Waking up on the first morning, I felt the Lord give me this scripture to take with me in my heart;
“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
Ephesians 5:14 (ESV)
This day, it proved to be a wonderful key in understanding God revealing deep things.
Bearing in mind that I was starting off the prayerwalk in prayer for the Afrikaner nation to come into the place of being in the full purpose that God has for them, right now at this specific point in time.
My wife accompanied me to the first 3 destinations:
At daybreak, we started off at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. Our first prayers were filled with God laying on our hearts to pray about a new season which is coming.
As we were walking around prayerfully, God highlighted to us the abundance of the colour purple in the fresh light of that golden sunrise.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. I Peter 2:9 (ESV)
To proclaim the excellencies of Him who called us into His marvellous light...
As we continued to pray, the Holy Spirit continued to lead: The Afrikaner nation cannot start this new season without His life-giving water ... “living water”.
God needs to be placed first and foremost in everything we do. He is our firm foundation, the solid Rock on which should build everything.
Outside our national flag is flying proudly. And that lead us to pray that God’s banner will be, continually, over the country and our South African nation.
Then He lead us to pray for order in our country; we prayed that (especially) the leaders of the country will become righteous and in right standing with God; and that the government will be deeply rooted in God.
The steps of a man are established by the LORD,
when he delights in his way Psalms 37:23 (ESV)
God also spoke some promises of His plans and dreams for this nation are to be strong, affluent and prosperous. A rainbow nation made up of many different nations - all with their own unique identities. They are all beautiful in their own way.
If you pour yourself out for the hungry
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness
and your gloom be as the noonday.
And the LORD will guide you continually
and satisfy your desire in scorched places
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters do not fail
Isaiah 58:10,11 (ESV)
Filled with awe and a deep excitement, we headed to the Voortrekker monument. Why and what we exactly had to pray there, we were soon to find out...
We felt to ask for forgiveness on behalf of the Afrikaner nation for the things our nation has done to deeply hurt God’s heart. We asked that God would restore us as a nation to the purpose and plan He has for us in this time in this place.
Great was our surpise after that, when a prayer partner sent us the following - so in line with what we were praying:
LORD, you were favorable to your land;
you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
You forgave the iniquity of your people;
you covered all their sin. Selah
You withdrew all your wrath;
you turned from your hot anger.
Restore us again, O God of our salvation,
and put away your indignation toward us!
Will you be angry with us forever?
Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
Will you not revive us again,
that your people may rejoice in you?
Show us your steadfast love, O LORD,
and grant us your salvation.
Psalms 85:1-7 (ESV)
We then felt the Holy Spirit lead us to walk around the monument and pray. We walked around the 40 meter square structure, and suddenly a shofar sounded from amongst the thorn trees and bushes as we walked around the East side. This was remarkable because the shofar is used to announce the presence of the King. Here we were on the East side - the side from where the sun rises. The side from where the Son will shine - and I remembered the scripture the Lord gave at the start of the day:
“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
Ephesians 5:14 (ESV)
After walking around the monument, we continued on to the Irene Concentration Camp Memorial. We felt that this would be the place to pray and ask God to heal the terrible wounds inflicted on our nation many years ago - from which the scars are still evident; even generations later. This nation with great agricultural abilities was dealt a severe blow after over 30000 farms were burnt down in that war. It is time to reconnect with God and the nation’s destiny in Him.
What a great surprise awaited me upon arrival at this place: Here I met an old friend whom I have not seen in over 30 years.
On behalf of our nation we also spoke forgiveness over the people who did these terrible deeds.
Old friends
My last destination for the day would be a worship and prayer meeting about 4 hours walk from there. As I walked I felt the Lord give me a clear word as encouragement to share later that evening.
But there was one thing I was in a way discussing with the Lord: Why did I meet an old friend - and what significance did it have.
After walking for about 2 hours, I stopped at a shopping centre to refill my water bottle. While checking my map to make sure of the direction to go from there, I was surprised by receiving a call from another friend from the past. While I was talking to him on my mobile phone, I turned around and noticed another friend from my past walking down the isle. WOW!
By now I knew it was very significant. The Lord gave me a very simple explanation: Rekindling of old friendships - that is what He longs for. he has many people who once called Him Friend who He haven’t heard speaking to Him for many years...
I knew how to shape my prayers; that people who neglected their relationship with God, would turn their hearts back to Him!
I would not be able to have found that meeting place without that map AND the water I had to drink on that hot afternoon. And that beautiful picture is all the Holy Spirit needed to encourage some at the evening’s meeting. In the same way that I used the map and the water to get to a destination, is how we should take our bible in the one hand and the Holy Spirit in the other and with this “map” and “water” we will find our destiny in life.
How great my awe in God when, at this meeting where they didn’t even know what I have experienced during the day, a at a time great emphasis was laid on singing about being a friend of God and someone even spoke out and read that God called Abraham His friend...
In the meeting mention was made about a new season that is upon us and then, to my surprise, we were informed that this day was the start of the Jewish New Year ... A new season has started!
Then even symbolically on behalf of the Afrikaner nation, I took communion with the new friends I have made, and the person leading reminded us that we must make sure there is no unforgiveness ... I was so glad we did the forgiveness prayer at the Irene Concentration Camp earlier that day!
That evening one of a local church’s prayer and intercession members invited me to sleep over at their house. We had lovely fellowship and I was reminded that the Afrikaner nation is also a nation that is very generous. This was added to my prayer - that the Afrikaner nation will be a generous nation again. I experienced generosity in this house which gave me enormous hope as I continued shaping my prayers for the Afrikaner nation.
The next I met a man day who told me that he had witnessed God perform a miracle through him; but he has not testified about it for 15 years! He said he felt God used me to get him to come closer to god and also to witness to others about God’s power.
