ACTS PRAYER FOR LEADERS IN BELIZE

ACTS PRAYER FOR LEADERS IN BELIZE

Prayer By Gretchen Smith

Drawing by Zaida Harris

February 22, 2020, 9 pm

Always pray the scriptures because they have more power than your own words. Here is a great format to use

A-Adoration/Acknowledgement

C-Confession

T-Thanksgiving

S-Supplication (asking for what you need)

Please join me in prayer

A-Adoration/Acknowledgement

Adoration of Your Power and Might

Father God your word tells us you are the mighty and powerful, all-knowing, all-seeing God. We invoke your power today to demolish strongholds, arguments, and pretensions throughout Belize. 2 Corinthians reminds us "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” especially in the lives of the inhabitants of Belize and the lives of our leaders and those throughout the diaspora who need to remain connected and return to Belize in the future to bring healing to this nation.

Acknowledgement that it is YOUR Spirit that has the Power

Furthermore Zecharriah 4:6 tells us it is only by YOUR SPIRIT that we will have the victory and so we acknowledge and claim this: "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts." We invite the holy spirit to fully enter into our being at this moment and take control of our thoughts, our actions, and redirect our mind and emotions to your Word.

Acknowledgment that all Authority is Given by You

We recognize and acknowledge that all authority is given by you according to Romans 13:1 “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God” and we trust you to place leaders into power to accomplish your good purpose here in Belize. We acknowledge that we are unhappy with the leadership but that you have allowed those people into power and we will strive to accept your will oh Lord.

C-Confession

Public Confession Required as well as Correction and Rebuke using SCRIPTURE

Father God we also come to you today confessing our sins. James 5:16 commands us to “confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” We will not hide our sins any longer. We will openly confess to one another our individual sins, our corporates sins, the sins of our leaders and the sins of our nation. We will pay close attention to confessin the sins of the church as a whole and their failure to correct men. According to 2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,”. We confess that we have complained, manipulated, and attempted to rebuke without using scripture and that those types of rebukes are useless. We acknowledge that it is the WORD of GOD that will bring a person’s heart to repentance, not our judgement.

Only the Prayers of a Righteous (Confessed) Person will be Heard

We know we are only made righteous when we confess all of our sins and the sins of our nation to you. Our nation and its inhabitants as well as our leaders including us are in violation of Gal 5:19-21 and as such we know those individuals will not inherit the kingdom of heaven unless we repent. “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” We confess that our inhabitants regularly engage in sex outside of marriage, drunkeness, witchcraft, selfish ambitions, dissentions, envy etc which brings condemnation on their soul and we confess that we have not used scripture to correct and rebuke them and therefore their blood is on our hands.

Acceptance of Responsibility to Warn the Wicked Man

We, the leaders and every believer accept the responsibility as watchman according to Ezekiel 33:1-7 and understand our responsibility to use scripture to warn. “33 The word of the Lord came to me:  “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people,  then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head. Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head. If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.’

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me”

Confession of Our Failure to Raise Up Godly Men and Fear of Confrontation and Conflict

We Belizeans confess that sexual immorality,and failure of men to take responsibility in our nation is rampant because we have failed to raise up men of God who are prepared to be head of their home and get married and be leaders in their communities. We acknowledge we have failed to go and reach the men, especially those over age 30 and turn them into men who can step into their rightful role as leaders of their home, family and community and we acknowledge that our fear of confrontation and conflict and unwillingness to correct the men has resulted in the breakdown of the family leaving our country in great spiritual disrepair.

Confession of Failure to Care for People and Empty Words and Busyness

We Belizean confess additional sins on behalf of the leaders, inhabitants and ourselves of of busyness, distraction, lack of focus, failure to care for the poor, selfish ambition, corruption, pride, greed, arrogance, idolatry, self-righteousness, envy, jealousy, strife, disappointments, lack of faith. lack of hope, lack of willingness to walk behind you. We confess that we have not spent enough time in your word because we are busy pursuing our own hearts desire. We confess we have disrespected those around us by failing to do simple things like return phone calls, show up for meetings and have integrity in our words and actions. We confess that we have neglected, abandoned and failed to care for the widows and orphans and those that are mentally ill and those that are in prison and innocent children. We have failed to protect our children and failed to prepare them to be men and women whose actions and words honor God. We have failed with our words by failing to follow through with action. Matthew 12:36 states, “But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.”

Acceptance of Your Judgment for our Failures

We accept your judgement on our empty words and promises Lord and we know that leaders will be held to a higher level of accountability.

We acknowledge that Matt 25:41-46 has the power to send us to eternal damnation for failing to care for the hungry, thirsty or the strangers and failing to provide for those in need of clothes and those that are sick and in prison and that we, as leaders, must take care of these people and we confess that we have failed them. “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ We accept your judgement on our actions and failure to take action.

T-Thanksgiving

Thanks for the Lord’s Mercy

Though we have failed in so many ways Lord and are deserving of eternal damnation and harsh judgement we give thanks for the great mercy you have shown to the inhabitant of Belize despite the fact that we have not listened to the prophets that you have sent to warn us of our sins as a nation. Psalm 86:15 gives us hope “But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.”

Thanks for Giving us a Way Out of Temptation

We also give thanks that you have not TEMPTED us beyond what we can bear. 1 Corinthians 10:13 states, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” We are greatly tempted to spend our time and energy on things that matter little to the kingdom Lord and engage in idolatry, corruption and pursue our lustful desires.

Thanks for Endurance

We also give thanks that you help us to endure when we want to quit. Galatians 6:9 reminds us "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” and we are so thankful that when we want to quit you give us new hope.

