Substantial support for “The Return” revival and repentance campaign in SA

To date 172 cities and towns in South Africa are registered to participate in “The Return”, a global revival and repentance campaign taking place from September 18 to 28.

The strong, positive response to the initiative by prayer networks, churches, groups and individuals is an overflow of the remarkable increase in the amount of prayer and the depth of prayer in SA since the start of the lockdown. It is a clear call to believers to gather in prayer over those 10 days and to seek the Lord in repentance as the Body of Christ, says Daniel Brink of Jericho Walls International Prayer Network.

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The Return was initiated by US best-selling author and prophetic leader Jonathan Cahn as an urgent call for believers in the US and the world to humble themselves and return to God. South African participants will join from 3pm to 4.30pm on September 26 (the Day of Return) on YouTube or Facebook live for 90 intense minutes of prayer with pastors and leaders from across South Africa. They will also join with believers for 10 days of day and night prayer, fasting and repentance from September 18 to 28.

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Commenting on the buildup to The Return, Brink, who is primarily involved in 24/7 prayer campaigns throughout SA, said that over the coronavirus lockdown period he has seen more than a 100% increase in the amount of prayer in the nation based on figures he has seen showing that people are praying longer, more frequently and that more people are praying.

Prayer awakening
“This is quite an amazing thing that has developed through the lockdown. This does not mean that every time there is a calamity God stirs up the people to pray but the Lord has certainly used this calamity to awaken the Church to prayer and so The Return coming up is an outflow of this escalation of prayer,” he said.

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Endorsing the repentance theme of The Return, he said that, sadly, if one looks around it is apparent that there is little difference between the lifestyle of the Church and the lifestyle of the world.

“That is one of the reasons why we need revival and why we need to come before the Lord in repentance and say: ‘Lord, we are sorry. Please will you come and visit us again in revival.’

“So, yes, this is my call to the Body of Christ to rise up to take this opportunity. This is the season to pray, the time to earnestly seek the Lord for awakening. He has heard us for physical rains in many parts of the country. We have seen this here in Cape Town where the dams are full for the first time in many years and we are rejoicing about that.”

Spiritual rains
“But how great the rejoicing will be when we see the spiritual rains coming, awakening the Church to pray, reviving the souls of many, transforming the hearts of thousands — and thousands being drawn back to God in this very day. This is what we trust the Lord for.”

Plans for South Africa’s participation are posted on The Return South Africa website at https://worldmissioncentre.com/thereturnsa/

In a CBN interview yesterday with 700 Club host Pat Robertson, Jonathan Cahn said thousands of Americans plan to gather in Washington, DC on September 26 for an event called The Return: National and Global Day of Prayer and Repentance.

He called it a “solemn assembly” based on 2 Chronicles 7:19: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall 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.”

“It’s going to be in the National Mall in Washington, DC, on September 26th,” Cahn said. “But it’s also going to be around the world and around the country for those who can’t make it, it’s going to be streamed to their homes, their churches, they can have their own event. The point is, this is a crucial moment.”

Shabbat Shuva
He said The Return is set to take place 40 days before the presidential election and on the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower. Surrounding the Day of Return on September 26 were 10 days, known from ancient times as the Days of Awe (Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur), to be set as a special time of prayer and repentance from September 18-28. “Unknown to the organisers the Day of Return will fall on a day, known in the Hebrew calendar as Shabbat Shuva — the Shabbat of Returning,” he said.

“I believe this is the moment,” Cahn said. “If we don’t do this now, we may pass the point of no return.”