National Day of Repentance

17^th February 2021

Dear Members and Friends of Evangelical Fellowship of India,

The world and our nation are in much turmoil. We witness moral and spiritual degeneration around us. Justice is mocked at the behest of the powerful and the divide of inequality is getting larger by the day. The Church unfortunately has not remained unaffected by these winds and there have been compromises and corruption: materially, morally and spiritually. We need to repent.

The very first message of Jesus our Lord was “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” (Matthew 4:17). God promises in His word that He will hear us from heaven, forgive our sin and heal our land if we, His people who are called by His name would humble ourselves, pray and seek His face and turn from our wicked ways. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

A repentant and a contrite heart draws us into the presence of God. We need to learn from Nehemiah who engaged in the work of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem but started by confessing his sins and the sins of his nation. The joy of the Lord was the strength of a repentant heart.

We invite you to observe 24^th February 2021 as a Day of Repentance in your homes, churches, organizations, networks and denominations.

A special Zoom prayer meeting has also been organized on 24^th February 2021 from 7 pm till 9 pm and will be led by Pastor D Mohan. Zoom ID: 87293007437 Password: 2021.

We are glad to announce that Dr. Chiranjeevi is leading the effort of organizing this day along with leading the Decade of Prayer and Revival, an initiative of EFI, EFICC, IMA, and Caleb Institute. He and his team are preparing prayer points that we will share very soon on our website: www.efionline.org and on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/EFoIndia

This is a united effort of all Evangelical churches and Mission Agencies in India. Let’s be steadfast in unity, fasting, prayer and wholehearted repentance as we beseech the Lord for His mercy.

To God be the glory!

Rev. Vijayesh Lal

General Secretary

Evangelical Fellowship of India

Suggested Prayer Points for National Day of Repentance

Let us repent of whatever that has taken the place of God in our lives. Let us pray that the Lord would restore our first love i.e., Him.

Let us repent our disobedience to the Word of God and His commandments. Let us repent of our careless attitude towards God which makes us take His forgiveness for granted. Pray that the Lord would instill a healthy fear of Him in our hearts.

Let us repent of our slackness in engaging with the Word of God. Let us repent of the times when we have not cherished or taken time to read or listen to the Word of God. Pray that the Lord would create in us a hunger and thirst for His Word.

Let us repent of lives which are less prayerful than they ought to be. Pray that the Lord would move us to spend more time with Him in prayer.

Let us repent of our attitudes and prejudices that keep us from realizing true Christian unity. Let us repent of regionalism, tribalism and anything that divides us. Pray that the Lord would lead us towards united reflection and action to the glory of His name.

Let us repent of our lackadaisical attitude towards sharing the good news. Pray that the Lord would instill fervor in our hearts and passion to share the gospel with the people around us.

Let us repent of moral compromise and downfall. Pray that the Lord would empower us to live and pursue holy lives.

Let us repent of sexual sin in the Church and in Christian organizations. Pray against sexual predators and pray that the Lord would bring them to their senses and justice. Pray for the victims that the Lord would restore them and for the Church that the victims would get the necessary support and care.

Let us repent of our indifference to the plight of the marginalized and the ones facing injustice. Pray that the Lord would move us to work to alleviate their sufferings and to raise our voice for the voiceless.

Let us repent of financial corruption in the Church. Pray that the Lord would lead us to accountability and excellence.

Let us repent of our ignorance of the law and sometimes deliberate misuse of the law which brings disrepute to the name of our God. Pray that the Lord would make us more accountable and more careful to observe what is lawful.

Let us repent of power games that we often play in our Churches and in our organizations thus grieving the heart of God in our thirst for power. Pray that the Lord would reshape our priorities and make us humble.

Let us repent of self-glorification or exaggeration of ourselves or the ministry that we engage in to promote ourselves or our Churches / organizations. Pray that the Lord would teach us humility and that we would glorify Him rather than ourselves.

Let us repent of neglecting our duty to speak truth in love in all circumstances, even truth to power. Pray that the Lord would keep us fearless and loving and truthful.

Let us repent of overburdening ourselves with activities and things that feed our own ego rather than keeping our focus and enhancing productivity. Pray that the Lord would teach us to prioritize and to manage our time wisely.

Let us repent for leadership without integrity, for leaders that have fallen and many who continue willfully in sin. Pray that the Lord would speak to the ones who are going astray and restore them. Pray also for the leadership of the Church that they would not compromise on their integrity and thus bring dishonor to God.

Let us repent of nepotism and favoritism in the Church and in our organizations. Pray that the Lord would bring the right people in the right place and that we would obey Him.

Let us repent of the sin of diluting the Word of God for gain or popularity. Pray that we may learn how to handle the Word with maturity and with the fear of God.

Let us repent when we have not prayed for our leaders – both in the Church and in our nation. Pray that the Lord would move us to always remember our leaders in our prayers.

Download the suggested prayer points HERE