Zambia's President Edgar Lungu has turned to God in a bid to stop the freefall of his country's ailing currency, with bars shut and football matches cancelled on a national day of prayer to end a record slump.

Lungu ordered the prayer session last month after the kwacha fell 45 percent against the dollar since the start of the year due to a sharp drop in the price of copper, the country's main export.

Food prices have soared and crippling power shortages have also been triggered by low water-levels in Lake Kariba, where hydropower plants supply much of the country's electricity.

Our God has heard our cries, he has forgiven us our sins and we are sure he will heal our country (as) we face serious social-economic challenges.

President Lungu,

"Brilliant ideas"

The kwacha's 45-percent slump against the dollar this year has been the worst of all 155 currencies tracked by Bloomberg news service.

"Our God has heard our cries, he has forgiven us our sins and we are sure he will heal our country (as) we face serious social-economic challenges," Lungu told a gathering of some 5,000 Zambians, including former presidents Kenneth Kaunda and Rupiah Banda.

He also appealed to Zambians with "brilliant ideas" to come forward and assist the government.

"There are many out there who have brilliant ideas, let them come forward, we run an open government," he told the crowd in the Zambian capital Lusaka.

"We should never seek political success on the back of our national failure or disaster. It is our people who will suffer," he said.

"You all know that God is love and I appeal to all of you to do the best and leave the rest to God."

Kaunda, Zambia's founding president, meanwhile prayed that God would help Lungu solve the country's woes.

Bars shut

"God, continue to help us solve the problems this young man may face in future," said Kaunda as he placed his hand on Lungu's head.

The Zambian football association postponed all of Sunday's games and the government had announced that bars should not open until 6:00 pm.

Critics of the government have accused Lungu of failing to tackle the causes of country's economy troubles, saying that the prayer day was a distraction.

During the session Bishop Peter Ndlobvu hit back at the critics.

"The Bible says gold and silver belong to God. If we pray, God will restore our economy" he said.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/10/zambia-leader-seeks-god-currency-freefalls-151019050741159.html

Since when has prayer ever resolved economic and infrastructural deficiencies?

Welcome to the party people of Zambia

God's wisdom at work.......

Will be waiting in few months to see the handwork of their God.

This is a great social experiment. if Zambia rises from the ashes then we can cite an instance where prayers have worked. if on the other hand zambia sinks further, then...... Well ... Maybe their faith wasn't strong enough.

Simply amazing !

There is something I have found very very disturbing amongst people of African origin.

I really hope that it is simply cultural weakness and failures of the educational systems ,rather than a genetic predisposition.

On many many discussions and arguments I have with my African brothers and sisters online and in real life, I see the same repeating patterns of denial, denial of reality.

Anytime you present a typical African with a set of either scientific, economic, social, political or historic facts, they would simply ignore it , and would , instead, invoke spiritual mumbo jumbo, mythical nonsense and all kinds of fables just to avoid the facts being presented.

Adam Smith's " Wealth Of Nations " is still available , and remains one of the most widely read books ever.

No country on earth has ever solved any economic, social or political problem through prayer.
Just look at the middle east, with their 5 prayers/per day.
Shouldn't they be shining examples that prayers are not the panacea for any problems , but in many cases, the root cause of many ills of society.

Imagine someone who should be the political leader calling for prayers.

They are dead already. Someone isn't doing his job, but prayers will do his job.

If prayer is what they believe in, they should pray that their currency rises over the dollar.

Useless government.

PastorAIO:
This is a great social experiment. if Zambia rises from the ashes then we can cite an instance where prayers have worked. if on the other hand zambia sinks further, then...... Well ... Maybe their faith wasn't strong enough.

Or god doesn't exist

plaetton:
Simply amazing !

There is something I have found very very disturbing amongst people of African origin.

I really hope that it is simply cultural weakness and failures of the educational systems ,rather than a genetic predisposition.

It most definitely is not genetic, it's more so that those imbibed with religious fervour are the most delusional and the quickest to shout from the roof top regarding whatever foolish thoughts that they cling to. Sadly the crowd is usually drawn to the loudest, brashest beings as opposed to the most intelligent.

Religion is very much a learned cultural habit - no one is born believing in any one religion or superstition, children have to be indoctrinated.

Africans are not the only ones drawn to foolish practices - I can remember a few years back the Governor of Texas called for a day of prayer too. Like this call it was a ploy designed to distract from his ineptitude.

Pyrrho:
Imagine someone who should be the political leader calling for prayers.

They are dead already. Someone isn't doing his job, but prayers will do his job.

If prayer is what they believe in, they should pray that their currency rises over the dollar.

Useless government.

The article doesn't say the government is doing nothing except prayer. In fact, it states that the president is calling for brilliant ideas.

Don't let bias eradicate your reasoning.

mmsen:


http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/10/zambia-leader-seeks-god-currency-freefalls-151019050741159.html

Since when has prayer ever resolved economic and infrastructural deficiencies?

Who said prayer can't solve any issue in the world?

italo3:


Who said prayer can't solve any issue in the world?

Can you please give us an example where prayer solves economy problem and built power stations?

Hemah:


Can you please give us an example where prayer solves economy problem and built power stations?

If I gave you, you would reject it, because you neither believe in prayer nor know how it works.

Can you prove that prayer has never solved an economic problem or built a power station?

italo3:


Who said prayer can't solve any issue in the world?

Lol.
What has thousands of years of prayer done for humanity?
prayer is the HOPium of the people, the dumb people.

plaetton:

Lol.
What has thousands of years of prayer done for humanity?
prayer is the HOPium of the people, the dumb people.

1 example: the Catholic Church invented the modern university system.

You can't say that hasn't helped humanity or that it was done without prayer, can you?

plaetton:

Lol.
What has thousands of years of prayer done for humanity?
prayer is the HOPium of the people, the dumb people.

Let him present his evidence.

Let him also explain how prayer is more effective than dancing for rain or sacrificing a life (human/animal) for a good harvest.

italo3:


If I gave you, you would reject it, because you neither believe in prayer nor know how it works.

Can you prove that prayer has never solved an economic problem or built a power station?

Sorry, I will pass.

2 Chronicles 7 v 14: If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Gaborone:
2 Chronicles 7 v 14: If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

The same book also says this:

1 Corinthians 14:34

God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. 34 The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says. 35 If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church.

If you are going to quote the Bible as the unerring word of the one true god maybe you should first display that you live by all the laws and edicts contained within it.