The above postcard depicts South Africa’s national anthem. Riots have been occurring around Johannesburg and Gauteng Province this week; 13,000 are without homes and many have lost their lives. We prayed it wouldn’t come to Cape Town, but it did. Today in Cape Town there are reports of violence breaking out in pockets all around the city. Foreigners fear for their lives, children were kept home from school, people couldn’t go to work or school because of the violence around their locations. Why? Fear, poverty, greed, jealousy, corruption, division.

How can this be South Africa’s national anthem and yet so many are suffering from poverty, HIV-Aids, unemployment, desperation, rape, murder, war and starvation. Could you pray one hour a day for Africa? Would you gather some friends together to pray for what’s happening in South Africa right now?


Africans pour into South Africa from around the continent daily seeking refuge. God meant for this country to be light and hope to the rest of the continent. Many African nations provided asylum for ANC exiles during apartheid’s evil days. Sadly a sin likened to apartheid is happening- Xenophobia. South Africans against foreigners? Against anyone who isn’t like you? There are Indians, Congolese, Somalians, Rwandans, Zimbabweans, Sudanese, Kenyans, Mozambicans who all have come to South Africa, the Rainbow Nation, in search of jobs and/or a better, safer place to raise their families. Sadly some South Africans have taken matters into their own hands against “foreigners.” Those in hopes of refuge had found their homes have been burned down, they are blocked from going to work or school and some have even died.

Africa’s history is rife with conquerors, colonialism and proselytization. African nations have been stripped of their natural resources for the rest of the world’s use. They need someone to care. Too often our caring is teaching textbook religion rather than building homes and establishing relationships alongside them, walking, teaching, and sharing knowledge with one another; standing in prayer when a family needs help, pitching in with a few South African rands when the kids’ school fees are due and/or meals and friendship and prayer when the family can’t meet their commitments. It’s about community, neighbors helping neighbors; Acts 5- they sold their possessions and gave to one another as there was need til there was no need among them.

Many years ago, a few of us in a very prosperous church didn’t even know where the poor lived. But we’d read in the book of Nehemiah that he had seen Jerusalem (Atlanta, Cape Town, Johannesburg, etc.) was in ruins and its gates had been burned by fire. We wept, mourned, fasted and prayed for favour with the King (man) and with God.

That favour enabled Nehemiah to travel to be with the exiles who’d returned to the province and there he lived among them and helped them rebuild.

I had a vision from God when we first moved to Cape Town in November, 2000:

While on the plane flying over Africa God showed me an image from heaven: I saw the whole continent of Africa and a huge cloud over it, like the one from which God led the Israelites in the desert. I could see God raining down His Word over Africa. Out of the cloud came rain, it rained scriptures in the colors of the rainbow down upon the land.

Psalm 68: The earth shook; the heavens poured down rain before God, the God of Israel. You gave abundant showers, O God you refreshed your weary inheritance. Your people settled in it and from your bounty, O God, you provided for the poor.


January 20, 2001 a group of us hiked up Devil’s Peak in Cape Town to pray and fly an 8 meter long banner over Cape Town. The banner declared:



Jesus is Lord!

Scripture raining down over Africa recorded on the Lord’s Banner of Love:

Let the little children come unto me.

The Father loves His son and shows him all he does.

When you have seen the son you have seen the Father.

Whoever believes in me streams of living water will flow through him.

But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart.

Now I will teach you the most excellent way. … these three remain: faith, hope and love and the greatest of these is love.

When Perfection comes the imperfect disappears. Perfect Love casts out all fear.


If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.

Unless you change and become like (my) little children you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven.

His banner over us is Love.

The banner reminded me of a huppa, which is used traditionally in weddings. It represents the presence of the Lord in the blessing of the relationship, the Bride preparing for Her Bridegroom.

How could the wise not have shared in Matthew 25? I wonder how many times might the wise have shared/ advised and the foolish did not listen? How often has God spoken to us and we have not listened or refused because of past bad experiences? Oh Lord, forgive us. Help us to be wise and not foolish; to know You at the time of your coming.

A prophetic word also written on the banner:

The banner of the Lord’s love is over Africa. He longs to woo us into His arms of Love. He is redeemer and Lord, the Lamb of God. “Humble yourselves, lay down your carnal weapons, your walls that have been erected to protect you will be crushed. Only the Lord is your hiding place. Come out from fear, from religion, violence, separation, persecution and rejection. Come into His glorious light of love. You must become like little children to accept this invitation. You must know that he is your hiding place, refuge, protection and your very great reward! His perfect love casts out all fear! Receive His perfect love. Let Him embrace you as Father. There is Freedom in His Banner of Love. Let His blood cover over you, taking the burden of sin that holds you captive, bringing you freedom- redemption- where death has no sting; where the power of rejection and pain no longer dwell. The shepherd is in the land looking for his lost sheep. He is not willing that any be lost, but safe in His arms of Love. Let Him find you. Call out to Him- Abba Father! Here I am!

I will bring health and healing to South Africa. I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. I will cleanse them and forgive them then the city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all the nations on the earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it. I am the Lord your God who churns up the sea so that its waves roar- “The Lord Almighty is His name!!” I have put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand- I who set the heavens in place, who laid the foundations of the earth and who say to Zion (South Africa) “You are my people” You are my people, you are my sons and daughters I come to love you.

There’s a scene in the movie Hotel Rwanda; which by the way suffered a terrible genocide in 1994 when South Africa could have suffered a terrible war. Joaquin Phoenix, a photojournalist is reviewing footage of massacred Rwandans. He apologizes to the hotel manager who says, “No, it is all right, perhaps your people will see this and send the help my people need.” Joaquin’s reply was so very telling of the world today: “I think they will see this on the news at about the dinner hour, shake their heads and say how dreadful and then turn it off and go back to eating their dinner.”

While our daughter crossed the street to get into our car a South African blared on his car’s horn then pulled up next to us and began swearing at my husband. Then he asked, “Why don’t you go back where you came from?” It hurt, it shocked, it pushed my husband’s buttons. Just imagine each day you are living in a foreign land, trying to raise your family without any of your family here with you or anything remotely resembling what you know. Yet you know this is where God wants you. How frightening! What more for those whose homes are burned, fathers and mothers senselessly killed by enraged mobs. What hope for future? God knows the plans he has for us, plans to prosper us and not to harm us; to give us a future and a hope. Will you be part of His mercy and grace? Will you stretch out your hand so that God can cause the Red Sea around us to part so that we can cross over onto dry ground?