First 10:02 prayer meeting features praying for South Africa

Inspired by the text of Luke 10:2, the Prayer 10:02 meeting in Lottie’s Lobby of Mathena Hall on Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s campus had its first gathering Aug. 23, when faculty and students met to participate in a guided prayer time.

“We go to God for things we cannot do on our own,” said Ian Buntain, associate professor of missions and director of the World Missions Center, which organizes the weekly prayer gathering that focuses on a specific city or nation. “We cannot raise the dead and we cannot reach the nations without His merciful intervention.”

Buntain added that the prayer gathering will occur every Wednesday at the same 10:02 time “unless Jesus comes back before then.” He opened the meeting by reading the text that inspired the inception of the prayer gathering.

Dean Sieberhagen, interim dean of the Roy J. Fish School of Evangelism and Missions at Southwestern Seminary, led the first gathering of Prayer 10:02, a weekly time of prayer for the nations, to pray for South Africa. Sieberhagen and his wife, Sandra, are South African natives.

Following his opening remarks, Buntain introduced Dean Sieberhagen, interim dean of the Roy J. Fish School of Evangelism and Missions and associate professor of Islamic studies. Sieberhagen, who is originally from Cape Town, South Africa, led the prayer meeting as the nation of focus was South Africa.

Sieberhagen provided context for the need to pray for the country of South Africa. He explained South Africa has long been known for the tragic implantation of apartheid, a policy of racial segregation that lasted until the 1990s.

“South Africa had the worst racism in the world,” said Sieberhagen. “It really was the worst, a true evil. I lived during that time and there is still a lot of violence that stems from it.”

Providing more context to the struggles in South Africa, Sieberhagen mentioned that there are economically depressed areas with many people living in poverty. Some friends of Sieberhagen were relaying to him the struggles they see every day such as violence, lack of police help unless a horrible crime is committed, and many people living in fear of their surroundings.

Sieberhagen led the gathering of Southwesterners through multiple prayer points focused on difficulties facing South African Christians and the nation of South Africa. The group was instructed to break up into smaller groups to pray together for the nation.

While Sieberhagen led the prayer meeting through prayer points on a handout sheet, Buntain mentioned that “those leading us in prayer each week will encourage us to pray in diverse ways.”

Following a closing prayer led by Sieberhagen, Buntain closed the meeting by reminding everyone in attendance that the meeting will occur from 10:02-10:50 am every Wednesday. Buntain closed with the words from Numbers 6:24-25, “May the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord shine His face upon you.”

Prayer 10:02 is held every Wednesday at 10:02 a.m. in Lottie’s Lobby in Mathena Hall. The entire Southwestern Seminary community is invited to attend.