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Call to
Prayer over Situation in Zimbabwe
 With violence increasing amid
an already turbulent situation in Zimbabwe, we at BCN are asking our
readers to be lifting up the country in prayer. According to a BBC
report, a summit of southern African countries is urging that the
ensuing presidential election be put on hold, citing the escalated
disturbance.
A representative of
Langham Partnership International/John Stott Ministries—Jonathan
Lamb—has issued a prayer request which included the following
report from a pastor in Zimbabwe:
"A church
member has just come in and shared how she traveled to a nearby town
and on the way was stopped at two police roadblocks and made to chant
slogans. A young man in the church witnessed youths stopping a minibus,
pulling out the driver and beating him on the street, without police
interference. We have more and more people coming to the church in need
of help as a result of political violence and intimidation. Reports
come to our ears daily of acts of torture and oppression and violence.
Abductions happen regularly, murders occur and are unreported. The list
could go on and on. Churches have been stopped from distributing food;
even an organization that feeds street children was told to stop
operations. Food is short, unavailable in the stores. The wickedness is
unbelievable, the lack of concern for struggling people is demonic, the
deafness of those in power to the cries of the suffering and the
commitment to self-advancement at the expense of others are hard to
believe."
Says Lamb, "Understandably, the Christian community identifies with the
opening questions of Habakkuk's oracle: ‘Lord, how long will I
call and You will not hear? How long will I cry out and You will not
save?' Our friends and colleagues in Zimbabwe ask us to join them in
prayer."
Pray for the many people struggling to survive, fearful of what the future holds;
Pray for young people caught up in the violence, or those despairing of any hopeful future;
Pray for the elderly who are beaten by youths, contrary to the deepest mores of culture and African community;
Pray for grandmothers, and widows, and the vulnerable in society;
Pray for school children with studies disrupted and classes cancelled;
Pray for people in prison for their political views;
Pray for pastors to be wise and full of integrity;
Pray for police and army members to act righteously;
Pray for Zimbabwe's neighbors, and all efforts by political leaders outside of the country to mediate in the crisis;
Pray for God's righteous judgment to come, that He will defend the defenseless and father the fatherless;
Pray for the Gospel to advance through Christian communities empowered by God's grace.
"The prophet Habakkuk asked his honest questions of the Lord, but also
heard the Lord announce his ‘woes' of judgment on all wicked
rulers. By God's mercy, Habakkuk was able to close his prophecy with a
remarkable doxology, singing to the Sovereign Lord who was his
strength," continued Lamb, adding, "Please join us in praying that this
will be the experience of God's people in Zimbabwe, even in the midst
of uncertainty and terror."
Source: Breaking Christian News
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