Thanks for the Victory Over Our Enemies

1 Corinthians 15:57 tells us. "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" and we know you are not referring to an earthly victory but a heavenly one in which all those that have been lost will be found. We give thanks in advance that you will create an environment in which your Word will flourish and penetrate the hearts of the Belizean people to the depths of their soul bringing them to full repentance.

Thank you Lord for helping us to stay focused on your word. Your word tells us in Psalm 18:39 “For You have girded me with strength for battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me” and so we give thanks in advance for the victory over our enemies who have risen up against us

Thanks for Your Generous Provision

2 Corinthians 9:11 tells us "You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God” and so we give thanks for your gracious provision so that we might be generous to others.

Thanks for Your Correction and Rebuke

We give thanks for your firm correction and rebuke so that we might make a course correction and avoid eternal damnation and fierce judgement. We learn much from scripture about the important of correction and rebuke and thank you for your firm hand oh Lord.

The one who rejects reproof leads others astray (Proverbs 10:17), is stupid (Proverbs 12:1) and a fool (Proverbs 15:5), and despises himself (Proverbs 15:32). “Whoever hates reproof will die” (Proverbs 15:10), and “poverty and disgrace come to him” (Proverbs 13:18).

 “Whoever heeds reproof is honored” (Proverbs 13:18) and prudent (Proverbs 15:5). “He who listens to reproof gains intelligence” (Proverbs 15:32), loves knowledge (Proverbs 12:1), will dwell among the wise (Proverbs 15:31), and is on the path of life (Proverbs 10:17) — because “the rod and reproof give wisdom” (Proverbs 29:15) and “the reproofs of discipline are the way of life” (Proverbs 6:23).

To the one who embraces rebuke, God says, “I will pour out my spirit to you” (Proverbs 1:23), but to the one who despises it, “I will laugh at your calamity” (Proverbs 1:25–26). It will be said of those who reject correction, “They shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices” (Proverbs 1:30–31), and it’s only a matter of time until they themselves will say, “I am at the brink of utter ruin” (Proverbs 5:12–14).

And when ruin comes for the fool who resists reproof, it will be sudden and devastating: “He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing” (Proverbs 29:1).

S-Supplication

Supplication 1 (Request for Strength)

Isaiah 40:31 tells us “those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” and so we ask you to help us to patiently wait on YOUR direction, YOUR moment and YOUR provision and we invoke your power to help us from becoming weary or fainting.

Supplication 2 (Request for Wisdom)

We humbly request Lord that you show us how to reach the men who are over 30 years of age and help them to repent and turn to you. We claim the power of Isaiah 61:1 and step into our role as anointed leaders and claim The Year of the Lord’s Favor which clearly states “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners”. Lord we submit ourselves to you to be used to reach these men no matter the cost and find a way to heal them and return them to their rightful role as head of the home. We also ask for wisdom in how to do this and in how to call back those who have left the country and need to come home and contribute to the well being of the nation.

Supplication 3 (Request to Disable Our Enemies)

We invoke the power of Dueteronomy 28:7 “The Lord will cause our enemies who rise against us to be defeated before us. They shall come out against us one way and flee before us seven ways.” In Luke 10:19 you say “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you” and we fully ask for your authority to trample the snakes, scorpion and overcome the power of the enemy because we have been made righteous by his blood.

Supplication 4 (Request to Heal the Men)

We ask you to heal the pain and suffering the men, specifically those over age 30 that are suffering because of our failures as fathers. We ask you to provide miraculous healing to those who have turned to drugs and alcohol and gangs and free them Lord and return them to their rightful role as men of God who are good fathers, husbands, and sons. We have 10 specific requests related to healing the men of our nation and we claim the following verses for all men in this nation.

1. Pray that he will have an eternal perspective and glorify God in all that he does.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Deuteronomy 6:5

2. Pray that he seeks God's plan for his life and for his family. And pray that he walks in that purpose as well as he can.

I, therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:1-1

3. Pray that he chooses healthy, God-honoring hobbies and activities to pursue. Pray for his physical, spiritual, and emotional health.

“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. 1 Corinthians 6:12

4. Pray that he is slow to anger and does not easily become frustrated with his job, his wife, his kids or his circumstances.

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. James 1:19-20

So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Romans 14:19

5. Pray that he will work hard in providing for his family, and have discernment in financial matters.

Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Romans 12:11

No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. Luke 16:13

Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist. When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven. Proverbs 23:4-5

6. Pray that his sexual desires be focused solely on his wife and that marriage intimacy be both satisfying and an expression of selfless love. Pray that his heart will be guarded against sexual temptation.

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. Romans 13:14

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. wGod is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

I am my beloved’s, and his desire is for me. Song of Solomon 7:10

7. Pray that he is surrounded by Godly men who will help to keep him accountable and encourage him to grow in his walk with the Lord.

Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17

Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. Proverbs 13:20

8. Pray that he will be a light to those around him and boldly share the Gospel.

Proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance. Acts 28:31

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Matthew 5:14

9. Pray that he is a Godly example to his children. And if he is not a father, pray that he will find a younger man to help instruct in the way of the Lord.

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4

You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. 2 Timothy 2:1-2

10. Pray that he will more fully grasp his identity in Christ and serve God and others with a pure heart.

If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him, there is no falsehood. John 7:17-18

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. Colossians 3: 23-24

Father God we recognize that you are Lord of our life and have sent your son Jesus to die for our sins that we might have eternal life. We know we are sinners of the worst type but we also know that you are gracious. We give thanks for your great mercy and generous provision for Belize and we humbly ask you Lord to show us how to heal the men of this nation so that they might be restored to their rightful role as head of their family and that they might be able to protect, care for and provide for the women and children in their lives and communities. We pray this in the holy and precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Sealed by the blood of Christ this 22 day of February 2020 at 8:45 pm. Amen.