Displaying items by tag: prayer

Oct 31^st 2017 marks the 500yr anniversary of the Reformation when Martin Luther posted his 95 theses on the Wittenberg door! This year we want to pray for a Lamb’s Reformation to help shift the church back to honoring the sacrifice of Christ! A reformation is the action or process of reforming an institution or practice. It’s our desire to see the church reformed, fully alive to the Supremacy of Christ in all things! Let’s cry out for a God-breathed, Christ-awakening movement where God’s Spirit uses God’s Word to re-awaken God’s people back to God’s Son for all that He is! As Paul writes in Philippians 3:8,

Philippians 3:8 (AMP) “I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege (the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage) of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly”

We are longing for a Gospel Explosion for the glory of the Lamb! We desire to see a tsunami of revival come crashing in on the nations of the earth, for the spread of his fame, for the extension of his reign, for the increase of his gain and for the honor of his claim! May the Lamb who was slain receive the due reward of his sufferings.

Habakkuk. 2:14 “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea”.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Sovereign Son of the Father, reigning at His right hand forever and ever. He is the Triumphant Victor over every foe-satan, sin, death, and Hades. He is the Glorious Conqueror, the dominating personality for all ages to come! He is the Unequivocal Commander of heaven’s hosts! He is the Indisputable Judge of peoples and nations, to whom all must give an account. He is the Undeniable Rule of history, overseeing its path and its outcome from beginning to end! He is the Incomparable King of an empire that will ultimately fill creation with His power and piety. He is the Irreplaceable Head and Heart of a people whom He has bought with His own blood. He is the Reigning Redeemer of a church universal, militant and triumphant, sending His salvation to the ends of the earth! He is the Supreme Lord in this moment just as fully as He will be Supreme Lord at the end of time!

I believe one of the keys that God will use to unlock the hearts of his people is the revelation of the cross of Christ! In the contemplation of the cross, there is a profound revelation of the love of God. This disclosure comes to the hearts of those who desire to understand this pivotal point in human history. It is a well-spring of extravagant love that awaits the seeker who will linger at the foot of the cross long enough with an open and expectant heart. It is given to all who seek Him with a whole heart, and whose desire is accompanied by a measure of determination. As the apostle Paul wrote,  

1 Corinthians 2:2, “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”

Galatians 6:14, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

1 Corinthians 1:17-18, “ For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. ¹⁸ For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

It is the cross of Christ that brings down all barriers, and unites us together in love, for His glory! As Jesus said,

John 12:32-33 “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” ³³ He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.”

Revelation 21:23 “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb”

I believe it is time for the church to return to Christ as the Lamb of Love, the Lamb of Glory. As we approach the end of the age, we must see and encounter the face of Jesus as the Lamb! Twenty-eight times in the book of revelation, Jesus is revealed as the Worthy Lamb! We need to bury our hearts in his wounds until our lives are transformed from glory to glory, for indeed ‘every wound bleed’s glory.’

When Jesus died, a centurion took a spear and pierced his side. Out of the riven side of the Passover Lamb flowed forth blood and water. It was a physical sign that his heart had ruptured. His heart was so full of love that it literally burst open, both in the natural and in the spiritual. Jesus literally died of a broken heart! And out of his heart flowed forth a river of God’s love for you and I. The crimson blood of the Lamb washes away our sin and makes us whiter than snow. His love was so strong, that even the grave couldn’t hold him back. On the third day he rose again, burst forth from the grave, alive forevermore!    

I believe it’s time to behold the Lamb of Glory, until our hearts are wounded by the Wounded One! As Spurgeon writes, “When we see the Lord pierced, the piercing of our hearts begins.”[i]

Could the Holy Spirit be holding back the coming wave of glory until we are gripped with a passion for the Lamb, the One from whom Glory flows? Maybe God is waiting for our hearts to be scarred by the sacrifice of His Son as the Lamb?

Let’s Pray,

Father, we believe that the hour has come for your Son, the Lord Jesus to be honored, and treasured as the Worthy Lamb who was slain! Even as the Lamb is in the center of the throne in Heaven, we declare and decree that it’s time for the Lamb to become the center of the throne on the earth! Father, we know that you are always looking at the wounds of your Son and we ask for a Lamb’s Reformation in the church that would wake us up again to his cross, to bring your Son the reward he deserves for giving his life as a Lamb!

Father would you raise up and send forth messengers of the Lamb, prophetic voices like John the Baptist who will cry out, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”

Bring forth ones like Peter who will preach the gospel with such power that people will be cut to the heart- and say, “What must I do to be saved?”

Father, send forth ones like the apostle Paul who will resolve to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified.

Father raise up ones like John the apostle who will look until they see the slain Lamb standing in the center of the throne in heaven, and then reveal him here on the earth!

Lord of the Harvest thrust forth ones like the Moravians who cried out, “May the Lamb who was slain receive his due reward!”

Jason Hubbard

An Excerpt from Lamb’s Reformation 2017

---Devotional

God has given you and me the privilege and responsibility of blessing people, communities and land in the name of Jesus, not interceding (although we must do that as well) but speaking out directly. This is powerful when done as part of everyday life. Where this biblical practice is being recovered, salvation and community transformation are taking place.

