LISTEN: Speak life: God will save SA — Arno van Niekerk

The current wave of looting and violence in South Africa — on top of the extended lockdown — is a blow to everybody in the nation but it is not a time to give in to fear and hopelessness but to stand on our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

So says economist and Christian marketplace leader Dr Arno van Niekerk in a message to South African Christians he recorded today in which he calls on believers to speak life in the name of Jesus, to become prayer warriors “like never before”, and to constantly proclaim that “God will save South Africa” — a declaration based on a Scripture that he believes the Lord gave him for the nation.

At the start of his message, Van Niekerk says he drove home from Umhlanga, Durban to Bloemfontein with his family yesterday, and saw “the ravages” of the current violence, including burnt-out trucks on the roadside and burning fields on many farms in the Free State.

“The severity of the situation is important to take note of but our response is even more important,” he says, calling on Christians to stay calm, focused and anchored in Jesus.

At a time when many issues of justice are being dealt with in the country, evil is rearing its head. It is a time when God is busy exposing “the areas and streams through which evil flourishes in the nation” and “we need to pray for the exposure of evil in South Africa like never before”, he says.

He calls on believers to stand in faith and proclaim the Word of God in their prayer time, during family time, in discussion with friends and on social media.

He cautions Christians that speaking death over the nation is harmful “because your words have power”.

When we see looters and other problems on TV, we should not simply watch, we should pray over them, he says.

He says the positive thing about this time is that we have become so desperate for change and renewal that we realise “we have no other option but to call out to the Lord like never before”.

It is time for South Africans to make Jesus the cornerstone of the economy, the government, the governance system, the values of society, the way we run our schools and businesses — of every aspect of society. Like the Kingdom leaven Jesus spoke about, at this low point in the nation, we need to allow the living waters of Jesus Christ to infiltrate every area of our life, he says.

Van Niekerk says that during his prayer time this morning God gave him a word from Hebrews 10: 35-39 that speaks of persevering in faith and seeing God fulfil His promises to save His people.

I want you to speak these words wherever you go — in your family time, when you pray, even when — always add these words God will save South Africa

He urges Christians to speak the words: “God will save South Africa” at every opportunity. He says he believes that in this way they will be releasing the words prophetically and that God will put them into action.

In closing he called on Christians to intentionally pray for the people causing havoc and to resist judging them or allowing racism to set in their minds.

“Let us unite in Christ, let us speak God’s Word, let us be a praying people, and let us allow life to set this nation free. Because the truth comes through the life that we speak and the life that we live,” he says.