The World Day of Prayer (WDP) service, with service materials written by Zimbabwe women, was held at Park Place in Canora. Organizers reported that attendance was excellent, and the meeting place was full.
After welcome and greetings by Pastor Mavis Watson, the Prayer of Praise was shared from Zimbabwe:
鈥淕od of peace and freedom, we welcome you in our midst.
鈥淲e praise you for your love which surpasses all understanding.
鈥淲e praise you for who you are now and forever.
鈥淵ou are an amazing God.
鈥淐reator God, we praise you for the natural resources we are called to care for, like the vegetation, minerals, big animals, waterfalls and forests of Zimbabwe.
鈥淵ou are a gracious God.
鈥淛esus, we praise you for the gifts of respect, human dignity, the love for one another, and for the friendliness of Zimbabwe鈥檚 hardworking people.
鈥淵ou are the Bread of Life.鈥�
鈥淗oly Spirit, we praise you for enabling us to gather in worship in Zimbabwe and around the world.
鈥淵ou are the Spirit of truth to unify us in prayers and action. Amen鈥�
The information provided stated that, 鈥淪ince 2017, Zimbabwe has been going through changes in government. People, ecumenical organizations and churches are actively raising awareness for a peaceful transition.
鈥淭he 2018 national election saw a great number of young people and first-time voters,鈥� the information continued. 鈥淎nd peacefully, we went to the polls, even though tensions were still present afterwards. We continue praying and educating ourselves to be peace builders, and standing for reconciliation in our land.鈥�
Pastor Watson shared the sermon, 鈥淲hat do you Want,鈥� based on John 5: 2-9, where a man who had been an invalid for 38 years was healed in the healing waters at Bethesda with encouragement and forgiveness of his sins from Jesus.
鈥淲e see throughout scripture that Jesus did this on a couple of occasions,鈥� said Watson. 鈥淭he Gospel of Mark gives an account in Chapter 2 of when Jesus was in Capernaum, and a paralytic was brought to him on a pallet. But the house was so full that his friends couldn鈥檛 get through to Jesus.
鈥淪o what did they do? They were determined to get help for their friend. So they climbed onto the roof of that house, broke open the ceiling and lowered the paralytic down into the house from a hole in the roof.
鈥淲ell Jesus didn鈥檛 just heal the man. No, in fact the first thing that He did was to forgive him of his sins. Then He healed him.
鈥淲e can note that on this occasion as well, Jesus is in the midst of where the people are gathered, this time, at the Pool of Bethesda. There lays another paralytic man,鈥� continued Watson. 鈥淲e are told that he has been there for 38 years waiting for the stirring of the miracle waters so that he might fall into the pool, guaranteeing his healing. But this time, The Healer himself is amongst them. And Jesus walks up to the man and strikes up an interesting conversation. He asks him, 鈥淒o you want to be healed?鈥� Odd question considering where they are.
鈥淣ote that this event also took place on the Sabbath, for which Jesus was severely criticized by the religious leaders. But that wasn鈥檛 unusual. Being Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus knew the rules and decided that what matters is people. When limits deter us from reaching out to those around us who are in need, then those directives must be challenged. For they have moved from the realm of dictates to the realm of graceless law. And Jesus came to fulfill the Law.
鈥淏ut Jesus always knows what He鈥檚 doing. When He asks the man, 鈥淒o you want to be healed?鈥� He is challenging him to consider what 小蓝视频 made well will do to him, how it will affect his life and his lifestyle.
鈥淏ecause, you see, big life changes always bring about significant challenges that we rarely consider when answering the question of whether or not we really want that change. Things would have changed drastically and suddenly for this paralytic man. He would be expected to no longer be a burden on society or his family, to become a labourer, a worker and a contributor who would now help others.
鈥淎nd so Jesus cuts to the heart of the matter with him before He offers to say, 鈥淭ake up his mat and walk.鈥�
鈥淭he Lord is still putting out the challenge even to us today. He is saying, 鈥淚f you don鈥檛 have to live with a particular difficulty; if you don鈥檛 have to struggle with it; if you don鈥檛 have to suffer from it, then why would you? I am here to challenge you to consider My offer of a changed life, all you have to do is to say, 鈥榊es.鈥欌��
鈥淪o I would make that challenge to us today, why not see what the Lord can do for us; what He has in store for us. Why not take up our bed and walk? Walk away by faith from the things in ourselves that we are tired of having afflict us and trust Jesus to heal them. I know He is well able to and I am certain that He wants to. Let鈥檚 pray.鈥�
鈥淎nd like the man let down through the roof by his friends, Jesus is the forgiver of sins.
鈥淚 am encouraged to see what Jesus has in store for us. My sins are forgiven; I have been redeemed. Why then, would I shy away from any possible future and blessing from the Lord.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to become too comfortable in my difficulties that I miss out on what God has for me.
鈥淲hen Jesus asks me what I want, my answer will be, 鈥淚 want You, Lord, and all that You have for me.鈥�
鈥淎尘别苍.鈥�
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