Introduction
Jesus encouraged Peter into the pastoral role when he said ‘feed my sheep’. I find myself in a profession, as a pastor where this text has been re-written to read ‘fleece my sheep’. The number of get rich quick ministers I have come across in the Caribbean with their ‘prosperity gospel’ angers me.
Before I write something I should not write, let me go to the bible for help.
The disciples asked Jesus to ‘teach us how to pray’. Jesus taught them through a model prayer we call today the Lord’s Prayer. If the truth be told Jesus did not mean for all Christians from that time on to repeat his exact words he was giving them a model of praying that included:
· Adoration and Praise
· Declaration of God’s Rule
· Request for food and sustenance
· Request for Forgiveness
· Request for Humility to forgive others
· Request for Protection from Evil
· Declaration of God’s Power
· Declaration of God’s Eternal nature
The role of prayer in the Prophetic Ministry has to lead to a change in my posture in dealing with resident evil. Prayer does not absolve me from direct and indirect action to establish the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.
In other words, prayer is not an excuse to disengage from edification, denunciation, condemnation and confrontation of domestic evil.
A few months ago, after a series of heinous crimes took place in the Caribbean region. I like many others, were in undated with requests for all night prayer meetings, prayer conferences and prayer vigils and calls for 40-days of prayer and fasting for God to roll back the hand of evil that had come upon several of the Caribbean islands.
My issue with the call to prayer by many was the absence of the prophetic context which was not mentioned.
Where was the prophetic methodology that allows us to prayer intelligently and to act responsibly pertaining to the spiralling crime rates in the Caribbean?
Furthermore, there were no follow-on suggestions from those who called for prayer as to how we contribute to change the status quo in the Caribbean.
There seems to be a denial that crime is a society turning in on its self, not just a random act of sin by a private individual.
My all means kneel and pray but after you say Amen! Get up and do something that would reduce crime in the community.
Your Pastor
Ronald A. Nathan
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