Seeking God’s intervention as a nation

THE National Day of Prayer, Fasting, Repentance and Reconciliation Zambia seeks God’s intervention for sustained national unity, peace and prosperityMinister of National Guidance and Religious Affairs Godfridah Sumaili in calling on the general public to join in the prayers urged them to adhere to prescribed Covid-19 health and safety guidelines.“We wish to extend our invitation to all members of the public to take part in this national event, this year’s commemorations is falling on a Sunday, therefore all churches are encouraged to follow or align their prayer sessions in line with this year’s Theme: Zambia seeks God’s intervention for sustained national unity, peace and prosperity. Isaiah 43:2, 3 John 2 and 2 Chronicles 7:14,” said Rev Sumaili.President Edgar Lungu is expected to grace the commemoration of the Day of National Prayer, Fasting, Repentance and Reconciliation while the Vice President will be in Chipata in Eastern Province.The Ministry of Religious was set up to facilitate the actualization & translation of the declaration of Zambia as a Christian Nation; provide overall policy & legal framework on Christian and Religious Affairs; Provide guidance on the promotion of National Values, Principles and Ethics.Unfortunately, in the past week there have already been some voices that have blatantly refused to participate in this national day.The United Party for National Development (UPND) says it sees no convincing reason for it to attend the 18 October, 2020 National day of Prayers Commemorations.“Our position on this issue is very clear. It will be hypocritical for us to participate in the prayers because that will mean endorsing hypocrisy. According to the Bible, the true fasting which God approves of is one where you free those who are falsely imprisoned. To lighten the burden of those who work for you. Remove the yoke that binds people; to share food with the hungry and to give clothes to those who need them,” UPND Chairperson Mutale Nalumango told the media recently.She wondered what good would come out of fasting and prayers if the ruling party has continued to arrest and incarcerate opposition figures on flimsy charges.“Who has reconciled the country since 2016? Have you seen any reconciliation? What good is fasting and prayer if you keep on fighting and quarreling all the time? Take Mucheleka out of prison then we can talk about praying,” she demanded.The Day of Prayer gives each citizen an opportunity to bring a petition before God in unison with the rest of the nation, it should never be about making political scores.There is a lot that Zambians can be anxious about and equally a lot that we can be grateful for. Covid-19 has caused major disruptions to the economy but the spread of the virus has been mercifully low. It is now our prayer that God will guide our leaders and people in finding prosperity.Since 2015, President Edgar Lungu has declared October 18th of every year as a public holiday to be observed as a Day of National Prayer, Fasting, Repentance and Reconciliation.The President made the declaration in Exercise of the powers contained in section 3 of the Public Holidays Act.Each year has a theme and for 2019, the theme is “Receiving Times of Refreshing from the presence of the Lord through Reconciliation with one another and the environment for a prosperous Zambia.”In order to observe the National Day of Prayer, Fasting, Repentance and Reconciliation in a reverential manner, all activities of an entertainment nature are postponed, while bars and food outlets remain closed between 06:00 hours and 18:00 hours.Prayers are organised throughout the day by the various churches in Zambia.Zambia is officially a Christian nation according to the 1996 constitution.In March this year, Kenya held a National Day of Prayer in the wake of rising coronavirus cases and fatalities and then again held a national weekend of prayer from October 9 to October 11.America too has hosted National Days of Prayer.Zambia, is well placed after having declared itself a Christian Nation to hold a day of prayer.We act as a beacon of faith to other nations and individuals and we can testify to the Grace of God in helping citizens through difficult times.Let us join together in prayer and seek God’s intervention for sustained national unity, peace and prosperity. The Sun