22 PRAYER POINTS FOR ABORIGINAL & TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER AUSTRALIANS

 

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1. That Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians (Indigenous Australians) experience revival and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.
2. That Aboriginal people reject the rainbow serpent and other creative beings and recognize the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel as the creator. Also, that they worship the creator not creation. That they will love Israel and the Jewish people.
3. That they are able to appreciate and practice their culture where it lines up with the word of God as in the Bible and have the discernment and courage to reject parts of their culture that do not line up with the Bible just as all ethnic groups need to do.
4. That covenants with false gods and with death be annulled and there will be no reliance on witch doctors for healing or other matters. That any dedications to or trades with false gods will be annulled and that Indigenous people will recognize the need to do this themselves. That Indigenous Christians will learn about cleansing their bloodlines and repent from generational iniquity as well as personal sin.
5. That Indigenous people (First Nations) will remove any curses they have made on the land and on non-Indigenous and Indigenous people and will not curse themselves with their words.
6. That they will be healed from intergenerational trauma and grief associated with colonisation and loss of life, land, governance and economy, the impact on culture and identity and the raping of women.
7. Healing from the stolen generations which involved the taking of children who had white fathers from their Aboriginal mothers and communities to be raised in institutions or white families. Here some were abused physically and/or sexually and some where used as slave or low wage labour. Others got a good education and good jobs and were well looked after but were estranged from their birth families, culture and communities. All of this affected their ability to parent the next generation. Pray for families to find each other, be reunited and to be good parents.
8. To come out of intergenerational poverty caused by disruption to Aboriginal economy and stolen wages where wages were paid into the Aborigines Welfare Fund in Queensland and used to build hospitals, schools etc for the general population. Pray for compensation for stolen wages.
9. Blessings for those who have well-functioning families and good jobs and are in positions of responsibility in government, business or Indigenous organisations. That they continue to be good role models.
10. Healing for those suffering from low self-esteem, showing disrespect for elders and suffering from drug and alcohol abuse. That more rehabilitation centres be set up including Christian ones. That babies will not suffer from foetal alcohol syndrome and mothers will live healthy lifestyles. 
11. That culturally appropriate and Christian counselling services will be available to help dysfunctional families and deal with the high rates of mental illness, self-harm, suicide, domestic violence, child abuse and neglect and disproportionate numbers in jail. Pray to strengthen Indigenous families whose kinship structure has been greatly affected and a series of de facto relationships can occur.
12. That they will have a positive view of Christianity and Christians will treat them well. That there is healing from mission days when some missionaries were very controlling and cruel and forced them to give up culture and speaking their language.
13. That non-Indigenous people will cease to have stereotypes of Aboriginal people that they are lazy and dirty etc. and will not have racist attitudes to Indigenous people and treat them with respect not discrimination. Pray for more reconciliation.
14. That the Closing the Gap government initiative to decrease the large disparity in statistics between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians will improve their strategies and it will work. Government statistics report that (a) Indigenous people die 10 years younger other Australians; this includes babies and children (b) an Aboriginal man is 15 times more likely to be jailed than a non-Indigenous man (c) great disparity in education, school attendance & completion, employment & health
15. For unity and cohesion in Indigenous communities. Land rights legislation and native title have returned some land to traditional owners but government policies have dispersed people so that some people have been historically living on another tribe’s land making them second class and different traditional owner groups argue over boundaries and competing claims. (Acts 17:26)
16. There is no longer an apartheid situation on Queensland reserves which had been set apart for Aboriginal people and these days they have local or self-government so pray for leaders who will govern wisely. This can apply to other Australian states. Where there are traditional governing structures, pray for wise governance. For Indigenous organisations based in cities, pray for wise management.
17. That Indigenous businesses would flourish so that wealth can be created to pass onto the next generation.
18. That the church would embrace Indigenous people and Indigenous leaders and pastors and give them opportunities to use their God-given gifts.
19. That any root of bitterness and unforgiveness would be removed from Indigenous people and that they would rise up in the spirit of Joseph and bless non-Indigenous Australians. That Indigenous people would rise to their calling and destiny.
20. That Indigenous Australians would operate in the power of the Cross and the Holy Spirit and have an overcoming, victorious spirit and enjoy spiritual responsibility. That they would operate in the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit.
21. That for those who suffer shame, God would cover them with His glory and they would realize God loves and treasures them.
22. That the government would agree to an Indigenous voice in the Australian constitution in which they are presently left out and to an agreement or treaty- making process with Aboriginal nations. See the Uluru Statement from the Heart.