Published 03 September 2018
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
Address to the Nation by Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris On the Occasion of the National Day of Prayer and Prayer Season Sunday, September 2nd, 2018
My Fellow Citizens and Residents,
It is my great honour as Prime Minister of this beautiful Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis to encourage you to participate in the National Day of Prayer and Fasting this Monday, September 3rd, 2018.
My Government has designated the first Monday in September as a special day of prayer, to set the tone for our 35th Independence anniversary, which is being commemorated this month under the theme: Love, Service, Patriotism and Pride, Independence 35.
As a proud, patriotic and God-fearing people, we ought to celebrate our country’s many accomplishments, recognizing how far we have come along a difficult journey towards Independence and nationhood, while acknowledging that we could not have survived had it not been for our loving Father’s tender mercy and grace.
My Team Unity administration therefore gives God all the glory and praise for His wonderful salvation.
He has favoured us with surplus after surplus in recent years, thereby allowing my administration to give some of it back to the people of St. Kitts and Nevis.
It is because of favour and support we are able to implement a $500-dollar-monthly poverty alleviation programme to assist our poor and needy brothers and sisters who live in households earning less than $3,000 per month.
All of us have something for which we should give God thanks. For example: spared lives, good health, success of our businesses, peace with and between our families, these are all blessings from God. We can take note of the outstanding statistics which our Country has recorded – the highest annual Wage Bill, the most Business Licenses issued in any year, and the largest number of Jobs, Workers and Social Security Contributors ever in its history were recorded for the year ended 2017.
My Team Unity Government recognizes that our beloved country has come this far by faith and a lot of prayer.
We recognize the power of prayer and the doors it can open; in turn, our consistent, fervent prayer for a better St. Kitts and Nevis empowers us in Opening Doors and Creating Opportunities Through Service and Empowerment.
Our nation was able to overcome trials, tribulations and suffering by placing its trust firmly in God and saying as Job did, “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” (Job 42:2, New International Version). Indeed, I do believe that it was God’s divine purpose that secured a Team Unity victory on February 16th, 2015.
Honoured and humbled by God’s abiding grace, my administration seeks to inculcate in our nation a national and personal commitment to furthering God’s will, which is that we should love Him with all our heart, soul and mind, and love each other as much as we love ourselves and as He has loved us.
We have therefore designated a National Day of Prayer and Fasting for Monday, September 3rd to inspire and elevate in all of us faith, hope and love – in and for God, our fellow citizens, residents and neighbours, as well as our beautiful country.
What is Prayer?
Prayer is the sincere raising of the heart and mind to God. The word “sincere” is emphasized because prayer is not merely what comes from the lips but what comes from the heart and mind. Our prayer must be unceasing; this means that our spirit must always be attuned to God, whether at work or play. The act of praying is changing a situation for the better. In the context of nation building, our acts – of love, service, patriotism and pride for country, as well as giving of our utmost best – are a prayer that God is pleased with.
Why pray?
Paul writing to Timothy had this to say “Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.” (1 Timothy 2:8, New International Version)
The power of prayer resonates in the Bible. Daniel prayed 3 times per day. In his moment of great challenge and threat of bodily harm, his prayer overwhelmed the hungry lions and they did not hurt him. Prayer delivered Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. The walls of Jericho fell flat as a result of the power of prayer.
Daniel reminds us why we should pray.
Daniel 9:18 “…We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.”
I invite you to join me in prayer this Monday and every day thereafter to acknowledge the great things God has done and the great things He shall continue to do for us as we continue to do His will.
May God bless the people of St. Kitts and Nevis. I thank you.
