We are living in significant times!

Around the world share markets are falling, governments are trying to prop up failing banks, finance companies, insurance companies and economies, and people are worried about the future.  People are now talking in the trillions of dollars, not merely billions!  Both the United States Government and the British Government have each been considering bailing out their economies by the injection of more than 1 trillion dollars in each country!  (More than $NZ 1.1 trillion and $NZ 1.4 trillion respectively).  Some people are saying that we have never been in such a financial downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

The United States national debt now exceeds $US 10,000,000,000,000 (ten trillion US dollars) – their deficit so far this year has increased by another 1 trillion US dollars.

The value of shares in the top 50 companies on New Zealand’s Stock Exchange Index, has fallen by over 26% since the beginning of this year!  House prices are predicted to drop about 25% from their peak value.

Where will this all end?

On top of all this, several countries (including USA, Canada and New Zealand) are facing elections in the next few months, while other countries are also likely to see major changes in their leadership.

What will the future bring?

In the midst of all this, God is calling for us to pray for our leaders – for all those people who are in positions of influence, responsibility and upon whose decisions many people’s futures depend, at least in the human sense.

Our lives, of course, depend on God – and that is why we are called to pray – for God says in His Word “you do not have because you do not ask” … or we do not ask in the right way (James 4:2-3)

With this in mind, National Days of Prayer are being called in New Zealand for Friday 7th, Saturday 8th (Election Day) and Sunday 9th November to intercede for our country, our Government and all in leadership.  A gathering will be held in Wellington over this time, and other groups of Christians, individuals and churches will be praying for our land.  For details and registration, please email prayer24hrs@hotmail.com

How we need to pray for wise and Godly leaders – wise, with a divine wisdom (not the wisdom of man) and Godly in the sense of knowing God’s favour because of the way they live and act.  We need to pray for wisdom and Godliness, both for ourselves, as individuals, and as a nation.

May God help us as a nation and grant us good, wise, Godly leaders who will lead our people in the right ways, and bring blessing to our land, to our people and to all who visit our country.

Another group of New Zealanders who are also totally dependent upon us, our prayers and our actions are those babies who are, as yet, unborn.  We are currently in a time of 40 Days of Prayer and Fasting for the unborn of our nation.  We need to see the law overturned which has allowed over 370,000 unborn babies to be deliberately put to death.  Every single day, on average, about 50 babies are aborted.  How does God view human life?  John 3:16 says that God put such a high value on human life that He gave His only Son to die in our place, so that we might have life!

From 10 October to 18 November there will be 40 days of mourning, prayer, intercession, spiritual warfare and fasting for the lives of the unborn.  Will you join with thousands of other concerned people and spend time interceding for them?

PLEASE PRAY …

For the 40 Days of Prayer and Fasting concerning abortion
• For the lives of the unborn – present and future
• For the mothers and fathers of the unborn
• For the overturning of our abortion laws which allow the lives of unborn babies to be terminated
• That human life, made in the image of God, will have supreme value placed on it, in our nation

For the National Days of Prayer
• For the Elections on Saturday 8 November
• For the outcome of the Elections – new Members of Parliament, Cabinet, Prime Minister, Government and any coalition which may be formed
• For good, moral, wise leadership in our nation
• For Godliness in our nation

For the world economy
• Concerning the crises of economic confidence in many nations
• For the extremely difficult decisions that need to be made to correct world markets and their economies
• For the poor, who almost always suffer far more than the rich at times like these

That out of all these shakings, people will cry out to the Lord, not only for material help, but for salvation, eternal life and peace with God that passes all human understanding.

“Choose today who you will serve.  …  As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:14-15)