Thanks to Prairie Words for fixing the formatting…ed

Anglican Church of Kenya
All Saints Cathedral Diocese
Office of the Suffragan Bishop for International Affairs
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Bill Atwood

January 18, 2008
To ACK Churches in North America
And all Common Cause Partner Churches

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Greetings in the wonderful name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I’m sure by now you have heard about the terrible violence and upheaval following the recent, very closely contested election in Kenya. Bishop Bill Murdoch and I are writing to ask for your help. Today as this is written, there have been no organized demonstrations, but the situation is still very tense and very difficult. Tragically, some have enflamed the situation with longstanding tribal tensions. The ACK bishops and other leaders have rightly denounced tribe-on-tribe violence, but anxiety has remained extremely high. A violent gang called Mungiki has taken advantage of the polarization and is attacking people from another tribe. The Mungiki has been outlawed since 2002, but the group still has many areas of stronghold.

The bishops and other leaders have called for peace and have welcomed help from the resident of Ghana and from Kofi Annan. By an overwhelming majority, the Kenyan people want peace. Peace is not only good for Kenya, it is essential for African stability. Virtually one hundred percent of the petrol supply for Uganda passes from the Kenyan port city of Mombassa. With a disruption of that line of supply, Transportation in Uganda and Burundi has all but come to a halt. Other nations like Sudan and Tanzania are impacted as well.

With 200,000 homeless and many businesses looted and burned, there is no telling how long it will take Kenya to recover its former relatively prosperous economy. It is critically important to remember, “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”(Eph 6:12) The only way to make a difference in a spiritual conflict is through intercession, prayer, and fasting. Please use the attached information to help guide your prayers. Please also consider this urgent request from Bishop Bill Murdoch and me to not only all churches linked with the Anglican Church of Kenya, but also all Common Cause artner churches to get involved. The Archbishop and other leaders of the ACK have een absolutely heroic in reaching out to orthodox believers in the West. It is our raternal responsibility to respond.

Yours in Christ,
-
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Bill Atwood
Suffragan Bishop

Prayer and Fasting for the People of Kenya

In this terrible time of violence following the contested election in Kenya, more than 600 lives have been lost, more than 200,000 are homeless, and many businesses have been burned. The devastation to the nation goes far beyond political chaos. Anger, bitterness, and revenge have led to awful suffering. As Christians, we know that true peace comes from the Prince of Peace. You are invited to use (and share) this outline to invite others to pray. We hope it will also be helpful to guide your prayers.

Scripture

Christians know that conflict is a part of our journey in this fallen world, but we must not lose heart. If you read the following Scripture, even though it was originally written for Israel, we can pray for it for Kenya as well. Read it as though the words were written on pages of glass, and look through them to the people caught in this crisis. The possibilities for Kenya become evident quickly, especially with tensions between tribes.

Ezek. 37:21 “Then say to them, “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; 22 and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again. 23 They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them.

In this next section, pray for leadership that will love and lead Kenya like the Prince of Peace does. Scripture exhorts us to pray for leaders. Their responsibility is great. Pray that they fulfill it faithfully.

Then they shall be My people, and I will be their God. Ezek. 37:24 “David My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them. 25 Then they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, where your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children’s children, forever; and My servant David shall be their prince forever. 26 Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore. 27 My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 28 The nations also will know that I, the LORD, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.”

Remember God’s promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14 to act in a nation when people pray.

“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 will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Prayer

In praying in the context of spiritual tensions/warfare, remember that Jesus is Lord of all. When He is welcomed into a situation, He comes with the peace “that passes understanding.” That doesn’t mean that all the circumstances become lovely, but that we can draw on our relationship with the Lord to experience quietness in our heart.

Here are some things to pray for:
For the political leaders of all parties
For the Bishops, wives and the Archbishop Nzimbi and Mama Alice of the ACK
For other Christian leaders
For tribal and cultural leaders
For economic progress and adequate resources to restore stability
For basic needs to be met for food, clothing, and shelter
For the Peace of Christ to settle over the nation and the region

Intercession
There is a wonderful image of the throne of God in Revelation 5:8.

Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

Imagine that every time we pray, the level increases in the golden bowl. When God wants to “put out a fire” spiritually, imagine that He tips the bowl so the contents spill out. How tragic it would be if the intercessions were insufficient to address the fire He has called for us to address.

Fasting

Those who are used to fasting will not need this little introduction. They can just fast and pray for the situation. If fasting is a new discipline for you, here are some things to keep in mind.
In fasting (i.e., giving up a type of food or all food for a meal or a time period) it is important to be wise. If you have any significant health problems be sure to check with your doctor first.

Make sure that something positive is done with the time you free up by not eating. Take time to read the Bible and to pray. A vital part of prayer is getting still and taking the time to listen to what God is saying.

It is really important that we understand that fasting is not an attempt at leverage to try to get God to see things our way and do what we want Him to do. It is an act of discipline that helps us get in line with what God wants. Many people find that when they fast, things surface in their life that they know are not pleasing to God. That is completely normal and is, in fact, one of the greatest benefits of fasting. The idea is to refrain from certain foods, or for a time from all food.

Types of fasts:

Daniel Fast-Daniel was offered the rich foods and luxuries of the Babylonian kingdom but refused them, insisting instead on eating vegetables and drinking water.
Nazarite Fast-This is a fast from wine and strong drink.
Liquid Fast, sometimes called a Juice Fast-Consuming only liquids for a period of time. Many people drink fruit juices while fasting.
Partial Fast-Often associated with Lent, this is refraining from a certain food or type of food. Contrary to widely held popular belief, no one has ever perished from fasting from chocolate.
Twenty-four hour Fast-Simply fast from breakfast to breakfast or from dinner to dinner.
A fast can be from anything. Some people’s lives would change dramatically if they began to “fast” from internet blogs and invested the time in Bible study, prayer, and worship.