PRAYING FOR THE 2021 ELECTIONS, THE GOVERNANCE SPHERE AND THE FUTURE OF UGANDA, AND DEDICATING THE NEW DECADE
19th August – 7th October 2020
FRIDAY, 21st AUGUST 2020 – YOUTH AND CHILDREN
PRAYER GUIDE
ISAIAH 51:15-16 (NKJV)
15But I am the Lord your God,
Who divided the sea whose waves roared—
The Lord of hosts is His name.
16And I have put My words in your mouth; [Emphasis Added]
I have covered you with the shadow of My hand,
That I may plant the heavens,
Lay the foundations of the earth, [Emphasis Added]
And say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’”
JEREMIAH 1:9,10 (ESV)
Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me,
“Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.
See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to break down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.”
GUIDING TEXT FOR THE FASTING SEASON
ISAIAH 32:1-8
1Behold, a king will reign in righteousness,
And princes will rule with justice.
2A man will be as a hiding place from the wind,
And a cover from the tempest,
As rivers of water in a dry place,
As the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.
3The eyes of those who see will not be dim,
And the ears of those who hear will listen.
4Also the heart of the rash will understand knowledge,
And the tongue of the stammerers will be ready to speak plainly.
5The foolish person will no longer be called generous,
Nor the miser said to be bountiful;
6For the foolish person will speak foolishness,
And his heart will work iniquity:
To practice ungodliness,
To utter error against the Lord,
To keep the hungry unsatisfied,
And he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.
7Also the schemes of the schemer are evil;
He devises wicked plans
To destroy the poor with lying words,
Even when the needy speaks justice.
8But a generous man devises generous things,
And by generosity he shall stand.
WEEK ONE (19th – 25th August 2020)
| Day of the Week | Date | Area of Focus |
| Wednesday | 19th August 2020 | Personal Preparation |
| Thursday | 20th August 2020 | Family Leaders |
| Friday | 21st August 2020 | Youth and Children |
| Saturday | 22nd August 2020 | The Elderly and Disabled |
| Sunday | 23rd August 2020 | Church Leadership |
| Monday | 24th August 2020 | Culture and Values |
| Tuesday | 25th August 2020 | Community Leadership |
SCRIPTURES FOR PRAYER AND PROCLAMATION
PSALM 127:3-5
3Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.
4Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.
5Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed,
But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.
JEREMIAH 1:5
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.
MARK 10:13-16
13Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them;
but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
14But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them;
for of such is the kingdom of God.
15Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no
means enter it.” 16And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.
MATTHEW 18:1-6
At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
MATTHEW 18:10
See that you do not despise one of these little ones.
For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.
PSALM 8:2
Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength,
Because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger.
Proverbs 14:28
A large population is a king’s glory, but without subjects a prince is ruined.
From the Scriptures above it is obvious that children have a special place in God’s heart, and Africa has plenty of them. Africa is the world’s youngest continent in terms of average age. The population in Africa is rapidly growing and is projected to continue doing so for the next century. It is anticipated that over half of global population growth between now and 2050 will take place in Africa. Compared with other continents, Africa has the highest fertility, with around 4.7 births per woman against a global figure of 2.5. In Niger, which has the fastest population growth in the world, the average birth rate is 7.6 children with a life expectancy of 58 years, resulting in the average age of 14.8. Uganda is the world’s second youngest country with an average age of 15.9. The top three is completed by Chad, where the median age is 16.
Nigeria currently the world’s seventh largest country is projected to overtake the United States and become the third most populous country in the world shortly before 2050. In 1950, only 9% of the world’s population was African. Beyond 2050, Africa is expected to be the only region still experiencing “substantial population growth,” as such the continent’s share of the global population could rise from 17% at present to 40% by 2100.
An increasing working-age population is a major opportunity for economic growth in Africa. The World Bank estimates that this demographic dividend could generate 11-15% GDP growth between 2011 and 2030. Africa’s youthful population can, and must become a blessing and not a curse.
WORSHIP FOCUS: GOD THE CREATOR AND SOURCE OF LIFE
Praise God for the opportunity He has given us to partner with Him in raising the next generation.
THANKSGIVING
- Appreciate God for the gift of children in the nation, who together with the youth form the largest part of the population of Uganda and are the future of the nation.
- Thank God for all who have ministry among children and youth, and organisations such as Scripture Union, FOCUS, World Vision and Compassion International that have for decades, invested time and resources into discipling the young generation.
PROCLAMATIONS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH
Psalm 144:11,12
11Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners,
Whose mouth speaks lying words,
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood—
12That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth;
That our daughters may be as pillars,
Sculptured in palace style
Behold, God is helping Uganda and Africa to raise her children and youth to fulfill destiny and find their place in the 21st Century. They will be taught of the Lord and great will be their peace. Under the leadership of the fathers and mothers God is raising for our society and for the church they will learn righteousness and justice. They will be discipled in the ways of the Lord. Uganda and Africa’s children will be protected from the winds and covered from the storms that are buffeting their generation. They will find safety, security, love and acceptance in the homes and new societies that God is raising. They will find inspiration and true mentorship and guidance from the fathers and mothers, who will be a source of refreshment and renewal as rivers of water in a dry place.
Our children and youth will be given the opportunities to develop to their full potential.
Their eyes and ears will be opened so that their eyes will not be dim, neither will their ears be dull. Those who are rash, careless and ignorant will gain understanding of knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers will be trained to speak plainly.
As a result our sons will mature early in wisdom like plants grown up in their youth; and our daughters will have dignity and self-respect as pillars, sculptured in palace style. Child molesters and abusers, pimps, abortionists and all who practice iniquity and ungodliness against children and youths will have no place in the new season that is emerging. Our youth will be delivered from the influence of strange cultures and mannerisms. As a result of what God is doing among the youth and children, Uganda and Africa shall not be ashamed, but rather will speak confidently with the enemies who come to our gates.
