By: Laurina Driesse

ICEJ President Dr. Jürgen Bühler and ICEJ-Finland national director Jani Salokangas were recently invited by ICEJ-Fiji to pay an official visit to the Pacific Island nation. During their time in the Fijian capital of Suva, Dr. Bühler was received by President Ratu Wiliame Maivalili Katonivere, as well as the deputy prime minister and several other cabinet ministers and senior government officials. The discussions focused on ways to deepen the diplomatic and economic ties between Israel and Fiji, including the new government’s interest in opening an embassy of Fiji in Jerusalem. Bühler and Salokangas also spoke and ministered at churches and youth conferences while in the island nation.

Recently, the two joined an ICEJ weekly webinar to share about the incredible changes taking place in this Pacific island chain, and how the faithful prayers of believers are changing the destiny of Fiji.

What began as a Christmas holiday break for Fine Dikota, an ICEJ staff member from Fiji, turned into a divine mission. On Christmas Eve, Fiji saw a new government sworn in and the joyful elations rippled across the cluster of islands!

Fine told the webinar audience how the change in government brought a huge sense of relief and of freedom for everyone, as during the previous government many things particularly pertinent to Christians had diminished.

“I would say that they limited a lot of our Christian involvement in various segments of society, but with this new government, they just open things up again”, said Fine. “The new government that came into power as a coalition government, made possible through one Christian party who insisted they would only join the government if Fiji established a diplomatic mission in Jerusalem. That was really the best Christmas gift that God gave us as a nation. The whole nation came to a place of thanksgiving, because the whole dynamic in the nation changed. For those of us in the Church, especially, it was the time to celebrate the new beginnings, the new journey of prophetic things.”

Fine shared how the lead up to the change in government was through the persistent prayers of the saints and the dedication of not only intercessors but church leaders and churches around Fiji. People were desperately crying out to God for years.

“When the nation comes together to humble itself, pray and cry out to the Lord, God does something. And that’s exactly what happened. It also helped to mobilize Fijian Christians to join the ICEJ’s prayer events over the years through Rosh Chodesh and the Global Prayer Gathering, as there was an increased awareness of the need to be connected with Israel. Because when you bless Israel, God blesses you. That was a key”, assured Fine.

While the political parties held coalition talks during December, Fijian Christians gathered not only online to pray, but also physically came together for a week-long ‘Jericho march’ around parliament, ending on the seventh day by circling the building seven times followed with mighty shouts to God. Fine saw a breakthrough when young people joined the prayers as well.

When Dr. Bühler heard the news of the change in government in Fiji, he called Fine out of a sense more was needed to seal this important juncture in the country’s history.

“It sounded like the battle was won in Fiji, but I sensed in my heart that this was just the beginning of the battle”, said Bühler. “I asked her about coming to Fiji and if she could arrange some meetings with pastors and leaders to keep the momentum of pray going. It was like you read in the story of Joshua conquering the land. Jericho was just one battle that was won, but it’s not the full victory and we needed to keep praying. So, I went there in April and was surprised how well this word was received and resonated with many pastors.”

Dr. Bühler’s meeting with President Katonivere was a momentous occasion. It was the first time that prominent tribal chiefs and the heads of the different provinces came together as a delegation. Because there was a “man from Jerusalem” visiting the President, they saw a great need to be part of the meeting.

Bühler was touched to hear the President’s profession of faith.

“He declared something which I honestly have never heard from any other head of state. He said, ‘I pray every morning in this office that it might be the footstool of God here on this island. I’m here to do the will of God, I want to reign over our people in God’s will and do His will.’ There was an amazing presence of the Lord there”, recalled Bühler

“The President had to make some very difficult decisions”, Bühler added. “He even defied his own political party by approving the new government.”

In the most exciting development, the President also suggested that Dr. Bühler’s visit might even expedite the opening of a Fijian embassy in Jerusalem.

The following Sunday, the President made a surprise visit to the largest Pentecostal church in Fiji, where he gave a short testimony and informed the congregation of his visitor from Jerusalem. He also repeated publicly in the church his prayers each day that his office would be the footstool of God, that he would have wisdom for governing this island.

For ICEJ-Finland national director Jani Salokangas, this latest visit to Fiji filled him with a sense of hope in knowing there are leaders in nations who fear the Lord and want to serve Him.

“The words of the President of Fiji were shocking in a good way,” remarked Jani. “It seems like some of these smaller nations, that at times may be overlooked, have something in their national leadership which we have completed lost in Europe.”

The ICEJ delegation also was part of a youth rally where around 1000 young people gathered in an arena. There, Jani shared a powerful message that reached the hearts of the youth. During an altar call, around 200 people came forward to dedicate their lives anew to Jesus.

Fine believes this visit was a catalyst for bringing government, church and tribal leaders together in recognizing a call on their island nation to stand with Israel from the ends of the earth.

Dr. Bühler concluded the webinar report on his visit to Fiji by encouraging Christians from other countries to believe that prayer can also bring incredible changes to their nations.

“The Bible is full of stories where people who put their faith in the Lord, who started praying, who started trusting God and didn’t look at the negative things. And I want to encourage everyone on this webinar to take this as an example”, Bühler stated. “Even after the first victory, keep on praying. I want to encourage everybody also to apply these lessons to your own country.”

Watch the full Webinar here:

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