Central African Republic | pastor ivanildo

On my first trip to Africa in 2006 I met a young man who aspired to be a rap artist. He was at a Cyber Café in Bangui, the Capital of the Central African Republic, together with his friends, and right then and there he improvised a little show featuring some of his compositions. Then he walked over to the front door with a visible limp, lowered his head and told me, “My uncle put a curse on me.”

Now I can’t say whether that young man’s limp was a result of a curse by his uncle. It could be that he got polio or even more likely that he ate some manioc root that still had some cyanide in it, a common mistake that still plagues people in that part of the world.

I remembered this story as I was studying to prepare for a message on “generational curses.” Now granted, that young man’s story is not directly related to this topic but it illustrates the idea that humans often tend to explain physical things by appealing to a supernatural force outside of themselves.

What I have found in Scriptures is that Satan does not curse anyone nor does he cast a spell on anyone. Whenever the words for “cursing” are found in the Bible it is either God or man who is doing the cursing. And when God curses, He usually curses the ground or nature, not people. In other words, God does not curse a family so that descendants will carry a type of cancer or Lou Gehrig’s disease for generations to come. In fact, when the disciples asked who sinned that a man should be born blind, Jesus basically said, “No one.”

A verse is often used to lend support to the idea of “generational curses.” It is Exodus 34:7 “…maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.” But a critical part of this verse is left out. The full formula is given to us in Exodus 20:5-6: “You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” (Exodus 20:5-6, emphasis added).

When you understand this concept in its full context, it is obvious that one has to choose to continue to sin in order to receive the punishment. Thank God, obedience cancels the “curse.” No curse has a life of its own, casting spells in an unrestrained fashion, totally oblivious to the actions of the people it intends to harm. This is a foreign concept to Scriptures.

I repeat: In Scriptures, whenever cursing occurs, it is either man or God who is doing the cursing. Satan is not cruising around in a chariot dispensing curses to whoever he pleases. This, however, does not mean that sin has no consequences; quite the contrary. Sin casts a long shadow which often reaches down through generations. But that is a different story. Individuals have to make a choice to sin. Satan has to be invited in and when he comes he brings a truckload of menacing spirits with him.

Often we don’t know enough of the history of our ancestors to know if they gave Satan the red carpet or even let him in through the back door. You have to look for patterns and if you see them, you have to take it upon yourself to renounce the sins of the past, whether you can name them specifically or not. An unforgiving heart that causes divisions and quarrels through generations is often a strong sign. Physical and sexual abuse also provides clues. Substance abuse should warn us. You have to do your home work, but when in doubt, do like Job, who after his children had their parties and merry-making, prayed and offered sacrifices on behalf of his children, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” (Job 1:5). The text says that this was Job’s regular custom.

May we learn to develop that habit as well. I am afraid most of us need it more than we care to admit.

If the Lord brings some specific sins that were committed by your ancestors to mind, the thing to do is to renounce them outright. A prayer from the book The Bondage Breaker, by Neil Anderson, might help here:

“I here and now reject and disown all the sins of my ancestors. I specifically renounce the sins of (list the areas of family sin the Lord revealed to you). As one who has now been delivered from the domain of darkness into the Kingdom of God’s Son, I cancel out all demonic working that has been passed down to me from my family. As one who has been crucified and raised with Jesus Christ and who sits with Him in heavenly places, I renounce all satanic assignments that are directed toward me and my ministry. I announce to Satan and all his forces that Christ became a curse for me when He died for my sins on the cross. I reject any and every way in which Satan may claim ownership of me. I belong to the Lord Jesus Christ who purchased me with His own blood. I declare myself to be fully and eternally signed over and committed to the Lord Jesus Christ. By the authority I have in Christ, I now command every familiar spirit and every enemy of the Lord Jesus that is influencing me to leave my presence. I commit myself to my heavenly Father to do His will from this day forward.”

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade

I – Invocation (5 minutes)

Reading: Psalm 67

1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us—

2 so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.

