27th March 2020 – Day 1 of the Government-initiated lockdown to curb the spread of Coronavirus COVID-19.

Impophomo is committed to supporting those in need through this time of the lockdown. We will be acting to provide:

1. Material aid and support for those facing dire need
2. Helpful information on Coronavirus COVID-19 and related issues
3. Spiritual support and promoting unity, in order to stand together and face the challenges.

This is the first in a series of posts. Please read, follow and share those posts which you find helpful on whichever social platform you prefer.

“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 I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

2 Chronicles 7:14

“And after the entire nation (men) had been circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed” – Joshua 5:8

All men hurt in the same place. The nation was immobilized, on “lock-down”. God called their attention to Himself.

As the nation goes into “lock-down”, beginning 26 March 2020, might God be calling us to attention as a nation. At this time, what does God expect of ambassadors of His Kingdom? How might we respond together as a corporate body of Christ to this national and global pandemic?

Above all the precautionary measures concerning COVD19, we need a robust Bible-based and Holy Spirit-led prayer strategy. While God is sovereign, He requires us to take responsibility. Moreover, He has graciously availed to us the resource of prayer. In prayer we may participate in Jesus Christ’s ministry to the broken, wounded, marginalised and hopeless of our communities and nation at such a time as this.

It is in this respect that we would like to appeal to you and all members of the body of Christ to join with us on a 21-day prayer proclamation referred to here as “Called to Pray”. As we prepare ourselves to pray together, we soberly acknowledge that we are called to:

• Pray humbly. We are in the wrong and God is right in all things. May we confess our sins – our families, communities, nations and the global family. We and our leaders have not heeded to God’s counsel: “Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws” (Daniel 9:5-6). Let us return to God through Christ in repentance;

• Pray in accordance with God’s Word. We are a people of the Word. Our prayer derives from God’s word Jesus. As we pray we recognize that not only does the “entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ” (Colossians 2:9) but that we “have been filled by him” and that “he is the head overt every ruler and authority,” and every name that will ever be named including COVID19;

• Pray in dependence on the Holy Spirit. We are people of the Spirit, led by God’s Spirit. We may not pray as earnestly, as fervently, and as effectively unless we are in submission to the urging of the Holy Spirit who works within us: ^“ In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27 NIV);

• Pray more corporately. We are the body of Christ, knit together in in Christ. May we arise as one. “If any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, having the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose” (Philippians 2:1-2);

• Pray with wisdom. We are a people made by a wise God, called to speak and act wisely, and live prudently: ^“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17 NIV). With information on COVID19 churched out by every minute, may we lean of God’s wisdom to distinguish what to embrace for ourselves and share with others;

• Pray as those who love their neighbours. We are people loved by God, and called to love. Love constrains us to refrain from speech that instils anxiety and fear, to act responsibly in light of all precautions concerning the virus, and to offer support in prayer and kind to those infected and affected without putting them, our families and ourselves at further risk: “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died” (2 Corinthians 5:14);

• Pray and be watchful. We are a people called to vigilance – “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). We are not ignorant of the guiles his guiles and empowered by the Holy Spirit and God’s word to resist him and withstand his advances to “steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10 NIV) lives and livelihoods. May we as soldiers of the Kingdom of God be “strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” and “put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:10-11). In prayer we may nullify Satan’s plans to instrumentalize COVID19 to cause untold suffering and loss of life;

• Pray as those who by faith lean on grace. We are a people of faith. Without faith we unable to please God and therefore without capacity to do that which He has called us to do. Faith has accessed us grace by which we are saved. Faith likewise grants us capacity to witness to Christ in word, life, deed and those acts by which God manifests His power beyond our abilities and resources: “But by grace, I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10 CSB).

An Invitation to you. We, our families and church communities have determined to set aside time to pray daily effectively from 26 March 2020 We are extending this invitation to you, your family and church community to set aside time convenient to pray at your homes.

• A 21-day concerted prayer call – begins 26 March till 15 April 2020, God willing
• Follow our Facebook, Instagram or Twitter accounts. On these we will be sharing helpful devotional materials you can make use of in this time.
• Comment on these platforms with any needs or prayer requests so we can address unique needs that may arise, where possible, and agree with you in prayer.

This post written by Maclean Dlodlo of Umsizi Sustainable Solutions (Pty) Ltd.