When a train carrying 260 Christians from Pretoria to the Western Cape broke down in the middle of the Karoo on Sunday morning the passengers decided to put their faith to the test.
The passengers who had attended the It’s Time Pretoria prayer event had been on the train since 7pm on Saturday and were eager to get home, said Niël Botma of Cape Town.
So when the train manager informed them that they were stranded there for a long time because one of the two locomotives had broken down, all 260 passengers had no hesitation in stepping out into the sweltering heat and doing what they knew best to do in an emergency.
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“We began to pray — to pray in tongues, to sing choruses, to praise and worship the Lord, trusting Him for a breakthrough,” said Botma.
They had come to a standstill 50km beyond Beaufort West, from which the train manager told them they might be able to secure replacement locomotives. Alternatively, they would have to wait for the technical team in Pretoria to come up with a plan of action.
No stranger to trains, because he regularly ministers on suburban trains, Botma said the Lord instructed him to climb up into the front locomotive where he found four men frantically trying to make repairs.
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“They looked puzzled as to why I was in the locomotive in the first place. I asked them to show me the part of the engine that was causing the problems so that I could lay my hands on it and with the faith of the 260 people outside interceding, pray that God would restore the engine.
“They told me that I was not allowed to enter the engine room so I started to kick the door as a prophetic act in order to drive out the demon that took hold of the engine.
“I then took my saliva and anointed the door and started to pray in tongues once again.
“After a minute or so God showed me that he had given the driver of the train the wisdom to act out a certain plan. I approached the train driver and asked him what was God telling him to do. He said, Sir, as far as I understand, I must put the rear locomotive in front of the front one, and use it to tow the broken locomotive and the 12 or 13 carriages.”
Botma left him and rejoined the passengers.
“About two minutes later the train whistle blew and we were told to climb aboard again immediately as something had happened in the front.
“Beloveds, all of a sudden that dead Lazarus train had come alive and to this day the train management don’t understand what happened. The train manager said he has never before seen such a thing.”
He said that after the passengers got back on the train they all took part in spontaneous worship. See video clip below.
“By God’s grace we were back on track and the train’s maximum speed all of a sudden increased from 70km/h to 110km/h ensuring our safe arrival at Worcester train station. We truly serve a God of miracles!”, he said.
Botma said the approximately 3 000km train roundtrip was a great blessing. People from different cultures and church communities prayed together, worshipped together and people who had never been able to speak in tongues received the gift. Some people had words of knowledge for others.
“It was wonderful.”
I just wish I was there… The atmosphere appears as if it was blissful. Praise God for the trip…
God will never failed us
Our God is truly Indescribable
Our God is truly Indescribable
What a mighty God we serve!!!
Fantasties..Ons het n God wat Lewe…Hy stel ons nooit teleur nie….dit is n fantastiese getuienis…ons dien werklik n Groot God….
Amen..Hallelujah Prys die Heer
To God be the glory!
My family and I were on the train. Blessed to be part of a miracle!!!
How absolute awesome is our God and how wonderful that they acted in faith and what an amazing testimony of what lies ahead of us in South Africa. Miracle after miracle
Amazing God we serve
This is great. Nothing is impossible for God
WE SERVE AN AWESOME GOD .
All praise to our redeeming Lord. Thank you Jesus.
Amazing. Father, You are just amazing. Nothing is impossible for You, You are bringing this country of ours back to life. The Lord asked Esegiel if those bones can live, we declare, “yes Lord these bones can live, breath in our country new life for Your glory and honour, we ask in Jesus Name”
Reading about the “resurrection” of the Lazarus train, I am left without words as I think of wonderful things that God can do. HALELUJAH!!
Watching the video the bothers & sisters singing the famous “My God is alive” just makes me wish I was there.
Amen , our God is alive! He will never leave nor forsake us , an ever present help in times of trouble! Thank you Lord!
Wow awesome God we serve
What a mighty God we serve!
Praise God. What a testimony!
Praise The Lord for His Faithfulness. Thank You JESUS
All praise and glory to a mighty God. Amen.
The Rainbow Nation is action – how heartwarming ! Thank you Jesus !!
Praise almighty God for a mighty miracle. Thank you Lord, please heal our nation. May every knee bow down to you.
I was at IT’S TIME, and after we left Reitz on Monday morning, when the sound clip came onto my phone, I cried all the way home to Kokstad. ……
Awesome! What a mighty God we serve!
Dankie Heer dat ek Die getuie kon witness
AMAZING….love from TEXAS
God is groot en is elke dag in ons midde.
Dankie Jesus vir elke klein dingetjie wat ons na u toe kan bring
May I raise some points here?
1. “Botma left him and rejoined the passengers. “About two minutes later the train whistle blew and we were told to climb aboard again immediately as something had happened in the front.”
It seems unlikely that, in “about two minutes”, the driver would have been able to “put the rear locomotive in front of the front one”, even if a link between the two tracks, or a siding, had been close by. Is it not more likely that the four men “frantically trying to make repairs” found the fault and could quickly fix it?
2. How was it known so precisely that “the train’s maximum speed all of a sudden increased from 70km/h to 110km/h”? Was Mr Botma allowed into the driver’s compartment afterwards, so that he could read the train’s speed from the instruments?
M Bailey-McEwan, you have a point. I know about trains. My Dad was an electric train driver. I am also waiting for a reply from Botma!
Yes when something extraordinary happens never let the reason take over but the heart because through the power of prayer miracle still happen even on our days.
Hi M Bailey-Mcewan and pieter. I was on the train with niel botma. The units was not changed around. Niel just prayed in the one unit like he said. The rest of us were outside praying. A miracle took place that is why they could start the engine. I took the speed of the train with the waze app on my cellphone.I really saw a miracle. So did the rest of the people on the train. You are more then welcome to call me if you have more questions. 0827741761. God is good.
My Jesus is so good. He’s heart is for us to love each other the way He loves us,under His Kingdom management, His inclusion. No one is to be left behind. His heart is for us all to have our minds renewed. To love and serve each other as He, our King serves us. May South Africa and it’s people become a jewel in His Crown for His Glory and Ultimate purpose.
Thanks for sharing. I am jobless. The Dr I work for had to close his doors due to illness. I struggled now for months to get a job. I keep praying. BUT THIS GIVE ME HOPE. IF GOD CAN DO THIS TO A TRAIN….. THANK YOU