Praying for Our Nation Ahead of Australia Day
by David d’Lima
South Australian Director
A significant remarkable cultural shift has quietly occurred in the last year or so, restoring recognition of 26 January as our national day.
- Impressively, a whopping 69% of Australians now agree that Australia Day should be celebrated on 26 January, up from 63% last year, and with support increasing especially among young Australians (up from 42% to 52%). Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has said if the Coalition wins the 2025 election, it will require councils to hold citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day.
- Public pressure upon Woolworths has enabled the supermarket giant to turn from its woke ambition and to again offer Australia Day merchandise.
- A decision to hold no Australia Day events on the actual day in London’s Australia House was rescinded following public outcry.
- After the nation’s second-biggest hotels group informed managers that there will be no celebrating or acknowledging Australia Day at any of their premises, the directive was soon rescinded following community backlash.
While errors and injustices undoubtedly have occurred during Australia’s history (by both indigenous and non-indigenous people), demanding sorrow, repentance and reconciliation, we must not lose sight of the sovereignty of God, and His ambition to bring the Gospel of Christ to this great south land.
Therefore it is good for us to build upon our colonial heritage, rather than reject it as necessarily unGodly. That process surely must begin with earnest prayer!
Please feel free to print and circulate the attached prayer guide designed to help Christians pray ahead of Australia Day, and National Christian Heritage Sunday (the first Sunday of February). Or perhaps forward this article to a friend.
Happy Australia Day!
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Image courtesy of Adobe.
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