We have republished this story from January to mark the start of the 5 WEEKS OF PRAYER campaign this week
Prayer network leaders who met in East London last September to seek God’s strategy for prayer in 2019 — an election year — were surprised to discover He was more concerned about the state of the Church than the state of society.
“In an impression received [at the September gathering] it was felt that we, the Church and the nation of South Africa have built on and trusted in other rocks than Jesus Christ.
“Instead of fully trusting on and relying on the Lord (Ps 18:2), we have moved away from Him and we have trusted in alternative ‘rocks’ that this world endorses,” says Intercessors For South Africa (IFSA), in a booklet outlining its “Return To Me” prayer strategy of five weeks of focused prayer for the Church of South Africa from February 25 to April 8.
“In the vision received, five waves of prayer swept the land, each wave with the purpose of destroying one of five false rocks that we trust in, as individuals, the church and the nation at large. We sensed that our focus must be to establish the Kingdom truths that return us to right alignment with Jesus Christ, the immovable eternal rock, as we repent of our sinful and idolatrous hearts that found confidence in counterfeit and defective constructs,” says IFSA.
The five false rocks, which will be the focus of the “Return to Me!” prayer initiative, are:
1. Trusting in flesh / self i.e. our own abilities, desires, lusts/pleasures, strength, wisdom, identity, opinion etc. (Prov 3:5, Jer 17:5, 2 Cor 1:9)
2. Trusting in princes i.e. leaders, politicians, influential people (Ps 118:9, Ps 146:3, Is 36:5, Jer 46:25)
3. Trusting in wealth / riches i.e. all forms of greed, desire for money (Ps 49:6, Mark 10:24, 1 Tim 6:17)
4. Trusting in false gods / falsehood. This includes: false Christianity, changing the truth to suit us, false systems of worship/religion, idolatry, philosophies etc. (Is 42:17, Is 59:4, Jer 7:4)
5. Trusting in horses and chariots i.e. worldly systems such as political parties, government, government structures, judicial systems, cultural systems, United Nations etc. (Ps 20:7, Is 31:1).
“Our Heavenly Father is focussed on the Holy nation (1 Pet 2:9) within the nation that does not stand before God with clean hands or pure hearts (Ps 24:4) and consequently our prayers have been unable to release the blessing and transformative power we so desperately need (Jam 5:16),” says IFSA
Information on how to participate in the campaign — individually, or in prayer groups, prayer networks, or congregations — is available by emailing IFSA at ifsaprayer@gmail.com or by visiting www.ifsaprayer.co.za or Facebook: Intercessors For South Africa.