3 May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you.

4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples with equity and guide the nations of the earth.

5 May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you.

6 The land yields its harvest; God, our God, blesses us.

7 May God bless us still, so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.

Prayer Requests:

Pray that God will be present during this time;

Pray that God will fill your heart and thoughts and allow you to focus on the reasons you are spending this time in concentrated prayer for the people of the Central African Republic (C.A.R.)

Pray that God will give you a genuinely sympathetic heart toward the people of the C.A.R. so that you will be moved to ACT on behalf of those who are suffering there now.

II – Supplication (25 minutes)

A. A prayer for the people of the C.A.R., based on Psalm 86

Hear, O Lord, and answer the prayers for the people of the C.A.R., for they are poor and needy.
Guard their life, for they are faithful to you; save your servants who trust in you.
You are their God;have mercy on them, Lord, for they call to you all day long. Bring joy to your servants, Lord, for they put their trust in you.

You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.
Hear my prayer, Lord; listen to my cry for mercy. Since they are in distress, I call to you, because you answer prayers.

Among the gods there is none like you, Lord; no deeds can compare with yours.All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name. For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God.

Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward them; you have delivered them from the depths before, from the realm of the dead.

Arrogant foes are attacking them, O God; ruthless people are killing indiscriminately – they have no regard for you. But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Turn to them and have mercy on them; show your strength in behalf of your servants;
save them, because they serve you just as their parents did. Give them a sign of your goodness, that their enemies may see it and be put to shame, for you, Lord, have helped them and comforted them before.

Prayer Requests:

Pray for the people from all churches who are now homeless and exposed to the elements. Pray that they will be able to return to their homes soon;

Pray for the violence to stop, following the resignation of the interim President and former rebel leader. Pray also for the interim head of State, Alexandre-Ferdinand Nguendet, who will be in power for a maximum of 15 days;

Pray for Dr. Augustin Hibale, a Grace Brethren pastor who works with key men in strategic leadership positions in the country;

Pray for Dr. Ngumape, head of the Seminary there, who also deals with influential people in the country;

Pray for Pastor Joseph Ndomale, who pastors the largest church in the C.A.R., which is now the provisional home for many thousands of refugees;

Pray for Simon-Pierre Nadjilao, President of the Union of Grace Brethren Churches in the C.A.R.;

Pray for Ginger Hock, administrator for Encompass Worldpartners’ work in the C.A.R.;

Pray for Barb Wooler, who has been appointed to head up relief efforts to our suffering brothers and sisters of the C.A.R. at this time;

Pray for the family (wife and five young children) of Teacher Valery of the Ladoumie Hand in Hand (HnH) orphan school was shot and killed on Saturday, January 11, 2014.

Pray for reconciliation between neighbors and former friends who are Muslims and Christians and may have participated in violence against each other;

Pray that there will be no more acts of retaliation between these two main religious groups;

Pray that God will bind up the wounds and bring healing to those who are still physically affected by the violence.

B. A Prayer for Justice (15 minutes)

The Bible says that vengeance belongs to the Lord. Though we see no point in violence that results in more violence, it is appropriate to ask God to act in accordance with His own standards of justice, as the Psalmist expresses here.

Reading: Psalm 94

1 The Lord is a God who avenges. O God who avenges, shine forth.

2 Rise up, Judge of the earth; pay back to the proud what they deserve.

3 How long, Lord, will the wicked, how long will the wicked be jubilant?

4 They pour out arrogant words; all the evildoers are full of boasting.

5 They crush your people, Lord; they oppress your inheritance.

6 They slay the widow and the foreigner; they murder the fatherless.

7 They say, “The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob takes no notice.”

8 Take notice, you senseless ones among the people; you fools, when will you become wise?

9 Does he who fashioned the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see?

10 Does he who disciplines nations not punish? Does he who teaches mankind lack knowledge?

11 The Lord knows all human plans; he knows that they are futile.

12 Blessed is the one you discipline, Lord, the one you teach from your law;

13 you grant them relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked.

