UNDERSTANDING NATIONAL TRANSFORMATION
National transformation is a panacea for national rebirth. Consequent upon the evil reign of King Ahab of the northern kingdom, the people of Israel had seriously drifted away from God. In contrast to King Asa of Judah, Ahab had been a disappointment to God. By his numerous acts of idolatry, he caused the people to go astray from God, (I Kings 16:29-34). The nation needed to undergo spiritual transformation in order to restore the people back to God. The Lord required a complete change from the apostasy and wickedness rampant in the land. The King and the people must change their ways of life back to the ways and pattern of God. A drastic spiritual surgery must take place to restore the land, her people and their king back to God. They needed a national spiritual transformation.
National transformation can be spiritually described as complete change in the people from ways which are abhorrence to God. God had to bring the Prophet Elijah into the scene in northern Israel to prophesy against the kingdom. At the context on Mount Carmel, Elijah made the people to accept that ‘the Lord, He is God’. Israel then experienced a divine visitation. The flood-gates of heaven opened and the long drought was over. God’s showers of blessings flooded the land. The people were renewed in their faith and relationship with God. Spiritual transformation was quickly followed by physical transformation of Israel.
Underlying the call for national transformation is the establishment of God’s Kingdom in the nations. The establishment of His Kingdom is the manifestation of the sons of God. God wants to establish a nation completely different from the nations of this world, where political-correctness is seen as virtue and the leaders’ motives, most times, are self-aggrandizement, window to public wealth and opportunity to avenge those who might have wronged them.
Two points readily come to focus from the foregoing: the individual and national connection for a nation to undergo transformation. The order, usually, is the individual transformation that precedes the national. At the individual connection, we see men like King Josiah (2 Kings 23), whom God used to restore Israel back to Him, Nehemiah, Ezra, Paul and the fifteen century preacher and teacher, Martin Luther, among others. These were men who wholly yielded to the Lord as instruments of transformation. These men who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness obtained promises (for their generations), and stopped the mouth of lions, (Heb 11:33).
At the national connection, the whole of Nineveh repented after the preaching of Jonah. Thus that nation was delivered from destruction when the people changed their ways of life (Jonah 3:1-10).
BENEFITS OF NATIONAL TRANSFORMATION
Now what benefits accrue to a nation when it has undergone national transformation? We must understand that underlying national transformation is the bringing to pass the divine purpose of salvation, first to Israel, and then to the gentiles. We believe it is part of the wisdom and mercy of God to bring to pass His eternal purpose for mankind ‘for all things must be subjected to Him’ (I Corinthians 15:28).
It Must Start with the Church: Transformation accompanies revival in the Church, Acts of the Apostles 2:41-47; 8:7. When the Church is divinely visited, we expect to see adherence to apostolic doctrine, power manifestation, obedience to the gospel, a giving spirit, increase in church growth, devotion to prayer, evangelistic activities and above all, discipline among believers. Believers would understand better the intercessory role of the Church: that we are called to pray for leaders of the nation and for all those in authority.
In this contemporary time, one commendable benefit is the Church’s involvement in social activities. The Church has taken a holistic view of the gospel. It is expected that churches will be strong in the area of social works: that through rural evangelism, projects such as provision of potable water, health centers, roads and bridges, educational and recreational facilities would be executed.
What of the Nation? National transformation results into national rebirth. God promised restoration to Israel in Jeremiah 33:8; 9:15-16. The state of South Korea is an example of where a nation has experienced national transformation. In the broad sense, benefits of national transformation are manifested thus:
i. Political transformation: Political stability is a rather scarce commodity in most nations of the third world. Political leaders will have to change their ways for political peace in the nation. Political transformation brings about electoral justice and fairness. Leaders will be expected to be service oriented rather than seeing the post or office as means of personal aggrandizement.
ii. Economic transformation: Economic transformation brings about desired transformation in the different sectors of the nation’s economy. We will expect to see increase in economic activities of the nation thereby improving employment in the system and increase in production of goods and services.
iii. Social transformation: This is accompanied by social justice and equitable distribution of wealth within the society.
iv. Physical transformation: This is a situation of rapid development and provision of infrastructures and amenities such as road and rail networks, modern air and seaports, modern health and educational facilities, adequate water supply, affordable and good houses, factories, power plants and other public and government facilities.
CHALLENGES FOR CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIANITY
Four issues readily come into focus:
(1) I Corinthians 15:58: Here we are called to remain steadfast knowing that our labour in the Lord is not in vain.
(2) I Peter 2:21: We are called to follow the footstep of our Master and Lord. While on earth, Jesus went about doing good. The Master has left us the greatest example to follow. Our light must shine for the world to see and glorify our Father in heaven.
(3) Luke 18:1-8: The Lord will be looking for faithful believers at the time of His return. As believers, we gain and learn from this parable of the poor widow and the unjust judge. First, our own Judge is unlike the wicked one in the parable. Second, the widow’s faith and reliance upon the legal system. We have an advocate for us in the Heavenly Court and hence boldness to enter into battle against the enemy. Third, her persistent desire to have her enemies punished. Our God will definitely avenge us of all the enemies of our soul and the Church.
