Zimbabwe: A church in need of prayer

Sometimes groups of Christians get things spectacularly wrong.

With the persistence of sin in the lives of believers (1 John 1:8) and the reality of false teachers in the church (2 Peter 2:1-3) this should not be a surprise. But it should be a cause of great sadness. And a massive spur to prayer. So with that in mind it’s good to encourage one another to be interceding for the church in Zimbabwe.

The Anglican Church there is in turmoil. A reasonable desire to be involved in politics has been distorted out of all proportion with bishops using governmental alliances to further their own ends and destroy the ministries of their rivals. Clergy have been evicted. Orphanages left with few staff. Congregations put at physical and spiritual risk.

Of course, amid all this there are good and godly pastors seeking to serve the Lord in Spirit and in truth.

The plight of the Anglican Church in Zimbabwe has been highlighted this week because Archbishop Rowan Williams is soon to visit there as part of his trip round central Africa. So why not use this increased publicity to encourage yourself and others in your congregation to pray?

It would be fantastic if Christians around the globe could join together and ask the Lord to:

• Change the hearts of key Zimbabwean bishops so that their focus is once again on the saving cross of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:2)
• Enable a Jesus-centred unity within the church which results in sacrificial humility and the putting aside of ambition (Philippians 2:1-5)
• Equip Christians to speak faithfully and boldly even when faced with huge opposition (Ephesians 6:19-20)
• Encourage all Christians there to show that their words and actions result from the compelling love of God (2 Corinthians 5:14)
• Open the eyes of more and more people in Zimbabwe and help them see the wonderful truths of the gospel (Psalm 119:18)