14 For the Lord will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance.

15 Judgment will again be founded on righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it.

16 Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?

17 Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.

18 When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.

19 When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.

20 Can a corrupt throne be allied with you— a throne that brings on misery by its decrees?

21 The wicked band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.

22 But the Lord has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.

23 He will repay them for their sins and destroy them for their wickedness; the Lord our God will destroy them.

Prayer Requests:

Pray that the hands of the evil doers will be stopped;

Pray that those who perpetrated evil acts against innocent people will be brought to justice;

Pray that children who are orphaned, people who are disabled because of the violence, and people who are displaced will find help during this time of desperate need;

Pray that the “hound of heaven” will relentlessly pursue those whose evil intents turned to malevolent acts so that they will be brought to their knees and surrender their lives to the true God and His Son, Jesus Christ;

Pray that the children who are involved with the Project Hope and Charity (schools and health care for orphans) will be able to re-enter their program without any delay. Pray that funding will continue to support these schools;

Pray that those who are intent on exacting justice with their own hands will have a change of heart;

Pray for many evangelical pastors who have to provide counsel and encourage restrain with a population that is motivated by hatred at this time.

C. A Prayer of Hope (10 minutes)

Reading: Psalm 95:1-7

Psalm 95

1 Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.

3 For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods.

4 In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.

5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.

6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;

7 for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.

Romans 15:13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer Requests:

Pray that the church of Jesus Christ in the C.A.R. will rise again with renewed commitment and integrity to serve God and spread the Good News there and in surrounding countries;

Pray that young people will not lose heart in the face of this crucible. Pray that that their faith in God’s goodness and faithfulness will emerge even stronger;

Pray that Christians in the U.S. will understand how to remain involved and when to pull back from the work in the C.A.R. so that the work of God in that country will not be impeded;

Pray that the people will be able to go back to their homes and farms so they can resume their lives and plant the crops needed to provide food for their families in the future. Pray that people will be generous in providing emergency food and shelter to people who are unable to help themselves right now.

Pray for an unprecedented outpouring of the Spirit of God in the hearts of every believer in the C.A.R., resulting in a powerful harvest for Christ and His Kingdom.

IV. Concluding prayer (5 minutes)

Psalm 90

1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.

2 Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

3 You turn people back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.”

4 A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.

5 Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death— they are like the new grass of the morning:

6 In the morning it springs up new, but by evening it is dry and withered.

17 May the favorof the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands.

Prepared by Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade

January 14, 201

International Day of Solidarity for the CAR — January 20.

More information at Encompass WorldPartners

The Emergency Situation Demands a World-wide Response.

You have been hearing about the growing humanitarian crisis in the Central African Republic and wonder how you can help people in such deep need:

There are over 1 million people who are displaced.
60% of the population of Bangui is sleeping in refugee camps.
Food is in short supply. It is estimated that 65% of the population is experiencing severe food shortages.
Over 1000 people were killed last month in Bangui alone.

What can be done? Join us by setting aside Monday, Jan. 20, as a day of prayer. During this International Day of Solidarity with those in the CAR, we will focus on praying for peace in that country. We will also be asking God to provide the means to help us deliver one million pounds (500,000 kilos) of food aid to those in the greatest need.

In the next week, we will be sending additional information on how you can sign up for a time-slot for prayer plus a helpful e-sheet with tips on how to structure your day (or specific time) of prayer.

Begin now by asking for God’s leading in your involvement on International Day of Solidarity.

Read the latest reports coming from the CAR:

BBC news update (Jan. 9): http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25657816
Ann Curry interview with a child from the CAR (Jan. 8): http://nbcnews.to/1cBQ7OT

Africa Food Relief Project: www.EncompassWorldPartners.org/CAR

Satanic Spells

SPEND AN HOUR IN PRAYER FOR THE SUFFERING PEOPLE OF THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

The Emergency Situation Demands a World-wide Response.