The #Prayf4RainSA event on Saturday (January 30) in Bloemfontein led by ‘Oom’ Angus Buchan was as much a prayer gathering for spiritual rain as it was for physical rain over South Africa, which is as dry as it is thirsty for respectful relationships, ethical governance, equity and freedom from crime, hunger and poverty.
The gathering on Naval Hill was a call from the heart of the country, from one of the highest points in the Free State capital, to the nation to humble itself in prayer, seek our Holy Father’s face, turn from our sinning ways and stand united trusting God for spiritual and physical revival.
#Pray4RainSA was a call to South Africans to humble ourselves and pray for the transformation we desire in our families, communities and country; pray for positive change instead of speaking negatively about the situation in the country.
The assembly was a reminder that it is vital for all of us to discern what the Lord God Almighty’s will is for each of us in this season regarding our walk with Him, our families, Churches, communities, and country, so that we can align ourselves with Him and be instruments of His will being done on earth as it is in heaven.
Our hearts
In this Jubilee Year it is important that we take advantage of God’s grace for the changing of our hearts and minds to walk in His ways, be led in His paths and learn His truths, but first we need to examine our hearts to see what is holding us back from being keen, useful instruments of His will.
In the two weeks leading up to the #Pray4RainSA event Leon Hartwig, Africa director for Family Foundations International, travelled to more than 20 towns on behalf of Oom Angus as an ambassador for the event.
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An important part of his message was that the Lord had laid on his heart that many people in our country go to bed hungry and that we should come into alignment with God’s will for the provision of those that do not have.
“Although I saw the effect of the drought while driving through the Free State, when I cried to the Lord for rain I believe I was shown that although we need rain, the drought is a means to focus our attention on the need to come into alignment with the Lord’s will,” said Hartwig who then quoted Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you”.
Oom Angus started the #Pray4RainSA meeting by urging the crowd to pray for “our beloved country” and to “pray for repentance” before reading 2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land”.
However, he warned that, “God does not answer prayer – He answers the prayer of faith.
“If you don’t honestly believe that God is going to bring rain to this nation, despite what the experts say, then don’t even pray, because you are making a fool of God,” declared oom Angus.
“You have to believe it first then humble yourself and pray – ‘seek my face’, that is why we are here today.
“There are people here from all over South Africa who are desperate for God.”
Oom Angus emphasised the need for us to turn from our wicked ways. He said he was at the meeting to deliver a mandate: “There is no other God, there never was and never will be”.
“All roads do not lead to heaven.”
Need fearless people of God
He said we need fearless people of God in this country like the prophet Elijah who challenged 450 prophets of Baal to call on their God to send fire onto the wood of their sacrifice and he would do the same to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to prove who the one true God was.
No matter how the 450 prophets of Baal pleaded no fire came, yet when Elijah prayed to God, He sent fire down from heaven that burned the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the ground around the altar.
“We need fearless people of faith in this country. We need Elijah’s in this nation. We need men and women who will call sin by its name, who are ‘not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation for those who believe’ (Romans 1:16).
“Folks I want to tell you that I am so proud to be a believer. When the rains come I say, ‘Yes Lord’! When the miracle happens I say, ‘Yes Lord’!
“People might say to me, ‘OK big stuff let’s see what you’re going to do this time’, but my answer is, ‘I am going to do nothing, He is going to do it. He will never leave you, He will never forsake you.
“However, He is a holy God and if you are caught up with pornography, but are asking God to send rain, He won’t even hear you prayers, because he is Holy God.
“Do you know what holiness is? It is the end product of obedience.”
Oom Angus stressed the importance for us to be virtuous examples for our families by the things we do, not the things we say, for our children will follow our example and do the things we do.
He emphasised again that if we are praying for rain and expect God to answer our prayers while we knowingly sin, we will be disappointed.
We need the covenant and anointing of God in our lives, which we receive from obedience, submission, and surrender to the Lord.
“If we want rain we must live in God’s way; we can’t serve two masters,” cried oom Angus.
“We are with Him or against Him: God says, ‘If you are lukewarm I will spew you out of my mouth’.
“The Lord says we should turn from our wicked ways ‘then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land’.
South Africa
“Folks I am not going overseas much this year. I want to stay in this country. My heart is here. I want to be here with you, I want to join hands with you, I want to believe God for a miracle in this nation.
