Buchan leading big “bird flu” prayer day in Oudtshoorn

Farmer evangelist Angus Buchan is leading a mass prayer meeting in Oudtshoorn on Friday (July 29) in response to the bird flu epidemic which is ravaging the Klein Karoo ostrich industry.

****UPDATE: Monday August 1 – Visit our facebook page for an update to this story****

Billed as the MMC Oudtshoorn, the event at the REC sportsground is expected to draw crowds of men, women and children as the disease which broke out in April affects everybody in the area. The ostrich industry which incorporates meat, skin products and tourism, is worth about R2-billion annually and supports about 20 000 jobs.

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According to local farmer and one of the event organisers, Callie Wannenberg, certain people in the community felt it would be good to invite Buchan to lead a prayer day “because he is farmer himself and because he has walked a long road with the Heavenly Father”.

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He said Buchan had immediately agreed to squeeze the prayer event into his busy schedule as he believed God wanted him to encourage and pray with the embattled farmers. Other well-known ministry team members who will travel to Oudstshoorn for the event include Julius Magan, who will lead worship, musician Joe Niemand, and speaker Lindie Gouws.

The MMC Oudtshoorn starts at 10am and entrance is free. People attending are advised to bring camp chairs. At least three schools in the area will be closed on Friday, so that children can attend the prayer day and farmers have been urged to bring their workers.

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In the July prayer letter of Buchan’s Shalom Ministries, prayer co-ordinator, Leon Vermeulen,  urges Christians to join in “crying unto the Lord” on behalf of the farmers in the Klein Karoo region.

He says: “Let us now pray the following prayer of agreement:

“Heavenly Father we humble ourselves before you. We ask you to forgive us of all our sins and to cleanse us with the precious blood of Jesus your only begotten Son. We submit to you as our Lord and our God and ask you to take your rightful place on the throne of our hearts. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour we intercede, plead and cry out on behalf of all the farmers and other people that are suffering with them as a result of this Bird Flu pestilence that struck their ostriches. Lord you know what the consequences of this disaster will bring to the farmers, their families, their workers and the remainder of the people in the area.  It is clear that no man has a solution to this problem. We do know that you and you alone can resolve this matter. Once again Lord we rely on your promises in your word. In your name Lord Jesus we stand against this onslaught of the enemy and bind the work of the devil and his angels and pray that their grip on this pestilence be loosed in heaven. By faith we accept that you have heard our cries and believe that you answered our prayers. Let Your Name be glorified now and forever! Amen.”

The specific scriptures (promises of Jesus) referred to in the above prayer are:

‘Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you that if two of you shall agree on earth concerning anything they ask, it will be done for them by my father in heaven.’ – Matt.18:18-19

‘Whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.’ – John 14:13