Displaying items by tag: pandemic

National Day of Worship, Prayer and Fasting for an end to the Pandemic

Sunday 2 August 2020

“Jesus answered, the Scriptures says: Worship the Lord

your God and serve only Him!" Matthew 4:8

“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:13,14

1. Worship the Lord & pray for our nation that we will come back to the Lord in a true spirit of repentance.

2. Pray for Australia & particularly Victoria for an end to the Pandemic!

3. Pray for America, Brazil, India and the rest of the world with over 16 Million COVID-19 cases recorded.

This National Day of Worship, Prayer & Fasting has been called by the National Day of Prayer & Fasting team in consultation with Australian Prayer Leaders to support the Day of Prayer called by Bishop Philip Huggins & the National Council of Churches in Australia regarding the Pandemic for Sunday 2 August 2020.  Draft 1-26/07/20

www.nationaldayofprayer.org.au/events/pandemic-prayer

Warwick Marsh

National Day of Prayer & Fasting

www.nationaldayofprayer.org.au

PO Box 378

Unanderra NSW 2526

The restrictions of lockdown fostered a community spirit in Britain, with feelings of solidarity and togetherness. However a campaign called Together, which includes the NHS, charities, media groups and employers among its founders, says this sense of togetherness is beginning to fragment and fray. It is organising a national public consultation on how to avoid new community divisions opening up. Analysis of the polling of 2,000 adults during May-June has led to the warning, ‘There's a risk that past divides are re-emerging as society starts to re-open. The shared experience of lockdown made many people feel more connected to their neighbours and local community. Now that sense of togetherness is starting to fray, but people would rather we kept hold of it.’ There are expected to be challenging months ahead.

The National Council of Churches has called on all Christians across Australia to set aside Sunday 2 August as a day of prayer, worship and optional fasting, as the state of Victoria in particular continues to battle with the pandemic. The council’s president, Bishop Philip Huggins, said in a letter to member churches, ‘We all know the impact of the pandemic here and overseas, including on some of our own loved ones. At our council meeting this week, we directors all shared our vivid and poignant current reflections. What we can offer again now are our prayers together. Hence this encouragement to you all. It is comforting when we know we are all praying together to our Saviour. From our various traditions, there are prayer resources, ancient and contemporary, which we have been offering already.’

Florida’s hurricane season also has the complication of coronavirus this year. Two million residents live in evacuation zones with 82 permanent shelters provided, but after months of instructions to stay home and observe social distancing, will residents evacuate and risk an atmosphere conducive for virus transferral? Tropical Storm Isaias is approaching, so coronavirus testing centres have closed. When the mayor puts out the evacuation order, will the risk of catching coronavirus keep people from leaving homes in areas where they should get out? Pray for successful distancing preparations in shelters, and for the spirit of fear to be replaced with serenity. In Paraguay, violent protests broke out after the government put part of the country back into lockdown. Shops were looted and lorries set on fire, and a number of police were injured. Paraguay borders Brazil, the country with the second-highest number of infections worldwide, and is heavily reliant on cross-border trade. Pray for Latin Americans facing poverty violence and sickness.

In Central America, people will struggle to eat in today’s lockdown; unable to provide for themselves and their families with food banks closed due to pandemic lockdowns. Pray for God to support those who are providing aid to families in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and other vulnerable countries. India has a social stigma around the ‘unclean’ disease, so individuals returning from isolation are treated as outcasts. To avoid being labelled and discriminated against people hide the illness, avoid tests and delay hospitalisation, with fatal consequences. Pray for this ‘unclean pandemic caste’ to be helped and healed not shunned. Africa’s virus is spreading rapidly. Rural areas in Tanzania have no food, and people like the cattle people in Kajiado (who depend on livestock markets) suffer because all markets are closed. Meanwhile, some Caribbean islands are now reopening for tourism with strict public health protocols. Pray for safe ‘sun, sea, sand and social distancing.’

2019 saw Felix Tshisekedi elected president in disputed elections marred by violence. Ethnic tensions between Lendu and Mema saw 1,000+ deaths and another 1,300+ abducted or kidnapped, while the Ebola crisis took more lives. 2019 is being violently repeated in 2020. On 22 July authorities started cracking down on peaceful critics, journalists, and political party members using pandemic emergency measures as a pretext to curb political protests(see). Since 13 July hundreds have been demonstrating for the dissolution of parliament. This has been organised by the Catholic Church (see). Authorities are attempting to contain several health crises: coronavirus, the largest measles outbreak in the world, and two Ebola epidemics (see). Also rural violence is escalating: a Christian worker writes, ‘The route from Aru to Bunia is still not safe. If people want to reach Bunia they are accompanied by soldiers. But those who were killed last time were accompanied by soldiers who were also killed.’

Every six minutes a Christian is killed for following Jesus. For millions, the truth is an extremely dangerous thing to believe. 58% of Iraqi and Syrian refugees are Christian. Ongoing wars and continued presence of terrorists have created the largest refugee crisis in history, forcing over four million Christians from their homes. Imagine facing torture and death for just saying ‘I believe in Jesus Christ’. This is a reality for over 245 million Christians today who often face physical violence towards themselves or loved ones. They lose homes and jobs because of their faith. May persecuted Christians experience renewed strength to follow Christ, particularly during this pandemic, when refugee camps make it impossible to implement social distancing. Our brothers and sisters in Christ need help and support more than ever. From Morocco to Iraq various forms of lockdown are in force, there are food shortages and hospitals are under strain. Christians are at the bottom of the social ladder: see https://htp.org/how-covid-19-is-impacting-persecuted-christians-and-how-you-can-help

The coronavirus outbreak has reached every nation in Africa, a continent of 1.2 billion people. As of 7 July the confirmed death toll was 12,000, with fatalities including the former president of the Republic of the Congo and Somalia's former prime minister. With over 500,000 confirmed infections in Africa, experts warn that fragile healthcare systems in many countries could be overwhelmed in the face of a severe outbreak of Covid-19. African countries urgently need to scale up coronavirus testing and the use of face masks, a regional disease control body said, as the epidemic gains traction across the continent. New cases were up 24% in the past week. The pandemic is gaining full momentum: see

‘Looks like everyone in the UK is breaking the lockdown rules, then?’ said a person living in France in late May. In June, UK social media were ablaze with images of packed beaches and street parties. While we follow the developments of the pandemic in the UK, many of our conversations have included judgmental comments about other countries. Now a full local lockdown has had to be imposed in Leicester because of increased coronavirus cases; non-essential shops and most schools have been closed again. The loosening of restrictions for pubs and restaurants will also not take place there. See

Professor Sarah Gilbert, the world-renowned expert leading Oxford University’s team devising a vaccine, told MPs that it would provide ‘a good duration of immunity for several years at least, and probably be better than naturally-acquired immunity.’ Asked for a timeline on the vaccine amid concerns of facing the winter without one, she said, ‘I hope we can improve on those timelines and come to the rescue.’ 8,000 Britons are in a major trial of the Oxford vaccine, and an experimental vaccine is being tested by a German partner. These trials showed encouraging early results, producing neutralising antibodies between 1.8 and 2.8 times greater than those of recovered patients. The key question is whether the vaccine will protect people from becoming infected, or simply make them less ill. It may also work less well in older people because their immune systems are weaker.