Thursday, 9th February, 2023
Bible Reading: Proverbs 6:16-19, Isaiah 59: 7-8
Memory Verse: Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked. Exodus 23:7 (ESV)
While Africa is under the siege of kidnapping, the West is battling with the proliferation of guns. For decades, car crashes were the leading cause of death for Americans ages 1 to 19. But the gap between car crash deaths and firearms deaths began to steadily narrow in recent years. In 2020, gun violence overtook car accidents to become the No. 1 cause of death for U.S. children and adolescents. There are countries where civilians own nearly 400 million firearms.
Imagine the killing of 19 fourth-graders and two adults in an Elementary School. Civilians in the U.S. own an estimated 393 million firearms, according to a 2018 study by the Small Arms Survey. That’s nearly 46% of the estimated 857 million civilian-held firearms in the world. That’s a striking proportion, when the U.S. has just 4% of the world’s population. Research published two years ago and funded by the National Institute of Justice (a program of the U.S. Justice Department) examined mass shootings that took place from 1966 to 2019 and found that over 80% of mass shooters at K-12 schools stole guns from family members.
But, why has some of these countries failed to make any significant changes to its gun laws? When one of the elder state men was asked this question, no well articulated answer was given. Wait a minute. Hope I’m not sensing a foul play. Perhaps the manufacturers of the guns are mostly government allies and hence, clamping down around them seems “an herculean task”. Does that suggest another political settlement? Another subtle way of garnishing corruption in high places? Let God be the judge. This incessant killings especially amongst children must stop.
Really, there may be nothing wrong in possessing a licensed gun but, there must be very strict protocol. Giving easy access of licensed guns to teenagers either by the government or their parents should be stopped. The government must stand up to be more decisive and responsible. Leadership is great responsibility. Like John C. Maxwell said, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.”
Quote: When the abnormal becomes the new normal, then, there is a fundamental societal problem.
Prophetic Decree: The rage of vampire spirit over your life and family shall not prosper, in Jesus name.
Prayer Focus
1. Thank God for the gift of life.
2. Shall we pray for the families of all those who were killed during gun violence especially in schools.
3. O Lord, expose and disgrace all corrupt political officers profiting from indiscriminate sales of guns, in Jesus name.
4. We come against the spirit of voilence and indiscriminate mass shootings, in Jesus name.
5. My life shall not be wasted. My family refuse to be a victim of stray bullets, in the name of Jesus.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 30-32