HEAD of Power of Faith Ministries International and chief coordinator of the Heal the Family Heal the Nation Movement Bishop Dr Delford Davis, in charging that a loss of morals has led to the social decay now being seen in society, has warned that Jamaicans must make critical decisions on a personal and national level or risk the wrath of the Almighty.

“We have some decisions to make morally, some decisions to make socially, some decisions to make financially, and most importantly, we have some decisions to make spiritually. In the midst of all the wonderful things that have happened in this nation, the boat is still rocking,” Davis told hundreds attending the 19th annual gathering of the Heal the Family Heal the Nation and fifth National Day of Prayer service at the National Arena in St Andrew Wednesday.

“The ship called Jamaica is still caught in a storm that threatens the very fabric of the society and if the eternal God does not visit with us in mercy, visit with us in love, visit with us with compassion and care, if he were to visit us with what we deserve we would be in serious trouble. For that not to happen, we have got to change the way we do some things, we have got to change our modus operandi as individuals, as families and as a nation,” Davis declared.

Charging that “no one is exempt, everybody is caught within this tangled web”, the church leader said “politicians must turn, preachers must turn, businessmen must turn, every profession and vocation in this country must recognise that God’s eyes are watching us and the divisiveness that we have over time portrayed among ourselves, we have to get rid of that “.

In noting that the “darkness” of evil practices has “overtaken” even the Church, Davis said, “this hour of decision is saying halt the slide, stop the leak, and return to the old landmark. Public approval and popularity are going to kill some of us; public approval and popularity because of reputation with no character is going to kill some of us”.

“Don’t run after the approval of men, seek the approval of the Almighty God. So God says halt the slide, stop the leak and return to the old landmark,” he told the multi-denominational gathering.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness, in delivering greetings earlier in the session themed ‘The Hour of Decision’, said while the island had experienced many challenges in 2024, “God continues to protect and guide and spare Jamaica”.

In noting the 19 per cent reduction in murders last year, the prime minister, in telling the gathering “your prayers had a lot to do with that”, said, “I call upon you to continue in prayer, on your knees, in your churches throughout the land, continue to pray for our security forces”.

“I will continue to pray for peace and security in our land. It is not just the statistics of 19 per cent reduction in murders that translates to about 250 lives being saved. That’s significant, very significant, and if I put it another way it could have been any one of us gathered here whose life was saved,” Holness said.

Meanwhile, in acknowledging that Jamaicans have been hard-hit economically, Holness in insisting that the Government, “hears the vexation, hears the anger, [and has] been doing quite a good job given our circumstances”. He urged individuals to adopt a positive mindset.

“Even though times are hard, we agree, things are tough, but I want you to take a positive view, a hopeful view, not just to reflect on yourself, but I also want you to reflect on the regional and global situation. If you think things are bad in Jamaica, check Canada; if you think crime is bad in Jamaica, check Trinidad and hear what they are saying. I want you to appreciate, yes, it’s rough there, I am not going to deny that, but count your blessings. God has been good to us, but give God thanks, thanks for the little that we have, maintain a positive attitude,” he said while highlighting the efforts of the Government amounting to billions to help reduce the pinch felt by Jamaicans.

“Meet life with an open arm, positive outlook, the glass is not half empty…for us the glass must always be half full; when we are looking up to the Lord, because the promise of our God is that He has a plan for us, not to harm us but to give us prosperity and I believe in the promise of our God,” he said.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Mark Golding, who also addressed the gathering, said the nation is in need of healing and it is only through the power of the Almighty God that we can achieve the healing that we need.

He urged, “all leaders in every area and realm of our society; in the private sector the business leaders, the leaders in civil society, the churches, every walk of life” to “continue in a spirit of hope and a spirit of unity to bring our country together and make Jamaica a better place to live in for our children and grandchildren and generations to come”.