Around the World Prayer Devotionalনমুনা

# Prayer Can Change a Nation! South Africa has only been a democratic nation since 1994. For the past twenty-five years, the people of this beautiful country have had to learn how to live and work together toward a better future for all. It has not been easy, but we “live and strive for freedom,” as our national anthem declares. During our transition into democracy in 1994 there was a lot of fear; tensions were running high, and there was a real concern about the possibility of a civil war breaking out. Many would agree that the peaceful transition could be attributed to prayer. Churches throughout the country— from all backgrounds and denominations—came together to pray, despite the chaos, uncertainty, mistrust, and politics. And all that the enemy intended for evil, God used for good. I believe God’s promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14 made the difference. God hears and answers prayer. Fast-forward twenty-three years after the advent of democracy. On April 22, 2017, the body of Christ united once again to cry out for our nation. One million believers came together on a farm in the middle of the country to intercede—and God listened! Since then, there have been two more similar prayer gatherings. One was in Cape Town in 2018. There we asked God to bring rain to the drought-stricken region, because the city was set to completely run out of fresh water. Later in 2019, dams in the area were close to 80 percent capacity. It’s a miracle. Our God is the one who hears! The second historic event was in October 2018, when a massive prayer meeting was held outside Pretoria. We asked God to intervene in our government because corruption had reached alarming levels and was crippling the country’s economy and growth. With unemployment at its highest, the nation was once again on its knees. Two months after the prayer event, the then president was ousted, and many initiatives have been taken to move the country forward. Seeing South Africa move from apartheid to democracy, from drought to sufficiency, and from corruption to integrity, hasn’t been easy. But as a nation we have learned that our God hears us, even—or especially—when times are hard. Once again, we find ourselves crying out to God for our nation—for the countless lives affected by violence and oppression against vulnerable people. But we are encouraged by the promise found in God’s Word that prayer has power. ## Prayer Request > With South Africa having such a rich and multicultural population, please pray that God will open doors to appropriately bring the good news to the different ethnicities, generations, and socioeconomic groups represented in our diverse nation. > >