Hope for a town called Alice
When we read about what is happening in Alice Springs our hearts go out to all who live there. Aboriginal elders, other inhabitants, Christian groups, police, politicians, and lawyers have all tried to address the situation with little apparent effect. How does the God of all hope want us to pray for a transformation of a city where locals say that the rate of home invasions, incidents of violence on the streets and the theft of cars has “skyrocketed” and the offending children appear to be getting younger and younger – roaming the streets late at night, breaking into the homes of residents, committing horrifying home invasions, stealing cars and ransacking them for cash and jewelry. Marion Scrymgour, the federal Labor MP for Alice Springs, wants “Youth justice laws to stop treating criminal minors as “little angels” and start applying “tough love” to lawless children. She wants the NT State Authority to stop “pussyfooting around” on juveniles and for parents to be held more accountable for their own children’s actions.
She felt the Labor party mishandled the Northern Territory youth crime crisis for example by raising the age of criminal responsibility. We have seen how another politician, Jacinta Price, loves Alice Springs with so much empathy for the needs of all who live there. The NT Chief Minister Eva Lawler does concede the crime crisis has been a failure of government but somehow links the current youth crime to our colonial history. She also believes children shouldn’t be in detention facilities, even though she has just opened a $32m detention centre for juvenile criminals. The locals describe the indigenous children as being out of control, but the NT Police Association (NTPA) describes the crime statistics as “not being reported properly” which many challenge. It has also been noted that the NT police are reported as being strongly racist and what they have done has not always been recorded.
Both the Commonwealth and State governments have expressed the need to change NT youth justice laws to deal with youth crime in towns where there does not seem to be any responsible indigenous adults who expect kids listen to them. There is talk about reviewing the Youth Justice Act. The Territory government has been accused of trying to hide crime statistics from the public as part of a “political campaign”. The report of poor policing and the safety and security of the public have become big issues as is the need for unbiased justice. People have been wrongly arrested, and more than 200 domestic violence orders haven’t been scheduled in court.
Let’s pray:
* For more Aboriginal mothers & fathers, NT police, prison guards and politicians and the public, including Christians, to develop a deep compassion for the needs that the youth have in NT, especially in Alice Springs, and for God to transform both the circumstances that are affecting these vulnerable children and the children themselves.
* That proper respect will be shown to everyone, adults, and children alike, love shown both to the families of believers and non-believers, that God will again be feared in the territory, and those who are in authority honoured. (Based on 1 Pet 2:17)
* For wise, compassionate politicians to be elected at the NT elections in August 2024 where crime, policing, true justice and the safety and security of members in the public are all major issues.
Praying for Troubles in your Church
Is your heart hurting today over trouble in your church? Do you find yourself unsure about how to even begin praying? Here are 3 keys to help you.
Pray earnestly for the individuals who are hurting. Don’t pray for the church organisation first; pray for the people who are hurting first.
Pray for the people who are causing the trouble to be brought to repentance-and to justice, if needed.
Realise that every sin grieves the heart of God. Pray earnestly in sympathy with God’s heart.
Please pray:
- for every local church in Australia that God would help all congregations to walk in holiness and dwell together in unity.
- for the healing of those who have been hurt in church.
- that His Kingdom will come, and His will be done throughout His Church on earth as it is in heaven
Northern Territory Surveys Public Support on Euthanasia for Mentally Ill
Northern Territory (NT) Labor is surveying whether there is public support for allowing people to access euthanasia because they suffer from a mental illness. This prompts concerns that the government is considering offering vulnerable patients “death instead of the support they need”. The NT is the only jurisdiction in Australia which has not yet legalised voluntary assisted dying (VAD). In no other state is the use of VAD allowed if a person “only has a mental health condition as the reason for their access”. Patients are required to have a physical condition expected to cause their death in six to twelve months, depending on the jurisdiction.
Palliative care clinician Associate Professor Maria Cigolini said it was problematic to introduce VAD legislation in the NT because of the significant health and social issues facing its large Indigenous population and poor access to health services, including palliative care. “If you look at the First Nations suicide rates, they are twice the rates of non-Indigenous Australians and, in general, there is a higher mortality in this group at a younger age. … What we need is upstream strategies to promote resilience and healing and access to healthcare and social services… What you’re doing is you’re offering them death when they are experiencing duress from their illness and for which symptoms of this likely include suicidal risk and poor judgment or capacity”, she said.
Please pray:
“Lord, open my eyes to see you more clearly, love you more dearly and follow you more nearly.” (Adapted from the Prayer of St Richard of Chichester)
- Let’s ask Jesus to reveal Himself to us, to open our eyes as we pray for the people of the Northern Territory. And ask Him to reveal Himself to all those in the NT who are suffering mental illness, especially in the Indigenous population.
- Please pray that the NT Labor government will not legislate VAD for people only for the reason of a mental health condition.
- Give thanks for people such as Associate Professor Maria Cigolini, who understand what is at stake and are speaking out against attempts to increase the availability of VAD.
Praying for Issues in the News
- Australia’s corporate insolvencies are set to reach the highest level since the Global Financial Crisis as a tsunami of struggling businesses fail amide crippling debt levels. Business failures lead to staff being laid off which in turn harms individuals and families due to unemployment. Please pray that businesses that can survive will and that individuals laid off will be able to find alternative employment quickly to alleviate pain and suffering of a financial nature for thousands of people.
- Given the state of Australia’s electricity system, the big complaint that can be made is that not enough planning was done to ensure that as coal-fired generators were retired they would be covered by a working alternative. Few credible experts now expect the Albanese government has any prospect of meeting its legislated target of 82% renewable energy by 2030. That mirrors what is happening in other parts of the world where the results often have been less than expected despite the very large investments being made in wind farms and other technologies. Subsidies are bigger and reliability is less than promised. Please pray that our Federal Government will realise the deficiencies in their energy policies before it does irreparable damage to our electricity system, environment (due to the building of thousands of kms of transmission lines on prime agricultural land) and our economy. Pray for solutions to arise from within Government and business that will overcome current deficiencies in our electricity systems.
Praying for our Nation
This week let us respond to the call of God to repent and return to Him for He has torn us, that He may heal us, He has struck us down, and He will bind us up. (Hosea 6: 1)
Source: Australian Prayer Network
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