Takatemjen, D.Th
In response to the call of ACAUT to pray on August 25th for the upcoming rally in Dimapur, I would like to propose that one of the immediate concerns for prayer for Nagas today is to pray for God’s justice to dawn in our land. Let justice roll down like a Tsunami (Amos 5:24). We need a Tsunami that will wipe out injustices and corruptions from our land. Fighting Corruption will not be easy. Only a power as mighty as a Tsunami will be able to purge the land of corruptions! The theme of justice is a very important one in the history of God’s people. There are many instances when God’s people pray for God’s judgement from the book of Genesis to Revelation. In Genesis, God said that the blood of Abel called out to him. In Revelation, the blood of the martyrs cry out for justice and the people of God cry out for God’s judgement on the wicked. The redeemed in heaven also pray for judgement to come (Rev 6:10). David, the man after God’s own heart pleaded with God for justice: David prayed, “If only you would slay the wicked, O God!” (Ps 139:19). “Yet my prayer is ever against the deeds of evildoers” (Ps 141:5). “Destroy all my foes” (Ps 143:12). Even the Lord’s prayer, “Thy Kingdom come” and the cry of the church, “Maranatha, come Lord Jesus” is a cry for God’s justice to be established on earth as it is in heaven.
Why should we pray for God’s judgement? Firstly, because, the salvation of one sinner brings glory to God; so also the punishment of the corrupt, the murderers and the wicked. Our prayers for justice is not for personal vindictiveness. No. Like God himself, we do not delight in the death of a sinner because judgement follows his death. And like God, his people cannot bear to see corruption and wickedness growing in the land because where wickedness grows unpunished, there the righteous are filled with fear when the wicked continues to be arrogant. So we pray for God’s mercy to act and to respond to the wicked according to his great power and might. The Bible command us to pray for our leaders. That includes praying that God will remove and punish wicked leaders. As a result of this kind of concern for justice, the Christians in Germany during the Second World War prayed for the death of Hitler. Some even tried to kill him. A pastor called Bonhoeffer was one of the pastors who opposed Hitler. Ultimately he was arrested and executed. That is what is involved in prayer. To be willing to pray for justice means to be willing to go to the extent of giving one’s life for justice. This is what Jesus meant by bearing the cross.
Secondly, prayer for judgement involves repentance. When we pray for the corrupt and the wicked are punished (Acts 5:1-11) then fear will fall upon God’s people leading to repentance. Even the wicked who are judged by God in this way will be led to repentance. That is grace. God is willing to give a chance to the wicked if they repent. So let us be disturbed when we see corruption all around. Let us be disturbed when we see corruption tolerated and even promoted. And let us pray fervently so that God in his mercy will exercise his judgement now so that there will be peace and prosperity in the land and that some may escape the eternal judgement to come.
