Bless this our land and Nation
O God of all creation, bless this our land and nation.
The Hebrew word for bless is בָּרַךְ (barak) which means:
- Bless= bestow power for success, prosperity, fertility: animals Gn 1:22, men 1:28, 7th day 2:3 , field 27:27; —
- Bless = declare a person endowed w. power for success, prosperity, fertility: God — Abraham Gn 12:2; men — Jacob 27:29; Melchizedek — Abraham 14:19; father — his son 27:4; Israel — Pharaoh Ex 12:32; (Holladay Lexicon)
So when we are singing the Kenyan National Anthem and asking the God of all creation to bless this our land and nation in essence we are asking for success and prosperity for our land – its produce both plants and animals (of the land and waters) and of our nation – the peoples therein, as individuals, as families, as clans, as tribes, in their geographical locations and the the entire nation as a whole.
The earliest mention of God blessing land and people is after creation (see references above). The next mention is when God makes a covenant with Abraham, He promises to bless Abraham and as a result Abraham would become a blessing to the nations of the earth. Therefore to ask for God to bless our land and nation is not just for ourselves but also so that we may become a conduit of those same blessings to others. And all this doesn’t happen in a vacuum, but within a covenant relationship between God and man. This is currently made possible through Jesus Christ.
Prayer:
O GOD of all creation, bless this our land of Kenya and the people of Kenya. Have mercy upon us as you restore and draw us back to yourself through Jesus Christ. Lord restore the prosperity and fertility of our land and animals, restore the prosperity and fertility of our people. And as you bless us help us and use us to be a blessing to all those around us, nations and lands. In Jesus name, Amen
