CHILDREN'S PRAYER MINISTRY TAKES OFF, BISHOP HUMBLED

In his ministry as a tent worker bishop Peter Sekhonyane from Orange Farms, South Africa, had been coming across hundreds if not thousands of children wherever he went. But often he rebuked them and chased them away instead of accepting their help in setting up the tent and the sound system before meetings. "During the day we would hire somebody to look after the tent and chase these kids away," Sekhonyane says. "You see, they had nothing to do. To them the tent was a good mountain to climb and slide down from. It was a time for them to break bottles and experiment as to how sharp the broken bottle was against the tent ropes. Many times we found the tent down on the ground, brought down by these 'jobless mighty warriors'." Then one day Father Anton Cruz from Chennai, India (Refer to previous article), came to minister. "This was an unforgettable experience for me," shares Sekhonyane. "God used this man to really open my eyes to see that God will use these children as raw, unused and neglected power to change the heart of our nation." On 1 April this year Sekhonyane launched the 'Children In Prayer Ministry' in Orange Farms. Pamphlets were typed and delivered from house to house by the children themselves, announcing the day and time of the launch. But one day before the launch 83 kids turned up at the venue, some with their mothers, because they were so eager to join. From 1 April to 30 April, there were 12 places in Orange Farms where a total number of 1 513 children were taught to pray. Every day the figures increased. "You need to see this!" Sekhonyane reports. "Now they do prayer-walking, home visits, pick up prayer requests, and in childlike faith pray over these requests. Parents and pastors testify of the change in their children. Today I took the Police Superintendent to some of these places and she was just speechless. Let us not leave the children out, because we need them now more than ever!" Source: Peter Sekhonyane, JNI642