I just know God longed for this man - His old friend - to get back!
And so symbolically I pray for the nation who have neglected God - to return to God with tears of joy!
A very hot day loaded with symbolism and prayer. The previous day I praised and worshiped with mostly white people in the meeting in a affluent area. This day would end with a 4 hour fellowship, praise and prayer meeting sitting in the open, under the stars, in a poor community with no electricity.
Earlier that day I passed the Lion park where I found it very symbolically to walk on the land in the way that our forefathers walked - surrounded by wild animals and the roaring of the lions in the distance. Here I took a shower in the base camp, almost signifying a cleansing before moving ahead to spread the gospel to the new generation of people living in the “new” South Africa.
It struck me that the shower drain was blocked! Even in the same way the Afrikaner nation is holding back on things that are passed. Not letting the old water pass under the bridge ...
This shaped my prayer for the Afrikaner nation even more.
Mysterious dust storms.
Now for an unexplained part that I can only attribute to God working in mysterious ways.
Day 2, in Itsoseng, ended with much prayer. It was just past 10 at night. As we said amen there in the open as we were praying in the open, under the stars, a sudden burst of wind made the us all scatter for cover and for home. I was invited to sleep in a little shack next to where we were praying. As soon as we were inside, a rough wind blew and the air was thick with dust. It was very notable how, as soon as we said “amen” the wind came up.
On day 3, in a real rural area, I met a “truck load” of men, waiting on the side of the road. Their truck ran out of fuel and they were waiting for someone who walked to a petrol station for some fuel. I stood by their truck talking to them for quite a while. I asked if I could pray for them and the welcomed me to do it. When I said amen a wind came up and blew a cloud of dust across the road.
That afternoon, while I was walking and praying the things that Holy Spirit laid on my heart, I experienced a few more times when I finished a prayer, there would be a dust storm. This was a almost like God was answering me - showing how He uses the wind to blow off the dust of the old season in preparation for the new, before he will send the rain which will bring in the new season.
Late that afternoon, I prayed and said to God that it is almost time to make ready for the evening and I would now keep my ears and eyes open if He wanted to tell me where to go for the night. When I said amen, I looked up and ahead in the road, I saw a sign announcing a Mighty Men Conference. When I came closer, I saw it was starting that evening.
For almost 3 days I was wondering how to get the people of this area together to share the word that God laid on my heart for them, with them. Here was a meeting advertised in the area for the people of the area. About an hour later I shared with the camp organiser about the dust storms. He took me to a huge cross that He erected on his farm, and showed me the copperplate with inscription dedicating the 20m cross to God. He then told me that just after he had finished attaching that copper plate onto the cross, a great dust storm blew over...
That evening I slept in a farm house and also had the opportunity to share my testimony and the word I had from the Lord with the people attending the conference.
Blessing the land
The next day I walked along many farms and I felt a specific call to walk over the freshly ploughed lands and to bless it.
The prayer I felt the Holy Spirit lay on my heart was to ask that God would bless the land greatly. So much that it would yield amazing crops.
Lord I pray that it would be more than expected
that it would be over and above
and that it would be more than enough
and that there would even be much extra.
Lord I pray that the farmers will then be touched and be generous
and that they will open their hands and
give away.
Freely as they received
I pray that they will freely also give away.
I was asking about the crop - but someone that prayed with me even added that the farmers would even give some of the land away.
This day was very tiring and it was hard walking in the ploughed lands and long distances on uneven ground. It was getting late and I asked the Lord about a sleeping place. I was very tired and it was amazing to hear Him answer this: The ones who want to camp turn right at the next turnoff and the workers go straight ahead into town.
A full house
I was very tired but mindful that I am not here for the comfort, so I said to the Lord - I am ready for more work, so I will go on straight. The road ahead was definitely longer than the one to the camp area at the next turn-off. So I made the hard choice and walked straight ahead.
I felt to do an unusual thing: take down the number of the first guest house advertised along the road. I walked in the direction I felt the Lord lead me. A family stopped next to me and asked where I was going because they passed me along the road a few times during the day. I explained to them what the prayerwalk was all about, and when we said our goodbyes, I felt the Lord say - Now the day’s work is now done.
He laid on my heart to phone the guest house ... I knew I didn’t even have the budget but I phoned anyways. When the owner heard what I was doing I was invited to come stay over as a guest for free!
God had blessed them that evening with a house full of guests with only one room to spare ... (mine!)
“This is the reward for the worker” I felt the Lord say to me. Wow - thank You Dad.
That night the rain poured down in a thunderstorm for almost 6 hours. It was announced on the news that this good rain came as a welcome surprise for farmers in the area.
Now here is something awesome that God have let me see about HIMSELF:
After sleeping in a warm dry bed that night of the thunderstorm, I walked 56km to Potchefstroom in prayer for the Afrikaner to return to God, to once again open their hands as they become a giving nation again; and to proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. Almost at the end of the road, just outside Potchefstroom a car stops next to the road. They are from the same family I met the previous night. They told me that they drove almost 50km to Potchefstroom the previous evening, just to check if i was OK ...
Then I realised - God not only has a plan for our lives ... he even has a backup plan!
Thank You Jesus!
Prayerwalker’s poem about the road
The further I go
the fewer the houses
the street becomes a road
The deeper I go
The further I go
the fewer the cars
the city becomes a countryside
The deeper I go
The further I go
the fewer the words
the broken prayer become a worship song
The deeper I go
The further I go
the fewer the distracting thoughts
the focus becomes only more on You
The deeper I go
The further I go
the more dusty the road
the stony hearts become more like clay
The deeper I go
The further I go
the less the noise
the better I hear
The deeper I go
The deeper I go
the more of my God I yearn to know
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