Day 17
China
God, you teach us that any bitter envy or selfish ambition that we harbor in our hearts does not come from You but is earthly and demonic. We pray for the Church in China to be free from bitter envy and selfish ambition. We also ask You to expose bitter envy and selfish ambition in the hearts of the authorities, officials, and leaders in the government. We ask You to humble this nation in the sight of the Lord. We ask You to intervene in the path it takes, and to lead this nation on the paths of righteousness, in Jesus’ mighty name (The Bible, James 3:14-15).
The world’s most populous country, China is also the world’s second-largest land area. With a focus on nationalism, the Communist government tries to maintain social order by prohibiting large meetings and some social media sites. Mission organizations say that the church is the largest social force in China not controlled by the Communist Party. Authorities have continued their harshest crackdown on Christianity since the Cultural Revolution. Many expatriate Christian workers have had to leave as a result. Even the Bible is being “rewritten” to better reflect the government’s communist worldview.
Day 17
Djibouti
Lord, free the rulers and authorities from ambition that tends to destroy life with You. Father, make the leaders repent that they have envy and selfish ambition leading to disorder and evil practices in the country. The human wisdom is proud and jealous. It is the cause of disagreement and not peace. Where this wisdom is, there will be confusion. Make the Churches understand that the works of this wisdom are bad and of no worth. No real benefit for the Churches can come from them. We pray that the Christian Believers will look for divine wisdom, that will build the Church and grow in unity that ought to be there (The Bible, James 3:16).
Ismaïl Omar Guelleh is the current President of Djibouti. He has been in office since 1999. The current Prime Minister is Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed, since 2013. The Republic of Djibouti lies between Eritrea and Somalia, bordering the Gulf of Aden. Djibouti gained independence in 1977 and functioned as an authoritarian one-party state until the president stepped aside in 1999 and balanced the nation’s two main ethnic groups, the Issa of Somali origin and the Afar of Ethiopian origin. Djibouti is predominantly a Muslim nation. Ninety-seven percent of the population is Muslim, and those who leave the faith are often beaten, ostracized, and killed. Serious social and economic problems continue to plague Djiboutians, notably widespread famine, extreme unemployment, and the rising urban issues of human trafficking, prostitution, and drug abuse. The French Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Ethiopian Orthodox Churches represent the only active Christian witness recognized by the government.
