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 DEAR READERS
Many
thanks to those who enquired about the lack of Mid Month Notes for
the last three months. The truth is I needed a rest, everything
was so intense and I needed to unstring my bow! I will also admit
that after Bill C-250 and the Election I almost did not know how
to pray for Canada! Disappointment and exhaustion is a potent
mixture that has to be carefully administrated and so I spent many
sunny hours on my patio reading my Bible and a history of the
Byzantine Empire and watched my flowers grow. Here are some
insights on how to pray and what to pray for that I have patiently
gleaned.
THE IRON GATE INTO THE CITY
ACTS 12:10
In Acts 12 I believe that
there is a model for high level prayer for a City that will
release the apostolic purposes of God and speak to Governments in
a powerful way. The Apostle Peter, the key leader in the church,
was arrested and kept under heavy guard in a fortified prison. He
could have been executed by Herod the next day but 12:5 says:
So Peter was kept in
prison; but fervent prayer
for him was made to God by the
church
What was so special about the prayer that it released
angelic ministry to bring about a stunning deliverance in the face
of overwhelming opposition? Let me suggest several necessary
dynamics:
STRETCHED OUT PRAYER
The quality of the prayer was ‘fervent’. This translates a Greek
word whose root meaning is ‘stretch out the hand’. It was
literally stretched out prayer, the passionate supplication of
someone who is totally involved in their body, mind and spirit in
crying out to God for an answer. It is prayer that reaches up to
God and touches the throne.
If it is stretched upward I would also like to think that it was
stretched outward, with no human limits. Peter was asleep, it was
late, but they were still praying. A fervent prayer meeting
gathers momentum and transcends time keeping. There was a clear
sense that they were available to the Holy Spirit for whatever He
wanted to do, especially as the church was in possible crisis with
the imminent loss of their leader.
When Peter was delivered from the prison he went to the house of
Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered together
and were praying.
CRITICAL MASS - MANY!
The house must have been full as Peter’s dilemma would have
attracted a lot of attention. I believe that what is needed is
both quality and quantity in prayer. Most versions say that ‘many’
were gathered but interestingly enough ‘many’ means: 'sufficient,
enough, sufficient in ability'. In other words they had critical
mass, enough people to get the job of intercession done, not just
2 or 3 but possibly 120 gathered in His Name!
THEY WERE GATHERED
This is easy to miss as it seems so obvious, but the verb
‘gathered’ is in the passive voice which means they just did not
gather themselves but an external force gathered them as well.
This is so crucial for high level answers to prayer. The Spirit of
God is active in constraining people to prioritise in prayer for
intentional answers to prayer. Praying Christians should not just
be guided by their soulish needs but by a dynamic sense of the
call of God to meet with Him in the place of prayer.
SUMMARY
Let us be very sensitive to the Holy Spirit
calling us to specific times of prayer where answers to prayer are
to be expected. These may be in addition to the regular ‘hour of
prayer’, as they may need to be extended times of prayer lasting
several hours or longer. We should ask God for the right number of
people to come in agreement to see the Heavens opened. We should
be prepared for ‘stretched out prayer’ that expresses passion and
emotion.
From Acts 12 there are two other results of this sort of prayer
mentioned that we need to press through on:
1. LEADERSHIP ANOINTING
Acts 12:6 ‘Peter
was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains’
We can pray that whatever is oppressing the leaders of our Cities
be broken off them in Jesus name. We come against that spirit of
slumber that inhibits their destiny and we break off the chains
that bind them. We ask for leadership teams to emerge that will
extend the Kingdom of God in a fearless way.
2. TRANSFORMATION
Acts 12:10
‘they came to the iron gate leading
into the city.
It opened to them of its own
accord’
At times it seems that between us
and a breakthrough in the City there is a barrier made of iron
'by making the skies above as
unyielding as iron and
the earth beneath as hard as
bronze.' Lev 26: 19
I believe that the time is now for the transformation of our
cities and for the opposition to the Gospel to give way to a great
harvest especially amongst the younger generation.
'For
he broke down their prison gates of bronze;
he cut apart their bars of
iron'. Psalm 107:16
Let us rise up
in faith for something new beyond our past experience in prayer!
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CELEBRATION 2005
I am focused on the three weeks in 2005 that
could change the lives of thousands of people all across Canada!
CELEBRATION 2005, an initiative developed by the Evangelical
Fellowship of Canada (EFC), is encouraging believers in churches
and ministries from coast to coast to put their faith into action
from May 21st to June 12th of 2005. Prayer has to be the
foundation for a great move of God.
Christians will come together as never before to demonstrate
Christ’s love in practical ways in every community across
Canada. Please join with Christians all across Canada in praying
for this 'festival of joy' and the proclamation of the love of
God. Check out the prayer page at
http://www.celebration2005.ca
Please note that the upcoming Prayer
Mobilization Convocation (Oct 22-23) has been postponed to January
8-9 TBA.
JERUSALEM: TEMPLE MOUNT
WARNING OF COLLAPSE
This is a little known concern that could have
world wide consequences. Ramadan starts on Friday, October 15th,
and on the Fridays of the 28 day fast, tens of thousands of
Muslims usually assemble in Jerusalem on the top of the Temple
Mount. This could bring a huge extra weight onto a structure that
is showing some danger signals of collapse due to large
excavations. Imagine the disaster if thousands were buried in a
collapse and if the Dome of the Rock was also damaged. World Islam
would be scandalised with Israel and there could be the most
profound consequences. Let us pray that wisdom and caution
prevails and that men do not lose their lives.
THANKSGIVING OVERFLOW
As Thanksgiving weekend is upon us I reflected
on the constant stream of bad news that is afflicting us. The
powers of darkness would like nothing better for us followers of
Christ to be afraid and walking in fear. Fear paralyses the
Christian and displays a massive lack of faith in the Supreme
Majesty who created the Heavens and the Earth. The antidote is to
know the signs of the times and to realise that world history is
relentlessly marching toward the last days' harvest amongst the
Gentiles and a mighty move of God in the Middle East. We will
trust and not be afraid. We will lift up our heads as our
redemption draws nearer. We will overflow with thanksgiving with
the life of the risen Christ who says: "Behold I am coming soon'!
And now, just as you accepted Christ
Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to live in obedience to him.
Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from
him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth
you were taught. Let your lives
overflow with thanksgiving for all
he has done. Col 2: 6-7
And always be thankful.
Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your
hearts and make you wise. Use his words to teach and counsel each
other. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with
thankful hearts. And whatever you
do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all
the while giving thanks through him to God the Father. Col
3:15-17
Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a
thankful
heart. Col
3:2
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