It Takes Character to Pray!….. Now if I only left it there, I would have probably received 60 to a 100 “likes” on Facebook on this post, giving the recent event that occurred in South Africa during the past few days.

But if I do leave it there, I will leave many of my friends to assume that prayer means rambling a few words of to Heaven wherein your needs are declared to God, or wherein the needs of our country are made known.

And because of that, He is now expected to answer on the strength of you having asked, together with many others who also asked.

I will neglect to tell you that God does not answer prayer, simply because you, or someone else has prayed. But that prayer, and more so, answered prayer, has more to do with an intimate relationship and a life lived in harmony with God and in righteousness, than it has anything to do with what you have to say to Him.

God can only answer the prayer of the righteous.

He never hears the prayers of the wicked (Read as ref: John 9:31), nor those who hypocritically call upon His Name – who seek answers for selfish gain, rather than speaking to Him from a life centered in His will, (Read as ref: James 4:3,7-10).

Fervent prayer can only be answered when we live our lives fervently in right-standing and in harmony with God, and with His will.

Prayer is not born in the words we communicate, it is the communication of our lives to Heaven, lived in a place where we have access to God and where His Spirit has access through us, to breathe the breath of the Father in us, expressing His will and causing us to give life thereto from Heaven to earth in Spirit-spoken words, (Read as ref: Romans 8:27).

Prayer is this holy and Heavenly communication between God and His people on earth, (Read as ref: Romans 8:26).

When He promises that He will hear from Heaven and heal our land, He promises it on the condition that we will submit our lives to Him in committing to allow His Spirit to govern us in righteousness – and no less! (Read as ref: 2 Chronicles 15:2, 7:14).

Do not be fooled in thinking that God could answer prayer under any other circumstances.

Do not be deceived to think that He will be mocked!

Above all, do not allow anyone to make you believe any differently!

We repent and rent our hearts before His Throne, before He will hear and answer from Heaven!

“Let us examine and probe our ways, and let us return to the LORD.
We lift up our heart and hands, toward God in heaven; we have transgressed and rebelled, You have not pardoned.
You have covered Yourself with anger and pursued us; You have slain and have not spared.
You have covered Yourself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.
You have made us mere offscouring and refuse In the midst of the peoples.
All our enemies have opened their mouths against us. Panic and pitfall have befallen us, devastation and destruction; my eyes run down with streams of water, because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.
My eyes pour down unceasingly, without stopping, until the LORD looks down, and sees from heaven.
My eyes bring pain to my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.
My enemies without cause, hunted me down like a bird; they have silenced me in the pit, and have placed a stone on me.
Waters flowed over my head; I said, “I am cut off!”
I called on Your name, O LORD, out of the lowest pit. You have heard my voice, “Do not hide Your ear from my prayer for relief, from my cry for help.” Lamentations 3:40-56.

 

~ Johann van der Hoven

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Brother Johann van der Hoven is the visionary leader and founder of Revival To All Nations, based in South Africa. The LORD led him to establish a five-fold ministry platform from where cities, town, communities and nations would be impacted by the five-fold ministry of ministries collectively unified in the Spirit. He ministers as a apostolic evangelist/ revivalist within the RTAN network he founded and hosts Healing and Miracle Love Revivals across the nation of South Africa.
Sister Jennifer van der Hoven supports him in his ministry and cause, whilst also being involved in women’s ministry herself.
Brother Johann began his journey in following the LORD in His service in 1990. For more information about their ministry visit them at Revival To All Nations.

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