Strength for 2009

This is the end of 2008 and we are standing on the threshold of 2009. When you look back at the past year, you might feel sad, things did not quite work out the way you wanted them. On the other hand, looking at 2009 might fill you with fear. These observations are based on subjective feelings. We have to find our strength in something, someone outside ourselves. The something is the Bible and the someone is God our Creator. He made us. He loves us.

How much does God love you? Let's ask Him:

The Lord your God is in the midst of you, a Mighty One, Saviour [Who Saves]! He will rejoice over you with joy; He will rest [in silent satisfaction] and in His love He will be silent and make no mention [of past sins, or even recall them]; He will exult over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17 (Amplified Version).

Joyce Meyer writes that Zephaniah 3:17, in Hebrew, gives us the image that God literally "spins around" with joy over you and that He sings and shouts over you with joy! God has not only saved you from His wrath through Jesus, but He delights in you!

Thank God for His great love for you, and ask Him to help you understand the depths of His love for you even more fully. Find your strength in Him.

The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. Ex 15:2

It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. 2Sa 22:33

The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. Ps 118:14

What will you do in 2009? Take the advice of the psalmist: Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. Ps 105:4

Defining Your Self-Worth

With reference to the call to pray for the Nama People (See Struggling in Bethanie), that the Church will anchor them in the Word of God and help them to trust in Christ to restore their dignity. What do you anchor your self-worth in? In what terms do you define yourself? Is it based on knowing Christ alone? Let's read a few lines from a devotional from Os Hillman.

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well" (Psalm 139:14).

What measurements do you use to define your self-worth? Do you define it based on your financial assets? Is it based on what you have achieved professionally? Perhaps you define your value based on the number of children you have.

There are many things we can use to define our self-worth. However, the scriptures tell us there is only one measure for our self-worth. Each of us has self-worth because we are made in the image of God. And because we are made in the image of God, we are valuable. Whenever you and I place a value in ourselves that is based on some other performance criteria, we have moved beyond God's view of our worth as human beings. You are never more valuable to God than you were the day you were born.

Paul said the purpose for his existence was......"to know Christ, and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death" (Philippians 3:10).

Please consider this question now. In what terms do you define yourself? Is it based on knowing Christ alone?
Source: TGIF Devotional Os Hillman

Dear God, my Father in Heaven,
Oh, how insignificant I feel when I think of Your majesty.
May my smallness be engulfed in Your greatness!
I thank You for loving, accepting, affirming, and forgiving me and adopting me into Your divine family; and for regenerating me into what You would have me be!
Free me from self-doubt, shame, and guilt. Let me realize how valuable I am--that You would send Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to save me!
I pray in the name and power of Jesus, Amen.
Source: http://www.tagnet.org/huntsville/inhissteps/pworth.htm

Struggling in Bethanie

Bethanie (like Bethany in the Bible) is a small town in southern Namibia, and is ranked as one of the oldest settlements in the country. It lies on the road between Keetmanshoop and Lüderitz. As missionaries started travelling north from South Africa (the Cape Colony) in the early 1800s, they established mission stations on their way. The London Missionary Society founded the town, but, because of a shortage of missionaries and presumably because of the cooperation between the London and Rhenish Missionary Society at the time, they instead sent a German. Reverend Heinrich Schmelen built his Schmelenhaus in 1814, now considered the oldest building in Namibia, and currently a National Monument and memorabilia museum.

I found the following photo and info about the Zion Lutheran Church in Clear Lake, Iowa in partnership with Schmelen Lutheran Church in Bethanie who helps feed 78 children at the Hostel run by Schmelen Lutheran Church. Children live at the hostel while attending school in Bethanie. Some of the children are orphans. Other children's families live too far away to transport the children to school everyday. Source http://www.whereissteve.com/zion/zionproj.html also see Karas Regional Council - http://www.karasrc.com/ for more information about the region.

