God Brings Beauty For Ashes in Eastern and Southern Africa

- by Dr. Patricia Depew

As a Global Prayer Digest (GPD) intercessor, you have certainly prayed many times for those who are suffering physically or spiritually. But sometimes it seems that God is not answering our prayers for mercy. People continue to suffer. Does that mean that He is not active? Not at all! There are many examples in the recent history of eastern and southern Africa to show that God brings "beauty for ashes" (Isaiah 61:3), and raises up people who are spiritual conqueros in the midst of horrible circumstances.

In Wesley Duewel's book, "Revival Fire," he points out that there have been several times of revival in both southern and eastern Africa. Yet there have also been times when Satan causes much pain and misery, often at the same times when revival fires are burning hot. But in these times of darkness, God's light shines brightest.

The Church is well established in these two parts of Africa, thanks to the work of SIM International, Africa Inland Mission, and many other Christian agencies. But it only takes a generation for the Church to become nominal. People fall back into their old ways. The light of the Church becomes dim, and revival fires burn out.

Today destruction is a key word to describe what is happening in these regions of Africa. AIDS is killing millions. There are civil wars, rape, political corruption, poverty, famine, terrorism, moral decay, child soldiers are forced to perform atrocities, lack of jobs, illness, addiction, and racial hatred. This may seem hopeless, but God is raising up His people to bring hope and light where darkness has reigned so healing can take place in the lives of broken people.

Research has shown that 200 years after the arrival of the first Protestant missionaries in Africa, Christianity is growing faster here than anywhere else in the world. There are more than 390 million Christians in sub-Saharan Africa today, up from 117 million in 1970, a trend due mostly to evangelism, according to the Center for the Study of Global Christianity in South Hamilton, MA. It is the African believers who are doing the evangelism.

Uganda, Home of the East African Revivals
According to "Revival Fire," there was an outstanding revival in East Africa during the 1930s. Today, in the midst of turmoil and upheaval, Uganda, in East Africa, is experiencing another time of revival and setting the pace for other African countries. Uganda's President, Yoweri Museveni, turned to the Church for prayer when his country was facing defeat by the notorious rebel army, regretfully named the "Lord's Resistance Army" (LRA). The churches and various prayer ministries came together and prayed, renouncing witchcraft and idolatry. They also prayed against the satanic worship performed by Joseph Kony, an LRA fugitive leader whose campaign has lead to the deaths of thousands of people. After weeks of praying, the war shifted and thousands of rebels surrendered or were killed. Some 17,000 children who had been kidnapped to fight for the LRA were rescued, and Kony's chief witches surrendered. Many of them repented and came to the Lord. An aide of Kony's who was captured reported that Kony said, "The spirits have left me, and it is all the fault of the Christians!"

Other evidence of the Holy Spirit power experienced in Uganda includes mass conversions, successful AIDS reduction (Uganda at one time had the highest rate of HIV in the world), humanitarian action, building of schools, health clinics and orphanages. Uganda is being transformed!

In the 1970s, under the dictatorship of Idi Amin, a Muslim, many of Uganda's Christians were persecuted. Satan was at work, but many were coming to the Lord during this time of hardship. Thousands fled the country and over 300,000 were killed. One Ugandan pastor stated, "Thank God for Idi Amin. He was horrible, but God utilized the atrocities he committed to introduce Uganda to a spirit of desperation. We suffered so much, and Satan pressed us so far out, we ended up in the hands of God." People in all parts of southern and eastern Africa are going through terrible times and ending up in the hands of God!

One of the problems, especially in some of the eastern African countries, is the attitude of Christians towards the lost. Many of the African Christians are acting out of self-defense rather than sacrificial love when dealing with members of other religions. Pray that these African Christians may demonstrate a love and concern for others that transcends ethnic and racial divisions-especially to their Muslim neighbors.

Suffering and Revival in East Africa
Some of countries that need special consideration in eastern Africa are Sudan, Eritrea and Ethiopia. In Sudan, millions have suffered extreme physical hardship, torture and enslavement at the hands of Islamic militants in an ongoing war. Eritrea and Ethiopia are two areas that are in constant conflict with each other. Christians are often caught in the middle of the political fighting.

Regardless of what they have been through, the Church in these areas continues to grow and faithful ones endure in their belief. After hearing about extreme suffering from a group of pastors in certain sections of eastern Africa, a Christian reporter cried out, "How can you take it?" The answer was, "Faith in God! God takes care of His people. ... What is so vital is to bring God to the people to be bearers of the Good News to a population drowning in violence and hate. People are tired of listening to empty words. We have to show Jesus. We must give out what we have received!"

Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth, you are the light of the world" (Matt 5:13, 14). Salt and light make a difference wherever they are placed or applied. Salt combats corruption, and light dispels darkness. Salt and light are synonymous with truth. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. As His children walk as Jesus walked, they are salt and light in a dark land.

The Spiritual Condition in South Africa
In the 1850s and 1860s, there was a massive revival that affected all social groupings in South Africa. White Africaaners and Black Zulus alike were affected by a powerful spirit of prayer brought on by the Holy Spirit.

Today, South Africa has one of the most severe HIV epidemics in the world. By the end of 2005, there were 5,500,000 people living with HIV in South Africa, and almost 1,000 AIDS deaths occurring every day, according to UNAIDS estimates. After 10 years of democracy in South Africa, many wounds are still left unhealed and many individuals remain lost. The Church is large, but people with a Christian background have fallen back into the demonic strongholds of racial strife and sexual immorality.

There can be no greater gift that we can give for the peoples of eastern and southern Africa than to pray that those who do not know the truth will come to it. In closing, together we can say "Bonginkosi" ("Thank the Lord" in Zulu) for the revivals in eastern and southern Africa, and pray that the winds of revival will spread throughout all of Africa!

Pray for Perseverance and Integrity!

• Sometimes the difference between the boldest accomplishments and the most staggering failures is simply the willingness to persevere. Pray that God's servants in eastern and southern Africa will persevere so that He will continue to bring beauty out of its ashes. Many of these servants are ordinary Christians undertaking life-saving ministries at extraordinary risks to bring God's love to those who do not know Him.
• Pray that all finances provided to help the Church minister the gospel will be used wisely and with integrity. Financial temptation is heavy in this part of the world where local culture dictates that people provide for their families and friends, often in ways that God's Word calls stealing.
• Pray for a revival in these regions that will bring healing in spiritual, physical and emotional lives. Pray for revival fire to bring reconciliation between all ethnic groups.
• Pray that there will be even greater revivals in eastern and southern Africa than there were in the 19th and 20th centuries!