Bringing Real Justice to Sri Lanka

The recent revealings of the incident where LTTE leader Prabhakaran’s twelve-year-old boy was shot to death has been all over the news and a shocker to many, including myself. The young lad was pictured captured and eating snacks before being shot, probably at close range.

Irrespective of what his father or their party did, killing a helpless little boy is certainly upsetting to any normal human.

I then read an angry letter sent to the editor of the newspaper I was reading that morning, mentioning there was no need to make it a big issue and that the LTTE itself had used children as suicide bombers.

And there it was – the blame game. Each side blames the other and neither one takes responsibility.

In an attempt to bring justice to this situation, my country’s state chief minister, Jayalalitha, sent Sri Lankan sports players back home from India.

But here is the sad fact in the midst of all this: If we at some point do not agree to put our past behind, we will be found fighting these battles for generations over scars that no man can wipe away.

Can we put our feelings on hold for a moment and ask ourselves what God thinks about all this?

The first time I visited Sri Lanka was in July 2011 and almost immediately I fell in love with its people, just as I had with the Sri Lankans in Canada.

The second trip was during the hot summer in April 2012. While at a meeting, for the first time I heard God say in my spirit that He wanted to send a revival to Sri Lanka. Even before I could finish that morning service we had unexpected torrential rain causing everyone to wonder what was happening outside. To me, it was a clear sign of the revival rain that God wanted to send.

God also opened my eyes during the service and I saw a vision of Jesus standing and weeping over Sri Lanka; and I heard the Lord say, “I will restore the youth of Sri Lanka.” It was not just a word to the young people of Sri Lanka but God desiring to restore the stolen time and life of young Sri Lanka. The glory of God fell in that service and we wept with Jesus.

My most recent visit to this island was this February. While walking through the beautiful roads in Kandy, I saw the masses that God was in love with.

At one moment, God allowed me to peek into His heart for Sri Lanka and I began to weep like a child. I was a little embarassed as I had friends around me and we were on the road but I wept like I had lost someone dear to me. I wept because I saw the heart of God weeping.

I leaned closer to understand what was happening in the heart of God. Was God angry with Sri Lanka? No, that was not the case. God had great compassion for this country.

It was on my last trip that I had the privilege to meet and pray with one of governors of Sri Lanka. He was rather concerned about whether we had come to forcefully convert people like some had tried in the past. I told him that I had come because I saw just how much God loved Sri Lanka. And during that conversation I told him how justice will not come through humans, nationally or internationally, but only through God who has a great love for Sri Lanka.

However, here are a few things that we must do from our end in order to see total restoration and divine justice in Sri Lanka.

1. Repent for the Sins of Your Fathers

I thank God for many groups who have come together to repent and pray for Sri Lanka. However I feel that many more pockets need yet to come under that forgiveness from heaven.

There is no point blaming anyone else. It has to start with our repentance for the sins of our community!

As a church, as a neighbourhood, as a community, as a city, as a nation and from every office possible, prayers of repentance must rise to God. Starting today, would you take the initiative to organise this in whatever capacity you can?

2. Bless Those Who Curse You

Is that not what the Bible teaches us? (Luke 6:28 “…bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.”[ESV])

It does not matter how you feel or who you think wronged you. We are commanded to bless them. Many Sri Lankan Christians were quick to tell me that they have already forgiven others.

However, God is asking something beyond forgiveness. In Luke 6:27, Jesus says, “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you” (ESV) (Read more about that here.)

Could you start making mental notes on how you can bless them? I mean literally! What steps can you take to bless those who have cursed you? What do you need to do to love your enemies? Call them over for dinner? Ask them forgiveness and pray with them and bless them? What could you do today as a family? How about as a church or a community? It’s time to stop the talking and take it to action!

3. Pray for Your President!

This is the most important one. Here is a word I received while in Sri Lanka: “Unless they love their president their prayers for the president cannot be answered.” Irrespective of his beliefs or actions, good or bad, those that fear The Lord also know it is God who brings a man to power.

Even though Christians must live as aliens on this earth looking forward for the heavenly Kingdom, we must still honour the leadership God places above us.

Romans 13:1,2 says, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.”

It does not matter if a leader has come to power by inheritance, vote or force. This verse is clear: “There is no authority except from God.”

That was the reason why Jesus bluntly told Pilate in John 19:11, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.”

The Holy Spirit told me that unless the body of Christ trusts The Lord placed the president in the leadership and unless they love him as their president because he is their president, God will not answer their prayers for the transformation of the leadership and the country.

Would you take that first necessary step? Today, love and pray for the leaders in your country. In doing so, you show that you look to God and not to man for change! [ClickToTweet]

Conclusion

With all that being said and done, I encourage all our partners and friends to pray for Sri Lanka. God showed me a vision of a ‘new’ Sri Lanka being raised from within this present country. And I believe that Sri Lanka will rise if we pray.

Love is the foundation for a strong prayer. It is when we pray with love that the heart of God is touched and God moves into action. If you do not have that love, why don’t you ask God to fill you with divine love for your country and leadership?

It is the prayers that are born out of the divine nature that persuades God to move. Today, before you can pray for your need, why don’t you pray that God will change your heart? God will fill your heart with love, compassion, mercy and grace, for those whom you need to pray. Then your prayers will be answered faster.

Much prayers and blessings for the dearest people of Sri Lanka,