National Day of Prayer for South Sudan: Prayer in the Churches

South Sudanese Christians celebrate South Sudan’s freedom.
(Photo credit: Urban Christian News)

By Faith J. H. McDonnell (@Cuchulain09)

Christians have a special responsibility to work for reconciliation and healing. As Christians, we are called to be reconcilers — reconciling others to themselves, each other, and to God. “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5: 18)

Today the Christians of South Sudan have been called to pray for healing, forgiveness, and reconciliation amongst all of the people of the new nation. As the Christians have prayed in their churches, across South Sudan, from every tribe, language, and denomination, please remember to pray for them today.

Here are some of the Bible verses that the Most Rev. Daniel Deng Bul, the Archbishop of Sudan and South Sudan (Episcopal Church of Sudan) has asked the Christians to focus on:

Behold how good it is for brethren to dwell together in unity (Psalm 133:1)

If we walk in the light, as God is in the light, we can have fellowship with one another (1 John 1:7)

I will restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts (Isaiah 57:14-15)

And of course, there is the great promise from 2 Chronicles 7: 14: If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

By their faithfulness to God during persecution and oppression by Khartoum, the Christians of South Sudan have greatly honored the Lord. And as God said in 1 Samuel 2: 30, Those who honor me I will honor. God has honored the faithfulness of South Sudanese Christians by bringing forth a new nation. Now they, and we who care about the Body of Christ in South Sudan, have faith that God will also heal their land’s wounds of strife and division and bring about reconciliation.