First lady Janet Museveni. COURTESY PHOTO.
The first lady and the Minister for Education and sports, Janet Museveni has urged prayer leaders and intercessors to petition God at this time so that a peaceful election in delivered throughout all constituencies in Uganda.
Speaking during the ‘Unity In Prayer For Peace’ gathering organized by Uganda Women Intercessors in conjunction with Wailing Women Uganda at Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala on Sunday, Mrs Museveni who was represented by KCCA Executive Director, Mrs Dorothy Kisaka, implored the audience to pray that God brings into leadership men and women that will drive Uganda into peace and prosperity.
The atmosphere in the country is increasingly charged ahead of voting. Amid fears the internet will be shut down on polling day, Thursday, 14 January, reports show police and military personnel now patrol the streets in parts of the capital, Kampala.
Janet, whose husband President Yoweri Museveni is seeking his sixth elected term in office after 35 years in power, said: “We are in a time of intercession because we intuitively know there is something of great worth that should be born in our nation through these national elections.”
Here is Her Speech, In Part.
“I am delighted to join you at this event where the Uganda women Intercessors are gathering to pray for our nation Uganda.
The gathering of the coalition of women across Uganda from different Christian denominations is commendable because the destiny of a nation cannot be lift to a few individuals. All people from all walks of life must join in to do their part. I therefore want to thank the organizers for calling the women together to intercede for Uganda as we prepare for the 2021 national elections.
The scriptures teach us: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
Let me address… the history of our nation. Our journey since 1962 is well known to many of you. It has had both times of peace and times of turbulence. In the past we used to have a few electoral positions of members of parliament and the president. Today, we have many electoral positions spanning the diverse governance structures. The people have taken advantage of the governance opportunities and more citizens are participating in the politics of our nation. We have electoral activity at the village level, parish level, at the sub counties and counties, municipalities and cities.
The whole country right now is abuzz with electoral issues, this is a positive development in as much as it has its challenges.
It is good to know that our citizens are participating in the politics of our nation. This was the aspiration of the NRM government to emphasize patriotism and to create opportunities for citizens to determine their own destiny. However, we should pray that it should be done peacefully.
We should pray that the (aspiration) for power at the various levels all over the country should propel us to a desirable future. We should pray that the leaders who emerge through this process will champion peace, development and harmony.
During the times of turbulence, all citizens suffer and the gains of yesterday are diminished in a moment. But it is the women and children who suffer most because of their vulnerability. All the work regarding women’s efforts of save orphans (UWESO) and the Forum For Youth that we have worked with over years have been geared towards the need to address the effects of national turbulence that Uganda has gone through. I therefore gladly recognize and affirm the role of women in nation building
Women have the honor of bringing forth life. Women have the experience of carrying children in the womb and travailing until their child is brought forth. The joy of our nation is the thriving of our citizens. The joy of every mother is the prosperity of her children.
My role here as a mother is to rally us to pray. My singular appeal to all women everywhere in our nation is to travail at this time so that a peaceful election in delivered throughout all our constituencies. Do not tire of praying, and calling upon the name of the Lord in times of trouble his ear is attentive to the cry of his chosen one.
A woman giving birth has pain because her time has come, but when her baby is born, she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. We are in a time of intercession because we intuitively know there is something of great worth that should be born in our nation through these national elections. Our intercession is that God will bring into leadership those men and women that will drive our nation into peace and prosperity
God works through ordinary men and women that He chooses. We pray that the cures for Covid-19 will be discovered. We pray – that the negative effects and impact of the lockdown will be reversed – that businesses will be revamped – that schools will reopen – that the sick will recover – that our people will experience peace and prosperity .
These are the words of prophet Jeremiah (9:17) said, “Consider now! Call for the wailing women to come; send for the most skillful of them.”
There are some people who are skeptical about the power of prayer and I am glad that you are not some of them. But there is mystery of spirituality and there is power in prayer.
The testimonies of the Lord are abundant as to how He has intervened mysteriously and miraculously in the affairs of Men and caused victory when it was unacceptable. For instance, God divided the Red Sea when it looked like the Egyptians would destroy the Israelites. God caused the 5000 men to be fed with 2 fish and five loaves only. God caused the hungry Elijah to be fed by strange ravens. God caused water to come out of a rock. God still moves in miraculous ways his purposes to perform. There is no situation that is impossible with God. He is able to move more than we can ask or even imagine.
I therefore call upon you to pray unceasingly and let God Himself choose how to answer the prayers we pray. Your expectations may not be how He will answer, but He will answer. Our role is to stand in the gap and call upon His name.
Can God work without a man praying? Yes He can, but He has desired that mankind participates in the work of the Lord.
I want to invite all of us to pray together. We shall send a blessing signature into the land with our words. We shall bless our Uganda and shall not curse our land or its people. Our land shall prosper. We shall say Uganda you are blessed and are a blessing.”
