BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, January 1, 2021 (MMS-SKN) — While acknowledging that the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis is a country favoured by God, Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Harris has announced of plans to set aside a day of prayer to start the New Year 2021 to give God thanks for His compassion.
“I would wish that St. Kitts and Nevis stands apart – we do not have to follow the pattern of every country,” noted Prime Minister Harris at a special Old Year’s night worship service held on New Year’s Eve (Thursday December 31) at the Rivers of Living Water Christian Centre in Lime Kiln, West Basseterre. “And so I would want to recommend to my Cabinet on Monday (January 4) that we consider a special day of prayer to start the New Year, giving God thanks for His compassion.”
According to the Honourable Prime Minister, the county has set aside days for a number of secular things – for Carnival, J’ouvert, and Emancipation – without recognising the Hand of God and the Spirit of God moving around and protecting the people.
“Perhaps it is full time we take a lead and set aside just one day – some period of the day the citizens and residents of St. Kitts and Nevis can meet and pray to God for healing, for provision, for a better job, for mercy, for grace, whatever it is – let us acknowledge that hitherto the Lord has been good,” observed Prime Minister Harris. “When that day is announced, I hope all of you will respond to it and our country will set itself aside from other nations, as a country that acknowledges it is one favoured by God.”
Delivering the sermon at the special service was Prophetess Dr Debbie Isaac and accompanying the Prime Minister included Deputy Speaker, Senator the Hon Dr Bernicia Nisbett, the National Secretary of the Peoples Labour Party (PLP) Ms Myrtilla Williams, and a number of the National and Branch executives and membership of the party.
Earlier in his message, Prime Minister Harris had thanked the many people who had come out for the special service in keeping with the country’s Christian tradition of ushering the New Year in the House of God.
“We certainly are a Nation that loves Christ, and that is important,” observed Dr Harris. “Many years ago when we were going into independence, the authors and creators of our Constitution were careful and thoughtful enough to insert in the preamble that we are a Nation under God. And I hope today and every day as we are alive to tell a story that we appreciate that God is with us, and we appreciate that our country is favoured by God.”
Members of the congregation were told by the Prime Minister that if they looked around they hear what is happening and some of the stories which are being told as it relates to the Covid-19 pandemic, for them to know it must be the Hand of God protecting them and keeping them, and making the difference in the country.
The Honourable Prime Minister comforted them by telling them that they would soon say goodbye to 2020 with all its challenges, lockdowns, the displacement of the workers and that they would welcome 2021 with new optimism and hope because they know on whom their anchor and their hope must lie and the person, he added, is Jesus.
“And it is a good thing that in our country the leadership of the government, blessed by God to serve for such a time like this, feel comfortable to say to our people that we need God,” observed the Prime Minister. “We need more prayer warriors in our country; we need more people committed to doing good, and we need more people in service to the Nation.”
He appealed to the congregation and the country in general to pray not just for that evening, and to pray not just to usher their wish for the New Year, but for them to pray without cease every day, every morning, every night. He made request of them to pick a leaf out of the Book of Daniel and to pray at least three times a day, because the goodness of God, so long as they are alive, it reflects His compassion and His goodness and noting that the goodness of God keeps running after them.
In closing, Prime Minister Harris asked the congregation for “a special prayer and blessing on your senior pastors, Prophetess Dr Debbie Isaac, her husband Dr Allan Isaac, so that they could continue to lead the church, and lead our country in acknowledging the importance of God and the need for us to serve Him so that we can receive a blessing.”
