Prayers of repentance featured strongly as Christians gathered in the Great Hall of Parliament House in Canberra on Sunday for the National Day of Prayer and Fasting.

Prayers included:

• repentance for the injury caused to the stolen generation.
• for revival in “the great south land of the Holy Spirit”
• for purity of heart and mind for Christian leaders and boldness in proclaiming God’s word.

Hundreds of prayers from the stage kept to strict time during the six hour event, which did not feature a lunchbreak. It was a day for fasting. And attendance was up on last year’s event.

Warwick Marsh, one of the organising committee told Eternity “ I love this nation. I want to see it come to the Lord. Maybe that sound’s simplistic. But it is the truth”.

“All of us Christians need to repent and fast because we are still separated,” Catholic Archbishop Christopher Prowse told the gathering. He then led a prayer based on John 17.

This week, Wednesday (known to some Christians as Ash Wednesday) marks the first day of 40 days of prayer and fasting. This aligns the forty days of prayer with the traditional Catholic and Anglican church season of Lent—a time of preparation and prayer before Easter.

Well-known Australians like Senator Eric Abetz and musician Colin Buchanan are part of a team encouraging Australians to pray and fast in the 40 days leading up to Easter.  They are also contributing daily prayers and reflections for the season. This years’ 40 days theme is “activating God’s promises of revival”.

The Forty Days of Prayer begins on Ash Wednesday March 5, 2014.

The Prayers: 

Senator Eric Abetz, Leader of the Government in the Senate, Minister for Employment, Liberal Senator for Tasmania

“It is simply God’s rock solid promise of grace – available to all for the asking – that provides the comfort of a firm foundation and safe anchorage for our earthly lives. What a blessing to live every moment of our lives with that unassailable assurance.”

Senator Helen Polley, Labor Senator for Tasmania, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Aged Care

“The Lord will provide just the right amount of strength to ensure you can overcome whatever challenges you are facing. That is the beauty of loving and believing in the Almighty.”

Ian Harper, Partner at Deloitte Access Economics

“I know You will welcome me into eternal dwellings not because of anything I have done or will do but only because of your sacrifice on the cross. Yet You command me to do Your will on earth and I pray that You guide me and direct my path as I seek to fulfil Your command in all aspects of my life, including my life at work.”

Colin Buchanan, Songwriter, recording artist, media vagabond

“Creator God, may your gospel capture hearts and lives and imaginations, shifting eternally the dead motivation of sin and self to the glorious, eternal, good Point of All – honour for Jesus.”

The 40 day programme details are in an insert in the February edition of Eternity.

Sue Tinworth of Partners in Prayer and Evangelism runs the 40 day programme.

“It’s about grass roots evangelism, about Jesus’s kingdom coming into out neighbourhood or our spheres of influence. Its is also about blessing, about our prayer releasing the abundant life of Jesus our king to those around us.”