Watch over the nation’s peace
It is essential for the Churches to embark on seven or 14 days of prayer and fasting for peaceful 2016 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. Intercessory prayer for the nation is critical. But we must not only pray. We must “watch and pray”. That is, we must also “watch”.
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It is the God given, Bible based civic responsibility of church members to seek the political good of the country and to care for the environment.
There are no Christian political parties in Ghana. But Christians in this nation, constituting 71.2per cent of the total national population, actively belong to or are in sympathy with one political party or the other.
However, it is the general task of heads of churches and pastors to mobilise members to take on their civic responsibility for the total wellbeing of all the peoples of mother – Ghana.
It is Ghana that must win the 2016 Elections for us to have national peace and harmonious environment necessary for Ghana’s continued economic growth and development.
All citizens are important stakeholders for creating and maintaining peace before, during and after the elections. All Christians are “watchmen” God has set over Ghana to be participant seekers of Ghana’s total welfare:
And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into. Pray to the LORD for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare. Jeremiah 29:7, NLT
Biblical teaching is that the Lord God Almighty “is supreme over all nations, all peoples of all ages,” whether they acknowledge Him or not. In fact, the Old Testament prophets declared that it is the Lord God Almighty who decided who would become King or Emperor of each nation. God asserts His sovereignty over every nation.
For example, God gave the Prophet Jeremiah the following message for Israel: “O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand” (Jeremiah 18:1-6).
So come December 7, 2016, the ultimate King maker for Ghana will be the Creator, Almighty God!
But God’s method remains people. He works through men and women. He will work through Ghanaian voters to give us a President. It will either be His perfect choice or His permissive will (because that is what as a country we deserve).
Christians must pray and fast earnestly so that in the election of a President (and Parliamentarians) the perfect will of God will be done in Ghana as His perfect will is done in Heaven.
Yes, Christians must continue in fervent prayers. But we must also “watch”. Christians must be vigilant in their communities and the polling stations.
The following are seven suggestions on how as responsible citizens church members can be vigilant and watch:
- We may hear hints of recruitment of rabble rousers or trouble causers. “Watch” and follow the direction in which the hints develop.
- Do not join in or give yourself to become a team member for any unlawful activity. “Oh the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked or stand with the evil workers, or join in with mockers” (Psalm 1:1)
- There may be loading into a truck or offloading of cache of weapons (guns, etc). It is people in the communities who handle these jobs and information on this may leak into the community. Take note of these.
- Pass on appropriate information to the local police, to guide their work in promoting and enforcing the peace.
- Desist from spreading falsehood about any Presidential or Parliamentary Candidate and their parties, Electoral Commission, the Supreme Court and other State officials, as well as private persons.
- Capture incidents at the polling station or in your community on cell phone, etc. In this age of IT we can all be vigilant, capture happenings around us and provide this as evidence to the security agencies
- Lastly and very importantly, continue to earnestly pray and fast for the peace of mother Ghana before, and after the December 2016 elections.
Ghana must win; we must live in peace.