The Sunday Mail
A number of factors inspired this instalment, chief among them God’s unconditional love for Zimbabwe. He has walked with us – never leaving us and never forsaking us.
We have been unfaithful like the children of Israel in the Bible, but God has always forgiven us and healed and delivered our land as He promises in the book of Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’.”
The other reason was seeing the same God doing it for nations like Nineveh in the Bible and the island of Fiji at the turn of the century.
Watching the 2005 documentary “Let the Sea Resound” by the Sentinel Group and how the Fijian president, prime minister, MPs, church and all citizens repented and came before the Lord in total submission gives hope for Zimbabwe.
For Fiji had long been identified as a Christian nation, but the reality on the ground “raised thorny questions about national conscience. Once a vibrant force in the forefront of national life, the church had become obstinately conservative and narrow-minded”.
“As the church, so the nation was an oft-quoted sentiment in Fiji, but for years, the country’s established denominations had been mired in doctrinal stand-offs while newer and more zealous churches fell foul of tradition.”
One senior pastor lamented the Fijian church was not taking up its role “to be a prophetic voice to the nation. People were still religious – they went to church and all that – but there was no life”.
The other inspiration was from the countless interviews I had with men of God from other African nations. Their message to Zimbabwe was not flattery, but it was meant to awaken the sleeping giant and remind it of its place in God’s heart. One such interview was with Nigerian Bishop Larry Ekanem of the Africa Total Liberation Commission based in Abuja, Nigeria, published in The Herald on August 12, 2010. Bishop Larry called on every African “to arise and possess his/her identity, dignity and destiny”. He also said he had received several prophetic messages regarding Zimbabwe.
On March 25, 2009 at about 3am, he says, the Lord said to him: “Son, get up and go down to Zimbabwe . . . for the time, yea, the set time to heal her has come. The word I sent you in October 2007 to prophesy over Zimbabwe is coming to pass. I am sending you now for the recovery, restoration and emergence of the nation as my end-time, strong and mighty witness among the nations. The time to favour her has come. My presence has gone before you . . . ”
“(Today) Zimbabwe stood on the threshold of the total fulfilment of the above prophecy. God is raising her from rags to riches . . . from shame to fame,” he said.
But he cautioned: “Watch out! There is still one more battle to fight, the battle to change the mindset of the people in order to produce real unity, peace and prosperity in the land, in the church, in Government and leaders – giving hope to the people, after which Zimbabwe will emerge stronger, better and richer.
“The people of Zimbabwe will be used as God’s end-time great witnesses in the nations of the world in these final hours.” (See Joel 2:28-29)
Bishop Larry said God said to him: “Son, there is coming upon Zimbabwe an outpouring of My Spirit upon the nation, and everyone living there shall be affected . . . God is visiting Zimbabwe, and He is doing it big. Zimbabwe will never be the same again. A new day has dawned on Zimbabwe. No power can stop her from rising to possess her possession, and He shall be honoured in Zimbabwe because God has chosen Zimbabwe.”
On September 20, 2009 Bishop Larry said he had a prophetic message, which was why he was in the country: “Arise Zimbabwe, arise. Arise and shine for your light has come. The glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. Darkness may cover the Earth, and gross darkness may cover the nations of the world, but the Lord has risen upon thee, and His glory shall be seen in thee. Nations shall come to the brightness of rising . . . many who have mocked thee shall serve thee.
“Arise O my church, arise! You are the key to the healing of Zimbabwe. Arise, O women of Zimbabwe . . . Arise O women of faith. Arise with the favour of Esther, and the boldness of Deborah, and with the songs of Miriam for the power of the Most High is coming upon you, and your prayer of faith is about to give birth to a new Zimbabwe. You are like a biblical valley of dry bones. All that the world has been seeing in you is a valley of dry bones of sick, poor and dying people.
“Zimbabwe is programmed in God’s divine plan for prosperity. The various currencies – pound sterling, US dollars, euros, rand, pula, etc, that are being used in the nation right now are a prophetic sign. The days are here. I will cause many nations to come to Zimbabwe to worship me as I pour out My Spirit on the land . . . When your money’s value dropped leaving millions, billions and trillions of Zimbabwe dollars in people’s hands, from the poorest woman in the rural area to the greatest in the city . . . even children touched and spent millions. Everyone had millions, trillions and more.
“It looked really gloomy. But it was a sign of the coming financial wealth I will bring to the nation. You were millionaires, billionaires and trillionaires because I have planned to raise you as a nation of financial moguls. Unaccountable world-class millionaires and billionaires will come from Zimbabwe to impact the nation and the world. I will raise you from rags to riches. Look up to God, your Creator, your Maker, your Saviour, and your Redeemer. God loves you Zimbabwe, saith the Spirit of the Lord.”
He said Zimbabwe carried an apostolic anointing to lead Africa’s transformation, but people should believe in themselves.
“Zimbabweans have to ask themselves why, for example, they have the highest literacy rate in Africa despite the economic challenges, and why diamonds have become such a big issue,” he said.
He advised Zimbabweans to be self-sufficient: “People should start training themselves to be job creators and business entrepreneurs. Get out of the servant mentality and raise a nation of leaders. Zimbabwe did not go through what it went through for itself, but for Africa to arise. Zimbabweans must not destroy themselves from within.
“Support the leadership and one another. As a nation Zimbabweans must also project themselves positively. And, Zimbabwe must be a praying nation, and watch over the nation as Nehemiah did.
“People should have a heart and mind to work like Nehemiah did when restoring the walls and gates of Jerusalem. Zimbabwe is a great people like its name. I don’t know how they dropped the ‘Great’ from Great Zimbabwe (Great house of Rock). It’s built on the rock of ages – the Lord, and it should be Great, Great Zimbabwe.
“Nigeria went through some hard times but God answered the people of Nigeria and the tide is now changing. I think it is Zimbabwe’s time to return to God.”
That same year, Ghanaian preacher Apostle Enoch Immanuel Agbozo of Enoch Missions encouraged: “We should seize this opportunity to appeal to the peoples of good will around the globe to pray for the peace and healing of Zimbabwe. Soon, the Most High God will cause a special rain to pour down to heal the land and bring hope and laughter to people and nation.”
