It’s time we become channels for God — Alf James

Alf James reflects on preparing our hearts for the It’s Time national day of prayer in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

All who gather before the Lord God Almighty at the “It’s Time” National Prayer Day on April 22nd outside Bloemfontein should not only come together humbly in worship, but with love-softened hearts in anticipation and ready to accept of Him, so that we can give in blessing what we have received.

In quiet time on Wednesday morning the Lord laid it on my heart that if we are gathering to pray for peace, righteousness, goodwill, respect, love, generosity, obedience, reverence for the Lord and for Him to reign in our nation; we must be ready to receive these very attributes from Him in His Son’s name through His Holy Spirit, so that we are able to extend them to South Africa.

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Becoming the prayers we pray
We are not only going to gather in one body to pray for our nation, but to become the prayers we pray to the Lord — through Him reflecting the attributes we pray for back to us, empowering us to extend them to whoever He places in our paths.

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It is up to all of us who gather in prayer for the nation to be the prayers we pray, which is only possible by first receiving what we pray for through God’s grace then being instruments for His Holy Spirit to use in Lord Jesus Christ’s name in the service of His Father’s will being done in South Africa as it is in heaven.

We are to be channels through which the Lord’s giving and South Africa’s receiving takes place and His kingdom is extended across the width and breadth of the nation wherever we plant our feet, wherever we look, speak and act in our daily lives as mothers, fathers, children, students, teachers, workers, employers, managers, sportspeople, artists, musicians, priests and prophets.

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It’s time our hearts are softened
“It’s Time” our hearts are softened — sanctified by our faith in our Holy Father, our love for His Son and our obedience to His Holy Spirit working through us — ready to receive the Lords will and give of His grace and truth, so that He is known and experienced throughout South Africa, not only as the God of our creation but of our salvation.

We are to gather on April 22nd ready for the Lord our God to prepare us by His grace to be: His lights in the darkness of these end times; and instruments of use by His Holy Spirit to remove the guilt of the land and restore right relationship between our nation and our God, as a bride for the bridegroom.

Zechariah 3:7-10 Thus says the Lord of hosts; If you will walk in my ways, and if you will keep My command, then you shall also judge My house, and likewise have charge of My courts; I will give you places to walk among these who stand here.

Hear, O Joshua the high priest, you, and your companions who sit before you, for they are a wondrous sign; for, behold, I am bringing forth my servant the BRANCH.

For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon the stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave its inscription, says the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.

In that day, says the Lord of hosts, everyone will invite his neighbour under his vine and under his fig tree.

Ephesians 3:20-21 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.