Hon. Qarase - National Prayer Breakfast
Jun 5, 2004, 07:00

Hon. Laisenia Qarase
Prime Minister and Minister for Fijian Affairs, Culture & Heritage; Minister for National Reconciliation & Unity; and Minister for ALTA & Sugar Industry Reform


Thank you Reverend Epeli for your kind words.

A very good morning to you all. I am pleased to welcome our distinguished guests and friends; as well as our younger guests, including members of the Adi Cakobau School choir who are leading us today in our songs of praise. Thank you.

I’m also glad to see so many of you continuing to support this annual Prayer Breakfast. And I know the organisers too appreciate your turning out in numbers so early on a Saturday morning to join us in praying for our nation and its special needs.

2004, as you know, is National Year of Prayer for Fiji. This was approved and declared by the Cabinet late last year after it considered a submission I had made.

I told my Ministers that a year of prayer, together with special national activities for forgiveness and peacemaking, would help us stay focused and centred on the most important ingredient of our nation building.

This is our need for God, and for each other; and for finding ways of working through the differences that are holding the country back from the moulding of a strong and harmonious society built on our diverse communities.

Many of us find it easy to use the daily demands of work, family and social obligations as an excuse not to find time to engage our minds on what we ourselves could be doing to help bring social and racial healing to our community, or show good will to people around us.

Praying, forgiving and reconciling, some say, are for the ‘holy Joes’ who seem to spend most of their lives in church, singing hymns, fund-raising and socialising!

Others may ask: Why should I go around forgiving and helping others when I didn’t have anything to do with the troubles of 1987 or 2000?

We, personally, may not have done anything to contribute to national pain, discontent and suffering. But if our faith and belief in the suffering and risen Christ are to have any meaning or impact at all, then we have a responsibility to do what we can to spread happiness, and encourage peace and harmony.

As Christians, we are members of the Body and family of Christ making the arduous pilgrimage of life together, enroute to our heavenly destination. But we have to be careful that we don’t arrive there alone and empty-handed!

By our words and acts of tolerance, kindness and compassion, we can and must help as many of God’s children as possible to reach the home that God has prepared for them too.

Neither should we be selective about who we consider worthy of our attention and goodwill.

The Gospel story of the Good Samaritan is a constant reminder to us that God is to be found in the most unlikely places; but most definitely where there are people in need – whether of our time, our talents and skills, or even just patience; it may be a simple need for a kind word or an attentive ear, a food parcel, or an extra blanket or coat to keep out the cold and damp.

“Whenever you did this to the least of my brethren,” Jesus said, “you did this to me.”

But where do we get the insight and the inspiration to know what God wants of us?

How are we supposed to recognise Him in people we cannot get on with?

Where do we get the strength to act and be like Christ in difficult situations?

Where do we find Him? How will I recognise His voice?

The answer to these questions lies in prayer; in talking to God often, and listening carefully as He speaks to us through the Bible, particularly in the writings of the evangelists and His apostles and disciples in the New Testament.

In personal prayer, we praise and thank Him for all He has done for us. And we put into His hands our deepest feelings and longings. We believe He hears and sees what lies within the inner chambers of our hearts. He knows our most pressing troubles, our worries and fears; as well as the things that give us joy and delight.

Sometimes our needs are too large for us to handle on our own. We just cannot do without Him. So we enlist the support and strength of friends, family and community in asking for God’s help, and for His light to shine on us and give us guidance in our special intention.

This morning, there are two important national undertakings that I would like to ask you all, and indeed the people of Fiji, to pray for.

These are the reform of Fiji’s sugar industry, and the resolution of expiring agricultural leases on native land. Consultations between both sides of Parliament are now taking place through specially-appointed select committees.

There are some difficulties, which I think were to be expected. Tempers have become frayed at the moment. There is impatience on both sides.

But given commitment and continued dedication to the national interest, we can open a new age of co-operation and justice.

I place these most pressing issues before this Breakfast to request your help in asking God to send His Holy Spirit to guide these negotiations towards a successful conclusion.

God knows how critically important these questions are. The lives and welfare of so many thousands of our citizens depend on our reaching solutions as quickly as possible. If we do our part, God will do His part.

As always, we need His assistance, not just for sugar and land, but also for leading us to genuine and lasting peace, and nationhood.

We offer our country to God, and to His Goodness. Our prayers, and His Power, will not fail us.

Thank you, and may God bless Fiji.

-End-