Father, there is a way that seems right to a man but in the end it leads to destruction.
First, let me say that I thank you for giving our nation good leadership. We live in an imperfect world with imperfect people and as a result we have imperfect leaders. Nonetheless, we as a people have lived in a peaceful atmosphere and have received many privileges and opportunities not enjoyed by people in other countries.
I lift my Prime Minister Freundel Stuart to you, as he is the person who has been given the hard yet privileged opportunity to lead our country. I ask, Lord, that you would reveal yourself to him. I ask that you would teach him your voice so that he is able to decipher your voice from his and from the devils. I ask that he would humble his heart and receive your guidance and direction.
I ask that you would remove every distraction that would cloud his judgement, and surround him with people who have the country’s best interests at heart and want the best for us citizens. Fill him with wisdom and understanding and give him the ability to lead his Cabinet with integrity, truth, firmness, fairness and righteousness.
I lift Leader of the Opposition Mia Mottley before you. I ask, Lord, that you give her the ability to lead her team. As she prepares in the future to lead this country, I ask Lord that in her quiet times you would speak to her about areas in her life she needs to strengthen, people she needs to release from her inner circle, new relationships and networks she needs to start and areas she needs to change. Reveal your love, forgiveness and blessings to her and fill her with knowledge, understanding and righteousness in this season of preparation so that at the due time she would be ready to lead.
I lift Minister of Education Ronald Jones to you as he holds a critical position in determining the future of this country. His ministry determines the stability, security, sustainability and progress of this nation. I ask God that you fill him with humility and grace and give him the foresight and insight into what is needed and is relevant to the development of our people through education.
Father, as a stakeholder in the education system, I see the weaknesses in the system; I see the burdens and challenges teachers and principals face; I see the poor and declining performance, behaviour and the lack of interest from our students; I see a need for change and restructuring of the entire system.
We the taxpayers pay for the educating of our people, thereby becoming shareholders, yet we as a people do not receive any yearly reports on their performance. Our CXC results are poor; yet we continue to pump hundreds of millions of dollars into a regressive system. Lord, I ask that you give the minister boldness to make the hard but necessary decisions as well as publish yearly results of our children’s CXC performance so we as a nation can get a true picture of what is happening.
Lord, many of us declare we are Christians but justice, love, forgiveness, kindness, honesty, righteousness and humility are not members of our character or members of our heart. Many of us profess your son Jesus Christ, but many of us do not possess him. We proclaim to be doing the work of the Lord but don’t know the Lord of the work. We are hypocrites and poor representatives of your name and kingdom. We criticize and openly disapprove of homosexuality; yet we celebrate and practise adultery; we speak out against those who rob others, but we rob the Government of taxes and the church of tithes.
Lord, it is my opinion that we may be one generation away from apostasy. We have become a tolerant people and continue to choose intellect and opinion over morality and truth. We have made going to church an option and not compulsory for our children and then complain when we develop ungodly children.
Help us to see the errors in our ways and give us the ability to make a change.
• Corey Worrell is a former Comonwealth Youth ambassador.