In a debate about a report published by the National Planning Commission (Nov 2008) regarding the people of the South of Namibia it was pointed out that there is a lack of job creation, leading to unemployment. Prime Minister Nahas Angula said "We must understand the social history of the Namas. The challenge we have is to restore the dignity of the Nama people." He further stated that the people of the South need to be provided with means of production, whether it is land or animals. Deputy Prime Minister Libertine Amathila also spoke on the issue. "The poor people are the ones taking their pensions and spending it at shebeens," she said. Amathila singled out shebeens (bars) as one of the major problems. "We can talk and make statements, but it won't help. We are dealing with a difficult situation." she added. Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/200811100951.html

Please pray for the many who are in the grip of poverty in Bethanie and the south. Pray for wisdom and creative ways to address the problem of job creation and the abuse of liquor. Pray that the Church will anchor the Nama people in the Word of God and help them to trust in Christ to restore their dignity.

Hey You Got Mail!

• I continue to pray for Namibia; especially those in the South-Southwest area of the country. My heart and the heart of my family plead for mercy, revelation, knowledge, and provision. We live in America but have a deep heart for the Namibian peoples

• Good day brothers/sisters in Jesus. I appreciate your mail and would like to assure you that I will be part of you ( an active member) until my last day on this earth. As a newly born child of God I also herewith wish to inform you that I NEED your strong support in order not to look back again. May the Almighty blessed you.
  

• Will it be possible to put BETHANIE as a whole Village on your prayer blog? What info will you need from me to enable us to do so please?

• Hi Saints, I welcome the Blog. It is time we stand in the gap for Namibia as a Nation . God is waiting for us to ask as a Body of Christ, the Light of our world, so that He can bless us. Remain in Him.

Thank you for your kind letters

Louis
pray4namibia@gmail.com

The purpose of this Blog

Dear friend

The purpose of this Blog is to provide relevant information about Namibia and her people for intercession which will open the way for Divine intervention. Over time news, issues, organizations (Church, Business and Government) and key leaders will be introduced with prayer points. (Please note the Blog is not aimed at personal prayer needs).

Karl Barth, a Swiss theologian of the early 20th century, said the idea is that Christians with God's heart for the world should pray with the Bible in one hand and a newspaper (information) in the other. The focus of this Blog is to provide intercessors with prayer information about Namibia. You will learn a lot about Namibia. Some prayer training will also be introduced and you will be motivated to start prayer groups in your community. You will also receive information and be invited to participate in the Global Day of Prayer 2009.

The dream is that through prayer and good deeds, Namibia will be transformed and become a blessing for all her inhabitants and the rest of Africa. This Blog is also in support of Transformation Namibia. You are also invited to submit prayer needs related to transformation in Namibia.

"God shapes the world by prayer. The more praying there is in the world the better the world will be, the mightier the forces against evil...." ~ E.M.Bounds

Here to serve you

Louis
pray4namibia@gmail.com

Visit regions in prayer

The Republic of Namibia is a vast, sparsely populated country situated along the south Atlantic coast of Africa between 17 and 29 degrees south of the Equator. With its surface area of 824 268 square kilometres, Namibia is the 31 st largest country in the world.

It stretches for about 1 300 km from south to north and varies from 480 to 930 km in width from west to east. Namibia, previously known as South West Africa, is bordered by South Africa in the south, Angola and Zambia in the north and Botswana and Zimbabwe in the east. The oldest desert in the world, the Namib Desert stretches along the whole west coast of the country, while the Kalahari Desert runs along its south-eastern border with Botswana. The country is demarcated into 13 regions, namely the Caprivi, Kavango, Kunene, Omusati, Ohangwena, Oshana and Oshikoto regions in the north, the Omaheke in the east. Otjozondjupa, Erongo and Khomas Regions in the central and western areas and the Hardap and Karas regions in the south.

REGION / CAPITAL / POPULATION

1. Caprivi / Katima Mulilo / 80 000
2. Kavango / Rundu / 203 000
3. Kunene / Outjo / 69 000
4. Omusati / Uutapi / 229 000
5. Ohangwena / Oshikango / 228 000
6. Oshana / Oshakati / 162 000
7. Oshikoto / Tsumeb / 69 000
8. Omaheke / Gobabis / 69 000
9. Otjozondjupa / Okahandja / 136 000
10. Erongo / Swakopmund /108 000
11. Khomas / Windhoek / 251 000
12. Hardap / Mariental / 69 000
13. Karas / Keetmanshoop 70 000

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regions_of_Namibia. Population (Gov Census 2001) rounded to next 000

Please visit the regions in prayer. Prayer for -

• Enough rains to see the veld through the hot / dry months to the next rain season.
• All families to have enough food to celebrate the coming of Christ.
• Parents to spend quality time with children during the school breaks.
• Periods of rest, recreation and strengthening of all workers.
• Old and young to spend time in the Word and in prayer and to re-focus as they prepare for 2009.

