A Mozambican Prayer.

I was recently in Maputo, the largest city and also the capital of Mozambique.   On September first there was large meeting in which many churches and other Christian organizations gathered to pray for Mozambique and hear from the Lord.  It was really powerful seeing them confess their personal as well as their country's sins, repent and believe God for renewal, hope and change.

One of the pastors speaking that day...there must have been at least 10 and they were rotating Scripture readings. 

 For me the most moving thing was one of the pastors standing up and publicly apologizing to his wife, on behalf of all Mozambican men who have wronged their wives in one way or another. He apologized for adultery, abandonment, laziness and several other vices.  He had only said a few words and many women around me started crying and then I started crying too.  It made a strong impact on me because I've seen how poorly women are treated here- and its hard to combat because there are historical and cultural roots with this problem.

Everyone prayed this prayer.  I think it gives a good general understanding of where Mozambique is in their relationship to God:

A day to bow before our God.  Mozambique bows before God. 1 September 2012

Let’s pray together: (everyone kneels)

O Lord, God Most High, Creator and Possessor of heaven and earth, we, the people of Mozambique acknowledge that we and our country have sinned against You in several ways, especially, but not limited to idol worship.  Instead of looking to You to satisfy our needs, at different points we have sought help from Satan.

We look to evil spirits for: rain, abundant harvests, children, health, progress, protection, direction, guidance, wealth, victory in war, and other innumerable blessings .  You have blessed us in more ways than we can count but we have not thanked you as God.  Countless times when we dedicate new buildings, bridges, roads, schools, etc. instead of thanking You, the Provider of all things, we look to priests of idols to mediate and make blood sacrifices to Satan and dedicate buildings to Satan. We dedicate ourselves, our wives and our children to the enemy in several ways, including but not limited to ceremonies such as welcoming a newborn, rites of passage, weddings, funerals, etc. We fear evil spirits, curses, witchcraft and dead family members more than we fear You. 

Instead of looking for Your direction, we regularly consult the dead and different evil spirits.  We enter into alliances with Satan through various methods and we turn our backs on You.  In arrogance our land declared, “There is no God.” 

  We have sinned against You in these and many other ways. Our sins include, but are not limited to the following:  Idolatry, the spilling of blood,  bribery,  corruption, atheism, assassinations, love of money, violence, rape, prostitution, bitterness, witchcraft, occultism, consulting dead ancestors, sexual sins, broken marriages, lack of the fear of God, sensuality, loving pleasure rather than loving God, disunity within the church, idolatry within the church, sins of occult in our lives, oppressing the poor and underprivileged, human sacrifice, human trafficking, slavery in modern day forms, drug abuse, selling of drugs, respect for tribal customs above the word of God,  lies, hypocrisy, false religion, illegality; etc.

Today we are guilty before You.

Today we declare the following:  We confess that we have established many altars to Satan throughout our country.  We repent for these altars.  We renounce all the altars of Satan established in our land.  We renounce all the evil alliances that we, our leaders and our country has made with Satan.  We renounce and we withdraw our submission to evil spirits to whom we were bound through these altars and alliances.

Today, we dedicate to You, our lives, our families, and the generations that have yet to come, forever.  To You we dedicate our nation and all of its resources.  By faith we form a New Alliance with You sealed by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.  We declare, “God is.”

Now and forever, we acknowledge you as our Creator, we honor you as our Father, we adore you as our God, we submit to you as our Lord and Savior, and we proclaim you our King.

Please forgive us our sins and heal our land according to your word. Please accept us and be our God.  Destroy all satanic foundations in our lives and nation.  Together we pray, “Our Father in heaven, Holy is Your name.  Your kingdom come and Your will be done in Mozambique as it is in heaven.  We declare that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the God of Mozambique now and forever more.  Govern every area of our lives and our nation.  Let the knowledge of Your word cover our nation as waters cover the sea.  Open up the heavens above our land and bless us.” Amen.