“I really believe this nation can lead the rest of Africa, I believe this nation can lead the world. We have the opportunities.
“People are waiting . . . people say to me, ‘but they are so ugly to me’. I say to them, ‘just love them back’. The most powerful force on earth is love – that’s His name, His name is Jesus.
“Love and pray for your enemies. God will change their lives,” said oom Angus.
He told the assembly that everyone should pray in unity for a miracle as the Lord had laid it on his heart that He wanted everyone praying the same prayer in accord. Those gathered responded with shouts of, ‘Amen’.
“A miracle cannot be explained. God wants to perform a miracle today starting in your heart,” said oom Angus.
He said he would lead those present in two prayers.
First, a prayer of personal repentance asking for forgiveness for not putting God first in our lives and for our unbelief, because unbelief ties God’s hands.
The entire crowd stood to its feet and followed ‘oom’ Angus in prayer: “Dear Lord Jesus, this morning I ask you on behalf of myself, my family, my people, and my nation for forgiveness”.
“I say sorry, sorry Jesus for disappointing you, for speaking badly about the situation. I repent.
“I ask you today to be the most important person in my life. I will worship no other Gods, but You. ‘You died for me on the cross of Calvary. You took away my sins. You cleansed me by your blood and as I am praying this prayer, now, you are healing me spiritually, physically, and mentally.
“As of this moment, I confess that I am a new person in Christ in Jesus’ name, and because you live Lord I can face tomorrow and any other day that comes my way, in Jesus’ name. Amen! Amen! Amen,”!
Plea for rain
The second prayer was a plea for rain for which the crowd was asked to kneel in humility as Oom Angus thanked everyone for coming from all over the country.
“Dear Lord Jesus we don’t deserve it, but we ask you to perform a miracle in this nation. We ask You to send us physical rain from Cape Town to Messina, this whole country soaked in rain, torrential rain, consistent rain until the land is replenished, is restored in Jesus’ name,” prayed the crowd in unison.
“And we thank you today for what you are going to do. We are not going to ask you again Lord, because Your word says that Your ear is not thick that you cannot hear, and your arm is not short that it cannot save, so we are going to thank you from this day onwards for the torrential rain that is going to fall on this nation in Jesus’ name Amen.”
Finally, Oom Angus led the gathering in prayer for spiritual rain.
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“Dear Lord Jesus, we are asking you to change the mood and the climate in this country. We come against a spirit of fear, of despondency, of hopelessness, and we thank You Lord that today You will give us a spirit of faith and hope and love.
“We refuse to listen any longer to the lies of the devil spoken by the devil’s agents over this country. We rebuke it in Jesus’ name. We thank You for courage, for faith to believe for the impossible, and we give you all the honour, all the praise and all the glory. In Jesus’ mighty name Amen, Amen!
Then the shofars blew over the meeting as the crowd clapped in praise of the Lord and oom Angus shouted, ‘Thank You Lord, because You live, I can face tomorrow. Thank You Jesus that I am a new person in Christ.
Clouds
The skies were clear-blue and shimmering with heat as we left Bloemfontein on the road back to the Eastern Cape, but before we had travelled the 70-odd kilometres to Edenburg, we were surveying cumulus clouds building-up on the western horizon.
As they changed from white to dark-grey storm clouds they floated over us and enough rain fell to warrant windscreen wipers. Looking to the east we saw rain pouring, falling from dark-grey thunder clouds, which encouraged us and gave life to our faith for the physical and spiritual rain coming.
Praise God for the rain!
I struggle with trying not to pass judgement on others . I am in a good place with God otherwise , had struggled with nicotine addiction many years ago , was totally healed from it , sexual sin , that is still sometimes difficult , but now I trust and have faith , and no longer physically fall , but spiritually (lust of the eyes) is still difficult , but can overcome in prayer. Never had alcohol addiction , but use to over indulge , no longer. I think of the parable of the prodigal son , as his father accepted him back unconditionally , and as we expect God to accept us back (and He does as long as we have faith and are truly repentant) , so we need to love and accept others , as above though , I battle to help those I (think through their own doing) have landed up financially struggling , I am just praying God Almighty , who provides all my needs , will let me feel the need of others and help them more than I do now. It’s very hard though , especially when I know (but that in itself is judgement) they will probably go back there , and do even less the more I help ?