Can prayers alone solve our problems?
EDITOR—This is in reaction to Sam Ewou’s letter published on Monday. He says that Uganda does not need prayers now, but action. Sam starts off by saying that he is a Christian and a firm believer in the power of prayer, which is true.
EDITOR—This is in reaction to Sam Ewou’s letter published on Monday. He says that Uganda does not need prayers now, but action. Sam starts off by saying that he is a Christian and a firm believer in the power of prayer, which is true. I personally know him, and would like to address myself to him directly.
Brother Sam, while it is true that there is a time for everything, as Solomon asserts in the book of Proverbs, it is also true that all time is prayer time. The apostle Paul urges us to “pray without ceasing†and to “pray on all occasionsâ€.
He urges elsewhere that we should pray for our leaders and intercede for the land. God Himself says: “If my people who are called by my name shall humble themselves and turn from their wicked ways and seek my face, then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sins, and heal their land.â€
That is what we should be doing all the time. Yes, it is also time to act and arrest the corrupt, fire the convicted culprits and all that, but to suggest that prayer is not necessary now is not the mark of a Christian and a firm believer in the power of prayer. What if, Sam, there is a spirit which has always stopped the powers that be from taking action?
Can’t prayer defeat such a demon and the right people finally take action? What if there is a principality that has been reigning over the city or nation, which prayer could help pull down? Do we ignore it and depend on human effort? I believe that we have not, as individuals and as a nation, come to a realisation of the full power of God and what He can do—for and to us. Sam, and indeed all Ugandans, we must pray for this land all the time, under all circumstances.
Bob Kisiki
Mukono
EDITOR—The country is fresh from holding national prayers led by President Museveni. And what was the objective? To place all the country’s problems in God’s unfailing hands. Some of the problems the various religious leaders prayed for are corruption, diseases and peace as the country heads for the 2011 elections. Let us look at corruption as a prayer item. Does the country really need prayers to fight corruption? No! Why? Uganda as a nation prides herself in her beautiful motto, “For God and my countryâ€. This would require every Ugandan to put God before everything else. This however has turned out to be just talk.
We have moved from God and our country to cash and our families, though some have called it “God and my stomachâ€. Uganda is full of hypocrites. Most of our politicians are perfect disciples of Machiavelli, the great Italian philosopher. For in one of his works, he advises princes (read politicians) to have more than one side so as to fit in all situations.
According to Machiavelli, it is a risk for a politician to have only one side. He thus advises that if you are going to be honest, please have the dishonest side of you to deal with other situations. If you are caring and sympathetic, the philosophy master says be ready to be ruthless when the situation calls for it.
Mostly, he says, a leader need not be honest or caring or humble or God-fearing but instead seem to be all those good things to the public eye that is mostly gullible.
If we are calling it national repentance day, how many came out to confess to the public, to tell God they are sorry for having stolen public funds and therefore they are resigning or refunding all the money they stole so as to be clean spiritually? I saw none! So should we call the prayer a success or a waste of people’s and God’s time?
Kenneth Agutamba
Hoima
Brother Sam, while it is true that there is a time for everything, as Solomon asserts in the book of Proverbs, it is also true that all time is prayer time. The apostle Paul urges us to “pray without ceasing†and to “pray on all occasionsâ€.
He urges elsewhere that we should pray for our leaders and intercede for the land. God Himself says: “If my people who are called by my name shall humble themselves and turn from their wicked ways and seek my face, then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sins, and heal their land.â€
That is what we should be doing all the time. Yes, it is also time to act and arrest the corrupt, fire the convicted culprits and all that, but to suggest that prayer is not necessary now is not the mark of a Christian and a firm believer in the power of prayer. What if, Sam, there is a spirit which has always stopped the powers that be from taking action?
Can’t prayer defeat such a demon and the right people finally take action? What if there is a principality that has been reigning over the city or nation, which prayer could help pull down? Do we ignore it and depend on human effort? I believe that we have not, as individuals and as a nation, come to a realisation of the full power of God and what He can do—for and to us. Sam, and indeed all Ugandans, we must pray for this land all the time, under all circumstances.
Bob Kisiki
Mukono
EDITOR—The country is fresh from holding national prayers led by President Museveni. And what was the objective? To place all the country’s problems in God’s unfailing hands. Some of the problems the various religious leaders prayed for are corruption, diseases and peace as the country heads for the 2011 elections. Let us look at corruption as a prayer item. Does the country really need prayers to fight corruption? No! Why? Uganda as a nation prides herself in her beautiful motto, “For God and my countryâ€. This would require every Ugandan to put God before everything else. This however has turned out to be just talk.
We have moved from God and our country to cash and our families, though some have called it “God and my stomachâ€. Uganda is full of hypocrites. Most of our politicians are perfect disciples of Machiavelli, the great Italian philosopher. For in one of his works, he advises princes (read politicians) to have more than one side so as to fit in all situations.
According to Machiavelli, it is a risk for a politician to have only one side. He thus advises that if you are going to be honest, please have the dishonest side of you to deal with other situations. If you are caring and sympathetic, the philosophy master says be ready to be ruthless when the situation calls for it.
Mostly, he says, a leader need not be honest or caring or humble or God-fearing but instead seem to be all those good things to the public eye that is mostly gullible.
If we are calling it national repentance day, how many came out to confess to the public, to tell God they are sorry for having stolen public funds and therefore they are resigning or refunding all the money they stole so as to be clean spiritually? I saw none! So should we call the prayer a success or a waste of people’s and God’s time?
Kenneth Agutamba
Hoima