Worldwide Prayer Meeting

Oct 22, 2024 | by Lt. Colonel Allen Satterlee

Prayer Focus - Zambia Territory

Lower Zambezi National Park - Zambia

Give praise to the Lord, proclaim His name;
make known among the nations what He has done.
Sing to Him, sing praise to Him;
tell of all His wonderful acts.

Glory in His holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

I Chronicles 16:8-10

Prayer

O, mighty God, the host of heaven sings Your praise. Nature obeys Your laws from the atoms to the galaxies. Your creative energy shows forth from the detail of the butterfly’s wings to the blazing stars to the colors in the autumn trees. The birds sing because they must just as puppies are irresistibly drawn to children. You have allowed us to see these things and to appreciate them because You made us in Your image, that includes giving us a touch of Your perception. When our hearts are united with You through the gift of salvation, You broaden what we can know and appreciate. While our earthly limitations will never allow us to experience everything, You bid us to come along to know more of You and in knowing more of You to know more of what You see and know and experience. We find our fullness in You and in You alone. Bid me closer to You today, dear Lord. Show me what can only be seen through the lens of the divine. I love the path. Lead me forward, gentle Shepherd. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Background of the Zambia Territory

Zambia is a landlocked country in central Africa. Independent from Great Britain since 1964, it was a single party state under President Kaunda until 1991 when Frederick Chiluba came into power in a multi-party election. There have been several elections and Zambia has been blessed with peaceful transitions in power and stability in a region where that has not been typical.

Zambia has many natural resources including minerals, particularly copper, wildlife, forestry, freshwater and an abundance of rich farming land. Despite this, over half the population suffers from multidimensional poverty. The country is plagued with a high incidence of HIV/AIDS although significant progress is being made in this area, high levels of illiteracy, particularly in the rural areas, and malnourishment among children. Progress is being made to address these issues, but they remain significant challenges that hold Zambia back.

Zambia in 1996 declared itself a “Christian nation,” although there is complete freedom of religion. Over 86% profess Christianity with the second highest number holding to traditional African beliefs. Christians have a vibrant witness overall in Zambia and holistic ministries are taking hold that address not only spiritual but the social and educational needs of people. There is some disconnect in lifestyle as evidenced by the continuing struggle with HIV/AIDS and witchcraft and sorcery, that is too often practiced by professing Christians. Islam is aggressively seeking to establish a foothold in Zambia.

The Salvation Army: In 1922, emigrants from villages on the north bank of the Zambezi River working in a mica mine near Hurungwe were converted. They carried home the message of salvation to their chief, and established meeting places in their villages. Two years later, Commandant Kunawi Shava and Lieutenant Paul Shumba were appointed to command the new opening. The Zambia Division in the Rhodesia Territory became the Zambia Command in 1966. In 1988, the Malawi Division was transferred from the Zimbabwe Territory to form the new Zambia and Malawi Territory. The Zambia and Malawi Territory became the Zambia Territory on October 1, 2022 when Malawi became a separate an independent region.

Facts, Stats and Leadership

of the Zambia Territory

• Total population to fish and disciple: 19,610,969
• 235 officers, 359 envoys, 239 employees
• 69 retired officers
• 156 corps, 286 outposts
• 30,883 senior soldiers
• 1,547 adherents
• 12,656 junior soldiers

Leadership

Colonel Alfred Banda – Territorial Commander

Colonel Pamela Banda – Territorial President of Women’s Ministries

Lt. Colonel Ireen Hachamba – Chief Secretary

Prayer Requests for

the Zambia Territory

• Pray for God’s provision and sustaining grace during the current drought in Zambia and that ministries of The Salvation Army will continue to meet increasing individual and community needs. Pray for a good rainy season to resolve the national hydro-energy crisis. Pray for wisdom for government officials to manage this challenging situation to minimize loss of life due to malnutrition.
   
• Pray for the spiritual growth of Salvationists and that the mission will expand to areas of Zambia where there is no Army presence.
   
• Pray for the financial sustainability of the territory, allowing the mission of the Army to flourish and the officer and infrastructure needs to be adequately met.
   
• Pray for the social ministries of the territory, including the Chikankata Mission, Mitanda Home for the Aged, and various health services, schools, preschool groups, community work, and community development projects in the country.
   
• Pray that officers and Salvationists will be “Mobilized to take part in Building a Vibrant Modern Territory, Obedient to God and Relevant in the 21st Century”, the theme of the new Territorial Strategic Plan (2024-2028). Pray that the territory will have the necessary resources to implement the strategic plan.
   
• Pray for the Officer Training College staff, the newly commissioned officers of the Defenders of Justice session (October 19) and the accepted candidates for the next session, beginning in January 2025.

