29th October, 2006

DAVID ADAMS

Thousands of people across Australia are joining in prayer as the nation experiences its worst drought in 100 years.

Amid reports of desperation on the land - including that a farmer is committing suicide every four days and rising instances of depression among those living in rural areas, in what is believed to be an unprecedented move in Australia the Australian Prayer Network is calling for people all across the country to pray for the nation with a focus not on rain but on seeking God about the reason behind the current drought.

PICTURE: Rjuric (iStockphoto.com) "What we’re doing is we’re trying to get an understanding of what God is saying to us as a nation” - Brian Pickering

Brian Pickering, national co-ordinator of the Australian Prayer Network, says that while previous prayer initiatives had been focused on praying for rain - including in 2003 when up to 100,000 people had taken part in a Year of Prayer for Church and Nation, and in the middle of last year - the current 40 day prayer period, which started on 22nd October and will run until 30th November, was instead aimed at “seeking the face of God”.

“We’ve prayed for rain at different times during the last four years and we’ve watched other people pray for rain and there’s a pattern emerged whereby God does send rain in response to prayer but when the prayer stops so does the rain and the drought continues to get worse in the bigger picture,” he says.

“So we’re saying praying for rain is not the ultimate solution. It might be a temporary solution but it is not the ultimate solution and we need to try and understand what God is saying to us as a nation.

“II Chronicles 7:13 says when the heavens are shut up and there’s no rain, my people, who are called by name, should humble themselves and pray and seek my face, so what we’re doing is we’re trying to get an understanding of what God is saying to us as a nation...”

The prayer network is asking for people across the nation, as they seek God, to feed back what they think God is saying to them, particularly through Scriptures.

“Where we see a Scripture coming through time after time after time, we’ll focus on that as if it’s a word from the Lord,” says Pickering. “And when we collate it all, we’ll feed it back to the nation through our network and say ‘This is what’s God’s been saying to those who have taking part in this process'.”

While it’s hard to estimate how many people will take part in the 40 days of prayer, the prayer network has connections with about 4,800 churches, prayer groups and individuals.

Pickering says that already the network has started to receive emails in response to its call for prayer.

“(C)learly already,” he says, “almost every email that comes in talks about the need to repent. Now there are many different things that people are saying we should be repenting of, nevertheless it certainly indicates that people are clearly hearing that God wants us to repent and turn to Him and change our ways.”

He says that while some emails which are speaking of repentance are addressing many social issues including moral issues like abortion and homosexuality, more are focusing on issues God’s people themselves, addressing issues such as the “loss of relationship with God, the way in which today, within the church, there is not a passion for the things of God”.

“So there is a sense in the hearts of a lot of people who are writing in that we really need to turn back to God as the people of God and, when we do that, other people in the nation will begin to change as well.”

The prayer network believes there will need to be a “national response” to the findings of the 40 days of prayer which could include an event such as a national prayer gathering.

Pickering says while the network has been receiving a “steady flow of emails” for some time calling for prayer concerning the drought - including from people affected by the drought, they had waited to ensure the event coincided with the return of the drought to national news headlines.

“The Prime Minister's starting making statements (and) the media's started covering it again, so we thought now is the time to get people’s focus on it...” he says. “People are now focused on it and we’re taking advantage of that.”

Pickering believes there is a clear link between the physical and spiritual.

“I think if you read the Scripture, there are many references to drought being a way in which God speaks to his people - the classic passage in II Chronicles 7:13:-14 is an example of that,” he says.

“We believe that if God is unhappy with some aspects of a nation’s life, then He allows things to begin to happen which will hopefully will gain the attention of the people. I don’t believe it’s a punishment...I believe it’s Him trying to get our attention and if He can get our attention without tightening the screws on us, I’m sure He would. He moves so slowly - this has been going for five years and it’s only now that we’re starting to say ‘Well, what are you trying to say to us Lord?’. So, He’s very patient but yes, I think there is a direct correlation between the health of the people of God and the health of a nation.”

The network is leaving people to seek God in whatever way they would normally do so but have asked that people refrain from sending in their opinions or theories on such issues as physical reasons for the drought.

“All we have said is try not to give your opinion of why you think we are having drought but ask God, particularly to speak through Scriptures, because I think that’s the purest way of hearing from God,” says Pickering.

“I don’t think any of us can be absolutely certain when we hear the voice of God - some people are more experienced than others - but when God speaks through Scriptures, that’s much clearer.”

He adds that people shouldn’t expect an individual response to their emails to the network.

• Responses to the 40 days of “Seeking the Face of God” should be sent to apn@ausprayernet.org.au.

~ www.ausprayernet.org.au