No rest for Namibian Police

In the Namibian (15 Dec 2008) Nangula Shejavali wrote that "the end of the year usually marks a general slowdown in Namibia. But this is hardly ever the case for Police officers, who have to continue serving and protecting the nation’s citizens."

Safety and Security Minister, Nickey Iyambo, speaking at the year-end function of the Ministry of Safety and Security on Friday, reminded Police officers that “while the year 2008 is about to end, this cannot be said about the Police and the Prisons work”. He cautioned that the movement of thousands of Namibian citizens to their holiday destinations, along with the arrival of many tourists in the country, would increase the need for law enforcement, including enforcing traffic regulations and doing foot patrols in towns. He added that more offenders would have to be kept in custody and cared for in holding cells and prisons.

“Hence, Police and Prisons officers have to be extraordinarily vigilant and alert at this time of the year and focus more attention on their duties every second, minute and hour during their tour of duty,” he said, adding that prison warders would be heavily relied upon to ensure that no escapes occur. (Source http://www.namibian.com.na.)

Let's pray for Safety and Security Minister, Nickey Iyambo, and his staff at the Namibia Police and Prisons.

• Pray for safety on the job and for wisdom in handling the demands of their jobs. (See Ps. 91; Jer. 33:3.)
• Pray for their families to have peace that God is in control and for God's protection on them. (See Ps. 37.)
• Pray for force members to continue grow in their faith in God through Jesus. (See Eph. 1:16-19; Phil. 1:6.)
• Pray for Christian force members to be salt and light to those that do not know Jesus. (See Matt. 5:13-16.)
  

Photo from Die Republikein www.republikein.com.na

Christ Has No Body

Christ has no body now on earth but yours,
no feet but yours,
no hands but yours.
Yours are the eyes through which the compassion of Christ
is to look out on a hurting world.
Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good.
Yours are the hands with which he is to bless all now.

Teresa of Avila (1515–1582)

God works through his people

Here is a modern parable about our calling to help one another. I tried to confirm the facts and to find a photo of the actual statue, but could not. However, I did find this photo that should help us understand the meaning of the parable:

During World War II, a church building in Strasbourg was destroyed. After the bombing, the members surveyed the area to see what damage was done. They were pleased that a statue of Christ with outstretched hands was still standing. It had been sculpted centuries before by a great artist.

Taking a closer look, the people discovered both hands of Christ had been sheered off by a falling beam. Later, a sculptor in the town offered to replace the broken hands as a gift to the church. The church leaders met to consider the offer and decided not to accept it. They felt the statue without hands would be a great illustration that God’s work is done through his people.

Truly, in the church, we are the “hands of Christ”. If Christ is to minister to the poor, it must be through our hands. If he is to take care of the sick, it must be through our hands. If he is to reach out to those who are lonely, it must be through our hands.

... but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 1 Corinthians 12:25-27

See something around you that Christ needs to take care of today? He has no hands . . . but your hands!

This devotional by Alan Smith was reprinted from “Thought for the Day".

Word about the Poor

Consider the position of the poor in our communities. Now, lets open our hearts to the Lord as He speaks to us from His Word about the poor: The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour. Luke 4:18,19
In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha which, when translated, is Dorcas, who was always doing good and helping the poor. Acts 9:36 Cornelius stared at him in fear. "What is it, Lord?" he asked. The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Acts 10:4

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. 2Corithians 8:9. Jesus said: The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. Matthew 26:11. I believe one way to know if you have the Lord with you, is to consider what you do about the poor. As you pray for the poor today, ask the Lord what He wants you to do, so that His love can reach the poor and needy this Christmas.

You are the light of the world. Matthew 5:14

Report about the Poor

A Namibian government report (28 November 2008) has revealed that three times as many people as previously thought are living in severe poverty.

The Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) found that nearly a third of Namibia's 1.8 million people lived on US$1 a day or less, but noted a sharp rise in households classified as "severely poor", or living on less than N$185 (US$19) per month. The shift has been attributed to a change in research methodology now considered best practice in southern Africa - the "Cost of Basic Needs" - which reset poverty lines along the minimum expenditure required for each household to have a base caloric intake and access to basic non-food needs such as clothing and shelter.

The report also revealed that many existing social grants, such as pensions, were being used to feed more recipients than intended. In households headed by people over the age of 65 years, pensions were the main source of income in 50 percent of households.
(Read report at http://allafrica.com/stories/200811280737.html)

What is in a Name?

A friend wrote a special song called "We pray for Namibia".

This song gave birth to the title of this Blog. This song is a prayer. Read it. Pray it. Make it your own. Sing it! Our friend has graciously provided the music for you.

Here are the words. The third and fourth verses are the Afrikaans translation. May you be blessed. May Namibia be blessed as you sing and pray this song!

We pray for Namibia
Lord, show us your way
Let us serve one another,
Live your love everyday
Let us shine your light everywhere
That our people can see:
Only love heals a nation,
In your will we are free.

2.
We pray for the nations
Let them see you are King
Let us serve in obedience
Our praises we bring
Fill the earth with your gracious love
Bind us all with your peace
Make us one in the Spirit
Let the whole world believe.

3.
Ons bid vir Namibië
ons mooi vaderland.
Ons vra U in Jesus Naam,
Hou ons in u hand.
Lei ons in u liefde,
bind met vrede ons saam.
Laat u kinders verenig
om te leef in u Naam.

4.
Ons bid vir die wêreld
dat elkeen kan sien:
U is Koning oor alles.
Laat almal U dien.
Laat ons sout en lig wees
Vir ‘n wêreld in nood
Mag ons altyd u liefde leef -
Net u liefde gee hoop.

AMEN

Push the boat into the water!

Starting a Blog is like building a boat. Once it is finished, you can admire is, sit in it, sleep in it. But there comes a time that you have to put to test. Like Admiral Grace Murray Hopper said: "A ship in port is safe, but that's not what ships are built for." You have to push the boat in the water. That is what I did yesterday. The boat is in the water now. But will it sail?

I invite you to join me as we put this boat to the test. Sailing is also a spiritual exercise. Just consider these sayings that I have found about sailing: "Men in a ship are always looking up, and men ashore are usually looking down." John Masefield. My vision for this Blog is that it will help us all to look up.

Please consider also these words of wisdom: "Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made." Robert N. Rose. My hope is that this Blog will help us to fulfil our dreams for Namibia and for building God's Kingdom in and through its people. My hope is that you will again and again return to this Blog to find that you have been challenged and changed. Roselle Mercier Montgomery put it so well: "Never a ship sails out of a bay, but carries my heart as a stowaway." That is what I trust this Blog will offer to us (you and me), a place where we can stowaway from the storms of life and meet with God and just spend time with Him.

Will this boat sail? Will this Blog survive? John Rousmaniere said this: "The goal is not to sail the boat, but rather to help the boat sail herself." This is my dream for this Blog that it will survive, not because of us, but in spite of us. Will you pray with me and trust God, that He will be the Master Sailor, the Master Writer and that through the Holy Spirit He will take us to places far and above our highest expectations.

Luke 8:22 One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let’s go over to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and set out.

The National Flag of Namibia

Namibia has a stunning flag! The National Flag is a symbol of our struggle for national unity. It symbolises peace, unity and a common loyalty to Namibia. The National Flag represents the nation in every aspect.

• The sun symbolises life and energy. The colour gold represents warmth and the colour of our plains and the Namib Desert.

• Blue symbolises the Namibian sky, the Atlantic Ocean, our marine resources and the importance of rain and water.

• Red represents the Namibian people, their heroism and their determination to build a future of equal opportunity for all.

• White refers to peace and unity.

• Green refers to Namibia’s vegetation and agricultural resources.

As you look at the flag, pray for Namibia, for unity and that all it's people will share in the different areas that the flag symbolizes.