USA Southern Territory

Prayer Requests

• The family of Major Abigail Diaz, who was recently Promoted to Glory
• The victims and emergency responders of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Helene and Hurricane Milton.
• Major Jamie Satterlee, Territorial Candidates’ Secretary
• Property Department
• Mason Luhn, Purchasing Program Liaison, Trade
• Hillary Dejarnett, Territorial Pathway of Hope Director, Social Services
• Latrice Mapp, Food Services Worker, Conference Center
• Major Syung Young Lee, Assistant Principal for Training, Director of Business Administration, Evangeline Booth College
• Cadet Anthony Shaw
• Captain Jervonne Hinton, Divisional Candidates’ Secretary, Kentucky/Tennessee Division
• Lt. Colonel Jeanne Baker, Anti-Human Trafficking and Special Projects Officer (SAWSO), National Headquarters
• Majors Anthony & Elizabeth Juliana, officers, soldiers, employees, and volunteers of the Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi Division
• Anti-Human Trafficking ministries
• Latrice is asking for prayer in Jesus’ name and she wants to thank God for a beautiful day
• An anonymous prayer request asking for God’s wisdom in choosing the right presidential candidate to vote for according to God’s will; request that God would strengthen her as she journeys on the Christian walk and that Satan would not trouble her

Something to Consider

The Driving Question

Major Thomas McWilliams

“If there is anything of power in The Salvation Army today,

it is because God has had all the adoration of my heart,

all the power of my will, and all the influence of my life.”

-William Booth

For the first three centuries of the church’s existence, the fledgling Christian fellowship lived and worshipped as social outcasts who often found themselves in mortal danger. During this dire and yet dramatically growing period of church history, the idea of Christians and popular culture ever marching together in harmony would have seemed like fantasy. The believers who were standing on the floor of the Coliseum singing praises to God as they watched the lions closing in on them must have believed that the church would forever remain a persecuted remnant. That is, until Christ returned.

And then, WHAM!! Like a bolt out of the sky, a miracle occurred which would dramatically change the course of church history. The person at the center of this miracle was the Roman emperor Constantine. After his military victory at Milvian Bridge in 312 A.D., Constantine declared Christianity to be the preferred religion of roman society. Along with this declaration of Christianity’s religious supremacy, Constantine placed himself as the theological and administrative leader of the Church. In the blink of an eye the state, society, and the church merged as close companions creating the primary driving question of, “How can we model the church to make the Christian faith relevant and attractive to society?”

During the subsequent centuries of societal favor, the church underwent a complete makeover. Instead of meeting for worship in tombs and houses, the fellowship began meeting in pagan temples which had been transformed into large ornate churches. Worship liturgies and doctrinal statements were written under the eye of secular political leadership, seasonal observances took the place of traditional pagan holidays, and priests became powerful leaders within their communities. As time has moved forward into the 20^th and 21^st centuries, the Christian Church’s favored status within society has been increasingly displaced by the emerging self-aggrandizing religion of Secular Humanism. Humanists place each person on their own throne and state that God is not necessary for living an ethical and moral life. If there is any spiritualism expressed through this philosophy, it generally manifests as a pluralist view of the world which posits that all religions are equal.

In response to humanist religious growth and corresponding Christian congregant decline, the church has worked to transform itself into an even more attractive entity. This seeker-sensitivity model of entertainment and casual dress has sustained our Western church life over the past few decades. The fastest growing congregations have been those which have presented the gospel packaged along with the best entertainment. However, there is a danger when the followers of Christ desire to be socially attractive as the surrounding culture becomes increasingly hostile to orthodox faith.

For the Army,

• ministering within a society that is becoming increasingly antagonistic to Biblical standards.
• where internal parts of Christ’s church body love compliance with societal norms more than they love Biblical truth;
• where the freedom and acceptance of people indulging in open sexual expression becomes more important than living a disciplined life as a sacrificial offering of our faith,

We who are wearing the uniform are placed in a position of having to decide who we will be.

Will our movement adhere to its Biblical moorings or compromise itself to remain popular and attractive to the world? For those who decide to break away from seeking to adhere to societal norms, the driving question becomes, “How do we minister as biblically based Christians within a hostile Secular Humanist society?”

For those who want to follow along with culture, they will have to wrestle with how to reconcile remaining attractive to people who, “Call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter (Isaiah 5:20)?” When the German church faced a societal crisis with the introduction of Hitler’s Arian doctrine before the outbreak of WWII, most of the church decided to follow society and accept this new antisemitic social norm. The majority church even went so far as to flying the Nazi flag within every church and placing the swastika on the altar crosses. It was Dietrich Bonhoeffer, along with minority of the church that stood up and planted the flag of biblical orthodoxy.

Standing on a firm biblical foundation amid an increasingly hostile secular society takes tremendous courage of heart. Those who stand first and foremost on a scriptural foundation will likely become the targets of persecution. Some of the verbal attacks will even originate from others within the fellowship who believe that remaining tethered to society is itself a form of righteousness. Standing firm on the Word of God in the face of culture requires a deep faith that the Lord is who He says He is, that Jesus was who He said He was, that the Bible is right and true, and that the Holy Spirit living within us is greater than the forces that reside in the world.

When our mindset changes from, “How can we model the church to make the Christian faith relevant and attractive to society?” to, “How do we minister as biblically based Christians within a hostile Secular Humanist society?” we may feel exposed and alone. However, there’s nothing that we’ll experience that surprises God. As Jesus stated before the Church was even formed, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:10-12).

Therefore, as the world rushes towards humanist morality where every thought is a valid theology and all lifestyles are simply people living out their own truth, we as Jesus followers must hold ever firmer to the hem of His garment and onto the truth of His Word. Our Army ministry should be based on fidelity to the gospel and not on compromising truth to remain unoffensive. Our mantra should be, “How can I please the Lord?” not “How can I please society?” And our driving ambition should be “Souls, Souls, and Souls,” not “Relevance, Acceptance, and Worldliness.”

Benediction

Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love. Amen. (Ephesians 6:23-24).