South Sudanese in Kenya pray for peace

The Episcopal Church of Sudan and South Sudan in Kenya conducted a two-day prayer-for-peace meeting in Nakuru, in the Rift Valley in Kenya.

Retired clergy of Episcopal Church of South Sudan, Bor diocese, bishop Nathaniel Garang Anyieth led the fasting and prayers for the nation, together with two other bishops, Bishop Joseph Maker Atot of Pacong diocese, and chairman of Bahr el Ghazal cluster, and Bishop Abraham Yel Nhial of Aweil diocese, together with many other pastors.

The organizer of the meeting, Canon Mark Atem Thuc told TCT that the fasting and prayers for the nation was called due to a repeated vision to one pastor that South Sudan is full of evil, so much witchcraft and idolatry is the cause of turmoil in the country and God is angry.

The last warning was that next crisis that will hit South Sudan will be worse than this if there is no repentance, he said. In the meeting, Bishop Nathaniel Garang Anyieth urged South Sudanese to pray for the nation and unite as one people, children and people of God, regardless of their background.

He added that it is only through prayer to God that the land can be healed. When such crisis comes, children of God turn to prayers and stop talking, stop blaming one another, said bishop Garang. Bishop Maker said South Sudan is in crisis because of sin, the people have broken God’s laws and forgotten God who brought them out from Sudan. Sin separate us from God, sin divides us, sin makes us to be destroyed, Atot said. He said that it was time for South Sudanese, regardless of their positions, age and class, to repent and forgive one another.

Bishop Abraham Yel challenged the congregation not to accept ethnic and political divisions, whether created by political leaders or religious leaders. Yel added that South Sudanese must listen to God’s voice and follow His ways. He called on the international community and neighboring countries to continue praying and supporting South Sudan.

During prayers Canon Mark Atem symbolically prayed for the South Sudan flag, saying that the flag had caused pain, killed innocent children, many villages had been closed, many children remained orphans, many women had become widows and some lost their body parts; “why are we still dying because of this flag”?, he asked. A similar prayer meeting was held in Nairobi in the Jesus Lives Church Ministries, led by Pastor Grace Dalizu.

The meeting was attended by hundreds of South Sudanese residents in Nairobi, including the ambassador Majok Guandong, his wife, and ambassador James Morgan. The church set aside 72 hours for prayers, which was chracterised by vigils and night long prayers, pleading with God to intervene in South Sudan. The ambassador led the meetig in releasing four white doves as a sign of releasing peace to the four corners of South Sudan.