In Honduras, right now, where two or three are gathered, we are discussing the political situation!At first, one would send out feelers to determine which way they may be leaning, towards Mel Zelaya or towards the current government. Then a conversation of the “latest” tidbit of information would be discussed. The flurry of news channels, blogs, youtube clips and emails has provided more than enough fodder for whichever side you might be leaning toward. Of late, I have noted a shift amongst a growing number of churches. Several are establishing a 24 hour, 7 day a week prayer chain, others are gathering on a frequent basis to pray. Our church, Centro Cristiano Internacional, has not chosen a political posture to side with but rather is encouraging the Body of Christ to pray along the items listed below in the chart. I invite you to accompany us at 1:00pm every day to pray with Alfredo and I, which is the hour we signed up for.
We give thanks:
* For His great love and presence in Honduras.
*For the plans and purposes He has for this Nation.
* For having saved us from greater damage during the earthquake.
* For having guarded us from the propagation of the H1N1 virus.
* For giving us a land full of natural resources.
We proclaim:
* Christ’s sovereignty over Honduras.
* God’s healing over our land.
* God’s provision of daily bread and healthy relationships in each home.
* God’s mantel of protection and safety over Honduras.
* Opening new sources for jobs
* Justice operating throughout the land.
* The heart of the Honduran people turning to God and His ways.
We ask:
* For divine intervention upon this nation, that nothing outside of His will would prosper.
* That all evil purposes for this Nation would be defeated.
* That the enemies of this nation would be silenced and broken.
* That the eyes of the Honduran people would be opened and able to discern between good and evil.
* That men and women who fear God would defend the freedom of this nation.
* That Honduras would cease being used as a channel for nacrotraffic.
We rebuke and bind:
* The spirit of violence
* The spirit of death
* The spirit of poverty
* The spirit of promiscuity (sexual sin)
* The spirit of addiction to alcohol and drugs
* The spirit of lying and deceit
* The spirit of witchcraft
* The spirit of greed and corruption
* The spirit of indifference and passivity
From the ground, I can tell you that many of the news reports are downright alarmist and paint a picture of all the country being in upheaval, up in arms. There’s no denial of the growing tension between the Pro-Zelaya and Pro-Current Government groups. There are pro-marches for both groups, which for the most part are peaceful. Although there have been a number of deaths amongst the Pro-Zelaya supporters. The military police is actively taking note of who marches in support of Mel Zelaya.
What is often not mentioned in the reporting is how the lines are being drawn between socioeconomic classes. The tremendous historical and current division of classes is one of the major variables in the current crisis. The problem is much deeper than just the incidents since the June 28th removal of President Mel Zelaya. The real fodder for this crisis are issues like corruption, the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer, abuse of power, institutionalized injustice, leadership who grant themselves immunity from the law, poverty, the deplorable state of public education, hard line right winged military and yes outside influences like, narcotraffic, organized crime, Hugo Chavez, and even the United States.
What you don’t hear on the news is that many Short Term Missions teams have canceled their trips, causing financial hardship for a number of ministries. Tourism has decreased, causing economic repercussions in areas heavily dependent on tourism like the Bay Islands (Roatan is offering a “two for one” on room and flights and food because of it). Many people who work for Non-Governmental Agencies (NGO) are losing their jobs due to the European and American Governments withholding their funds for development until such time as Mel Zelaya is reinstated as president.
The more I listen to the various points of view on the radio and TV and read the emails, the more convinced I am that no one person or source can tell the whole story. This I do know, it is a pivotal time in the history of Honduras and of Central America for the believers to rise up and be counted. Those believers with whom we gather each Tuesday evening to pray say:
“Our one desire is to see the nations worship you Lord.
Yes we want justice.
Yes we want peace.
Yes want education for our children.
Yes we want just and honest leaders.
But we want more than that.
Our one desire is to see the nation of Honduras worship you.
We want God’s Word preached as never before.
We want the Christians to be known by their works and godly actions.
We want this crisis to be a wake-up call for Christ’s Bride, the Church, to be a clear sign of God’s Kingdom on earth.”
Amen.
