WE NEED A SHIELD OF FAITH
The shield of faith is the way we can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one (Eph 6:16) These arrows are currently infecting our minds and hearts and impacting the thoughts, emotions, responses, and reactions of many in our nation. Some arrows of the evil one can appear harmless but all can cause people or groups of people to experience false guilt, fear, shame, malice, doubt or to disobey God’s will. This then can affect the way people think or act and cause anxiety or mental illness or sin while keeping them from focusing on worthwhile activities such as showing compassion. Individuals or a nation can become overwhelmed with false guilt about things we have done or left undone in the past. People can become full of fear about what they see happening in our nation or governments, or in churches or families. We can feel shame about what we have done as a nation or as individuals to our first nation peoples or migrants, or what we, our neighbours or family members have done or left undone. We or our nation can be led to disobey God’s specific laws and instructions and not do what He has told us. Christians and others can feel malice towards those who differ from them, and Christians can feel increased malice from others in society.
The armour we are encouraged to take up is the full armour of God. It is His armour and not ours which enables us to take our stand against the devil’s schemes . It is His belt of truth, His breastplate of righteousness, His gospel of peace and His shield of faith and not ours. When we live by the faith of the Son of God who loved us (Gal 2:2:20) it is by His shield of faith that we can extinguish the fiery darts of the evil one which target us as individuals and as a nation.
Let us pray:
* For the Holy Spirit to prompt us to take up the shield of faith to extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one such as fear, shame, doubt of God’s generous love, false guilt, and malice which we as individuals and as a nation experience.
*In the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests for those Christians who are constantly in the firing line especially leaders ( based on Eph 6:18) and remain alert and keep on praying.
* That many more Christians will be given words so that when we open our mouths we will make known the mystery of the gospel and declare it fearlessly and experience the peace and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus ( Eph 6:19 & 23)
PRACTICING HUMILITY
Humility doesn’t mean thinking less of yourself, it means thinking of yourself less. Jesus summed it up like this: “Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12) As a nation we can be proud of our achievements however we must ensure that we do not claim that it was only through our own efforts that we have achieved what we have. God has played a major part in the development of our nation using Christians in many fields of service and endeavour to achieve beyond our human efforts. This is changing as a new generation is wanting to destroy our Christian heritage and deny a relationship with the God many of our forebears honoured and respected. The belief we can live and prosper without the help of God is the height of human pride. As a nation we must return to an acknowledgment of Jesus as Lord of our nation. To achieve that we must humble ourselves and pray.
Please pray:
* that the current trials and difficulties that we are about to face as a nation will be used by God to humble us and cause us to recognise our need of Him.
* that those who seek to undermine and remove the Christian heritage that has carried our nation to where it is today will fail in their endeavours and that increasingly people will rise up and seek restoration of the Godly values that has made our nation the envy of others.
* for a new spirit of humility to arise in our nation evidenced by the way we respect and honour God and each other.
CASHLESS DEBIT CARD
Several senators, including Independent senator David Pocock, have challenged Labor over the Bill to abolish the Cashless Debit Card. Their argument is that there has not been enough consultation with Indigenous communities despite a promise to have done so before proceeding with legislation. Federal bureaucrats warn it could take at least a year to find a technologically equal replacement for the Cashless Debit Card (CDC). Indigenous leaders have said the government risks leaving a “vacuum” if it rushes the abolition of the CDC, calling for an adequate replacement and warning of “dire” impacts for Aboriginal people if there isn’t one. They have grave concerns about a return to the BasicsCard which was used before the CDC was introduced. The CDC was built on advanced technology that allowed users to access welfare payments through a superior banking platform, while the BasicsCard operated as a pre-loaded gift card that required merchants to opt in.
Senator Pocock supports the CDC model in place in Cape York, initiated in 2016 by Noel Pearson and Queensland’s Family Responsibilities Commission. Mr Pearson told the Senate hearing that abolishing the scheme in Cape York would wipe out 20 years of work. “You will repeal the card the then you will walk away and leave us to the violence, leave us to the hunger, leave us to the neglected children,” he said. In February this year nearly 17,000 people were participating in the CDC system. Senator Jacinta Price and Aboriginal leader Warren Mundine are also in favour of retaining the CDC model.
Please pray:
“Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:23
* Pray that the Government will not abandon the Cashless Debit Card, that has proven a help to so many in dire circumstances, before another appropriate system is in place.
* Pray for the Aboriginal communities that have benefited from the CDC. Pray also for the leaders in our nation who support the communities who want to retain it.
* Thanking God that when we submit and seek the presence of Christ in our lives, He helps release all of us from our weaknesses, bad habits, obsessions, and addictions. Pray for a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit in every corner of our nation.
PRAYING FOR ISSUES IN THE NEWS
* The Federal Budget is due to be handed down in two weeks’ time. The current and future economic stability in our nation is under threat requiring a finely balanced budget to seek to address the issues of rising prices and stagnant wages. Pray for the Treasurer to be given Godly wisdom as he seeks to present a budget that will not further damage the economy and throw the nation into recession but prepare us for the challenges that lie ahead of us as a nation.
* Unions and welfare groups are pressing the Federal Government for increased funding for community services saying that many organisations are at “breaking point”. They claim that the community services sector, which provides support for vulnerable groups including women fleeing family violence and at risk youth, have battled chronic under-investment for years pushing service providers, and their overstretched workforces, further towards breaking point. Please pray for the community services sector of our nation, that they will be adequately funded by the Government and that workers in that sector will be able to survive and continue to carry out their essential services to the already disadvantaged in our society.
PRAYING FOR OTHERS
This week let us pray for Oman. Pray for those who persecute Christians in Oman. Pray that their hearts are softened and their ears are opened to receiving the message of the gospel.
Source: Australian Prayer Network
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