Kenyan request prayers for church as election looms

Mount Kenya (Mehmet Karatay)

There is a presidential election in Kenya on Monday and the campaign is getting contentious:

NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenya’s top two presidential candidates are holding their final rally before the country votes on Monday.

Thousands of people gathered Saturday at two different downtown Nairobi locations to hear Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Prime Minister Raila Odinga speak

The campaigns were upended Saturday after the Financial Times quoted Odinga as saying his rivals are planning to rig the election and that the consequences of a rigging “may be worse than the last time.” More than 1,000 people were killed in postelection violence after Kenya’s 2007 vote.

A statement from Odinga said the candidate denied talking about violence in the interview and said he felt “absolutely slandered” by the story.

Kenyatta’s camp condemned the interview and called Odinga’s quoted words dangerous and inflammatory. http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/03/02/contentious-quotes-upend-kenya-presidential-campaign-2-days-before-vote-final/#ixzz2MOrVS9fE

While presidential elections in many countries are contentious, there are serious concerns about this one in Kenya. In the latest Continuing Church of God Letter to the Brethren was the following prayer request:

Please pray for the Kenya Church as we face Kenya General Elections on Monday March 4th 2013. As you may know, African people usually vote along lines and none of the candidates is ready to concede the defeat,this always create ethnic clashes as happened here in 2007/2008. We suffered and the Church was not exempted. I cannot narrate it here.Our prayer is that this history should not repeat itself. Even as I write some are on the way back to rural homes from urban areas. The government has started deploying as many police as possible mostly in volatile areas to deal with the situation should such a thing erupt again.

Christians are to pray for one another (James 5:16).

Following biblical admonitions, historically those in the Church of God pray for leaders and that God’s will would be done in matters such as elections. And the above prayer request is consistent with that.

Notice what the Apostle Paul was inspired to write:

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior (1 Timothy 2:1-3).

My prayers are with the Kenyans.

Two articles of possibly related interest may include:

Africa: Its Biblical Past and Prophesied Future What does the Bible teach about Africa and its future? Did the early Church reach Africa? Will God call all the Africans?
Should a Christian Vote? This article gives some of the Biblical rationale on this subject. Would Jesus vote for president/prime minister? Is voting in the Bible? This is a subject Christians need to understand.