(4) Luke 18:1-8: When the Master comes back; He will be looking for faith. This is a call for consistency of believers. We must never give into despair, pessimism and prayerlessness.
(5) I Timothy 2:1-4: The role of the Church in intercessory prayers for those in leadership positions in order for peace, tranquility and salvation of souls to be facilitated. All churches and believers are under a divine mandate to make this issue of prayer for leadership a top most priority.
When we start experiencing all these on a sustained basis, then we would have started to enjoy the fruits of national transformation.
PRAYING FOR DIVINE VISITATION
These are certain needful things a nation or people need to do when they are seeking the face of God for a divine visitation for national transformation. Nehemiah shows us how he sourced for divine intervention for Israel in his days.
Please let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, that you may hear the prayer of your servant which I pray before you now, day and night, for the children of Israel your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against you. Both my father’s house and I have sinned. Nehemiah 1:6
What was true in Nehemiah’s day is true today. A repentant Church, confessing the sins of the nation before God, is Burundi’s only hope. Abraham Lincoln the godly America’s president recognized this truth. During the darkness days of America’s Civil War, he summoned the people to “recognize the hand of God in the terrible visitation” and to a “sorrowful remembrance of our own faults and crimes as a nation and as individuals to humble ourselves before Him and to pray for His mercy to pray that we may be spared further punishment, through most justly deserved”.
President Lincoln gave this warning in his proclamation of March 30, 1863:
“It is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God and to confess their sins and transgression in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon”.
You may think this kind of thing took place only in the distant past. To the contrary, instances of identificational repentance have multiplied. Look at this remarkable statement made by President Chiluba of Zambia as the State House in Lusaka on December 29, 1991. I quote in part:
“As you remember my first function after I was sworn in as the President of Zambia was to pray to my Heavenly Father. That was not just a part of the ceremony, but it was a prayer of thankfulness borne out of my personal convictions that the change we have witnessed in Zambia in 1991 has only been possible because of the grace of God. It is therefore only natural, that we have this solemn occasion here today, whereby I, on behalf of the Zambia nation enter into covenant with the one true God, whose love and saving grace is revealed in God the Son, Jesus Christ”.
President Chiluba went on to quote Jeremiah 7:23 (NIV).
“I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you that it may go well with you”.
After further explanation of biblical texts and concepts, the President concluded in prayer.
“Dear God, as a nation we now come to your throne of grace, and we humble ourselves and admit our guilt. We repent from all our wicked ways of idolatry, witchcraft the occult, immorality, injustice and corruption and all other sins that have violated your righteous laws. We turn away from all this and renounce it all in Jesus Name. We ask for forgiveness and cleansing through the blood of Jesus. Therefore we thank you that you will hear us and that you will heal our land. We pray that you will send healing restoration, revival, blessing and prosperity to Zambia. Amen”.
CONDITIONS FOR TRUE INTERCESSION
The great intercessors of the Bible all approached God with a genuine sense of shame and embarrassment. They did not come into God’s presence in order to cover up sin, but to agree with His assessment of it, to face with stark honesty the wickedness of the culture around them.
“And like their bow they have bent their tongues for lies. They are not valiant for the truth on the earth. For they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me, “says the LORD. “Everyone take heed to his neighbor, and do not trust any brother; for every neighbor will walk with slanderers. Everyone will deceive his neighbor, and will not speak the truth. They have taught their tongue to speak lies. They weary themselves to commit iniquity”- Jer. 9:3-5
Intercession is not an escape from reality. Our communication with God must be rooted in the truth, the eternal truth of His holy standards and the awful truth about the Burundian society as God sees it. The intercessor also identifies with the sin of the people by expressing remorse and penitence as if he has personally contributed to God’s grief.
OUR CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men. For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour. Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth? (I Tim. 2:1-4).
Every Christian is to intercede for his nation so that there should be good governance and peace. It is only in the atmosphere of peace and harmony that development can occur. Indeed this is the most important and primary prayer point for every believer even before praying for our personal needs and the needs of our families.
Where rulers are evil, iniquity will abound and this could frustrate the plans of God and cause anarchy. We are enjoined to pray for all our leaders and people in authority that God may instill His fear and righteousness in them to foster good works on God’s behalf. A nation whose rulers are idolaters and cultists or spiritualists will receive due judgment. Righteousness exalts a nation whilst sin is a reproach.
We need to pray for all persons in authority: the president and his vices, governors, administrators, legislators, judges, ministers and heads of various government establishments, vice-chancellors, headmasters, teachers, the police, the military, the customs, the judiciary, the politicians, even heads of private companies and institutions, that they may all hear the word of God and become men who fear God and know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. It is a high calling to be a prayer warrior/intercessor for our land and her people.
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