National Day of Prayer – a worthy exercise

Tue, Oct 7, 2014

Yesterday was observed as the National Day of Prayer in St Vincent and the Grenadines, with the major activity being held at Heritage Square in Kingstown.

Additionally, several radio stations opened their lines to facilitate prayer throughout the day. The organizers also asked workplaces to accommodate morning devotion and for churches to keep their doors open throughout the day.{{more}}

This is the seventh year the Day is being observed in St Vincent and the Grenadines, with the theme for this year’s observation being ‘’Stand in the gap before me for the land” – Ezekiel 22: 29-30.

The opportunity given to the public to call in to radio stations to offer prayers for the nation seems to have been well utilized, but the turnout at the all-day activity at Heritage Square, from all accounts, was rather poor, at least during the part of the programme when the homily was delivered and when addresses were made by officials.

This poor turnout of people at Heritage Square should not, we think, be taken as yet another indication of the moral decay of or people or how far away from God we have strayed. Rather, the low turnout at the time of the main speeches simply reflects the fact that the activity took place on a working day, at a time when most people would be at work or in school. Additionally, the fact that the activity was broadcast on radio, made participation without attendance an attractive alternative for some.

Even though one may not believe it by the way we sometimes behave towards one another, the majority of the people in St Vincent and the Grenadines believe in a Supreme Being who controls the final destiny of the universe. The majority of us also believe that God is a Moral Being who stands in judgement of us and brings down his wrath on those who break his Covenant of Peace, and Love. We also hold that this same Supreme Being is a loving God who is ready and willing to forgive all those who transgress, if they are truly penitent.

The National Day of Prayer is therefore a worthy exercise, even if just to provide an opportunity for us, together as a nation, to be still for designated periods during this one day, so that we can reflect on our situation, acknowledge wrong, show penitence, and call on God to help us.

And certainly this nation needs help. The problems we face are numerous and include a sluggish economy, which severely limits the amount of money in circulation and therefore what services can be provided by central government; high unemployment and under employment, especially among the young; an unacceptably high level of crime, such as murder, rape, assault, burglary, theft, which all stem from a lack of respect for one another and one another’s property; and enmity and hostility among neighbours, family members and co-workers because of partisan political differences.

The good thing is God has the power to make our situation better and answers earnest prayer offered from a clean heart. Once we have prayed, we cannot then, the following day, go back to business as usual. We should listen for God’s answer and consistently act towards one another in a manner that reflects our desire for a better St Vincent and the Grenadines, where residents live in peace and love with one another.