Gateway News: Call to prayer, repentance: uniting SA in spirit of Esther this Purim
By Rachel Kalidass, Prayer and Repentance movement
As our nation navigates a season of profound challenges, from deep-seated division and economic hardship to crises in service delivery and community safety, believers are called to a moment of unified spiritual response. Drawing inspiration from the biblical Feast of Purim, the Prayer and Repentance movement extends a clarion call to every Judeo-Christian believer across South Africa to join a sacred day of prayer, fasting, and repentance.
The festival of Purim 2026, commemorating Queen Esther’s courageous stand for her people, begins on the evening of Monday March 2, and continues through Tuesday March 3. It recalls a time when despair was turned to joy and mourning into celebration (Esther 9:20-22). Central to this story is the Fast of Esther, a powerful moment when God’s people sought divine intervention through humility, unity, and prayer before a pivotal breakthrough.
“Esther’s example speaks directly to our time,” Rachel Kalidass, visionary leader of the movement stated. “Faced with an existential threat, she did not resort to fear or withdrawal. Instead, she led her community in fervent prayer and fasting. This is the posture we are called to adopt today: one of courageous intercession, believing that God hears and answers the sincere cries of His people.”
The Prayer and Repentance movement emphasises that national prayer is not an act of retreat, but a proactive stance of faith. Fasting is presented as a biblical tool to align hearts with God’s will, seek wisdom, and stand in the gap for the nation.
Therefore, all believers are invited to observe a dedicated day of prayer leading into Purim:
- Start: Monday March 2 2026, at 4.48am or dawn
- End: Monday March 2 2026, at 7:02pm or dusk
- Focus: Participants are encouraged to read the Book of Esther, and to come before God in prayer, repentance, and fasting for the spiritual awakening and healing of South Africa.
- Suggested prayer points: gratitude for hidden miracles, protection for Israel, reversal of evil schemes, wisdom and courage for leaders, salvation and deliverance, spiritual awakening of the nation.
This observance is more than a historical remembrance; it is a collective invitation to pray for righteousness, justice, and divine guidance over our land. Every prayer offered is an act of faithful obedience in a long tradition that trusts God to shape the destiny of nations.
“Let us stand together in this pivotal hour,” the call concludes. “May we find renewed courage, to lead with humility, to obey amidst uncertainty, and to believe fervently that our intercession can help shape a future of hope for South Africa.”
Let this Purim be a turning point for our nation.
