Did you have a good Christmas? 15/03/2009
The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Psalm 126:3
Sunday 15 March
Loving Father, we praise You for the joyful and rapid growth of the Church in Nepal (some estimate that it numbers one million) and for the wonderful news that Christmas was declared a public holiday in 2008 for the first time! We pray for the government and MPs who are deciding on the new constitution, that this new legislation would contain guarantees of full religious freedom for all faiths.
Monday 16 March
Pray for the new Republic of Nepal and its institutions, including a parliament that is 33 per cent female and includes many Dalits and ‘low’ caste MPs. Thank God for the multi-party coalition government. Pray for good cooperation and for all to listen to each other.
Tuesday 17 March
The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), signed in 2006, requires the integration of Maoist soldiers into the Nepal army or other security services – a very controversial issue. Pray for this integration to happen peacefully with cooperation and common sense.
Wednesday 18 March
The UN identified more than 300 child soldiers (ages twelve to eighteen) in the Maoist army cantonments. The CPA requires that they be released from military camps and rehabilitated into civil society. Pray for this to happen speedily with the help of international agencies and with real care and understanding.
Thursday 19 March
Pray for true and lasting peace in Nepal and an end to the sporadic killings of the last two years, including the murders of a businessman and a Roman Catholic priest in 2008 and a female journalist in January 2009. Pray that justice will be done, and pray for the safety of media workers who continue to report on human rights in Nepal.
Friday 20 March
Pray for God’s blessing on the work of the National Council of Churches of Nepal (NCCN) and its leader, Dr KB Rokaya, now a National Human Rights Commissioner. Pray for unity among Christians and for inter-faith cooperation and harmony.
Saturday 21 March
Pray for the future of Solidarity International Academy in Nepal, the Christian school with a very high reputation built with money raised by CSW. Pray for the staff and the 1,500 pupils (ages four to eighteen). Pray for vision and unity as the founding Principal prepares to retire.