: As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord God has not changed; He still honours those of us who commit to serving and trusting Him regardless of what others choose to do. Over and over God has encouraged us to prove Him by His words. In Malachi 3:10, God said Prove Me now …

God gave us dominion over His creation: Genesis 1:28, God blessed them and said…have dominion… It is therefore not presumptuous for us to take Him at His word and command creation to work on our behalf using the authority of the name of Jesus. In John 15:7, The Lord tells us that if we abide in Him and His words abide in us, we can ask what we will and it will be done for us. I believe we need to operate at this level of faith so that the supernatural power of God may be released and bring victory over the enemy. Prove Him now!

Eternal Father, we thank You for the privilege of being Your children with its many benefits. We delight in Your love and faithfulness. As a nation we commit to serving You and declare that we will obey and trust You. We ask that You would cause creation to act on our behalf to defeat our enemies and cancel every evil plan of our adversary. In Jesus’ name, amen.

JANUARY 11

THE URGENCY OF NOW

Keep yourselves in the love of God…and of some have compassion, making a difference…and others save with fear. (Jude 21-23 KJV)

Our natural human instinct is to spontaneously act to rescue one in danger. Recently a man got public commendation for jumping to the rescue a stranger in danger of being run over by a train. We who have the love of God deposited in our hearts have an urgent responsibility to do whatever we can to bring to safety those who are in danger of being eternally lost and are misguided and deceived by the lies of our mutual enemy the devil.

Our action must not only be urgent but compassionate, filled with the love of God. Jesus, on His departure from earth, gave us a mandate. He told us to occupy until he comes, meaning do as He did when He was on earth, making a difference with our good works and being His true witnesses. He also told us to go into the entire world and with the compelling love and wisdom of God, reach those who are lost. The most impacting and compelling action is the example of our own lives, which should in no way contradict the truth which is in Jesus Christ. We can no longer afford the luxury of procrastination, today is the day of salvation, and tomorrow is promised to no one, we must act now!

Eternal Father, We receive Your love and wisdom today and we boldly declare to our nation, salvation through Jesus Christ. We are not ashamed to speak and declare Your love for all the world. We thank You for the power of the resurrected Christ to save those who are lost. In Jesus’ name, amen.

JANUARY 12

THE DIVERSE ASSEMBLY

Now the God of peace…make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ to whom be glory forever and