(written by Roy Godwin, The Ffald-y-Brenin Trust)

Our workplaces provide a unique opportunity to build relationships with nonbelievers. Every day they see the difference our faith makes to how we work, the way we relate, our resilience under pressure, and our attitude to success or failure. We need God’s wisdom and timing to ‘talk Jesus’ to our colleagues. So, like Paul, let’s ask for both words and courage.

(written by Bev Shepherd, LICC PrayerWorks)

The day after Theresa May called a snap election, a declaration was posted on the website passionforthenation.uk. The following prayer is based on that declaration: ‘We decree that in every constituency, God’s purpose and God’s plans will be fulfilled. We come into agreement with God’s Word in Daniel 2: 21: “He (God) changes the times and the seasons, He removes kings and raises up kings, He gives wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those who have understanding.” We pray in Jesus’s name and declare that in the new Parliament, those and only those appointed by God will lead this nation. May they sound a distinct call, demonstrating vision, skill, and godly wisdom and understanding that others will follow. Proverbs 24:6 says, “You need guidance to wage war, and victory is won through many advisers”.’

Britain’s national newspapers are full of opinions, reports and analysis. The Daily Mail has an air of menace, the Sun and Telegraph proclaim Tory triumph, the Times and Guardian see bids for political strength. Some fear another general election will create instability in the country. Many voters already have ‘election fatigue’. Sources say Theresa May's manifesto will draw on inspiration from Thatcher's in 1979 - it will be short and 'tell a story'; Jeremy Corbyn said he will not play by the election rules, Nigel Farage is considering another bid to become an MP, and 750,000 people who turned 18 since the last election are now able to vote. Much prayer is needed for all who are canvassing to be men and women of wisdom and truth, for the voting public to hear the voices of wisdom above the clamour of half-truths and for the outcome on 8 June to be in line with God’s will for a United Kingdom.

‘I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest.’ (John 4:35)

Father, we thank You for every promise you have given for revival and awakening, and for those who have already come to know You in this season. We thank You for Your anointing upon each one of us - to preach good tidings to the poor - to heal the broken hearted - to proclaim liberty to the captives - and the opening of the prison to those who are bound. (Is.61:1) This Easter season, in Jesus’ Name, we call forth salvations, Jesus-centered conversations, prophetic encounters, and we declare our nation will not miss the day of your visitation. Father, even as you are restoring many ministries to the church, we pray for a new season of evangelism. We pray for release for those who will speak to individuals and those who will speak to the crowds.

Phil Togwell from Prayerspaces in Schools writes, ‘In the UK last year, more than 200,000 children and young people visited a creative prayer space in their school, and many of them tried praying for the first time in their lives. One 10-year-old wrote in the feedback book, ‘It was fun, and I now see God everywhere I look. God has spoken to me.’ Unless we become like little children ...

April 3-May 12, 2017

Seeking God together for the International Prayer Leaders’ Consultation in Herrnhut, Germany, May 8-12, 2017

We want to invite you to partner with us in 40 days of prayer, April 3-May 12, to pray for the upcoming gathering, “The International Prayer Leaders Consultation: Uniting in Prayer for Transformational Revival and Mission Breakthrough.” It will be held in the historic village Herrnhut, Germany, site of the Moravian prayer revival that sent out the first Protestant missionaries to reach the unreached with the Gospel! 120 international prayer and mission leaders are convening in this tiny Germany village to cry out to the Lord as the Moravians did before them: “May the Lamb who was slain receive due reward of his sufferings!” Along with cutting-edge mission leaders, participants will pray and strategize that the unreached peoples of our day be reached as the prayer movement focuses more intentionally on the fulfillment of Christ’s Great Commission, still so much on His heart!

Prayer, revival and mission have always gone together since the book of Acts. It’s our desire to see a massive, prayer-based revival erupt throughout the nations of the earth! During these 40 days of prayer we are asking for another historic move of the Holy Spirit to sweep across the nations and awaken a whole new generation to wholehearted love and surrender to Jesus in His mission to those who have never heard of His love and truth!

“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea" (Hab. 2:14).

During this gathering, we want to more closely and effectively connect the prayer and mission movements for the final push to the accomplishment of Matthew 24:14, that everyone may hear and respond to the glorious gospel of the kingdom in these last days!

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matt. 24:14).

During the run-up to the Consultation and continuing through it, please be praying with us for these specific outcomes:

• That those prayer and mission leaders coming would deeply connect with the Lord and one another, experiencing the reviving work of the Holy Spirit in this historic place of prayer, revival and mission.
  
  
• For a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit for the glory of Jesus Christ! Acts 1:8, 2:17-2:21 that will start at Herrnhut again and flow out to the nations!

• That the participants will prayerfully discern together how the international prayer and mission movements can be better integrated for their mutual benefit and for the sake of those still unreached with His Gospel (Matt. 24:14).
  
  
• For God’s empowering of the Next Generation youth and children’s prayer movements, both during and following this gathering, and that every nation will have a thriving Next Gen prayer movement in the coming 10 years.

• For canopies of united, strategic and sustainable prayer to be raised up in every nation and city across the earth.

• For a Great Awakening and New Reformation to erupt in Germany and across Europe.
  
  
• For a ‘Spirit of Unity’ during the gathering, that we would come together ‘in one accord’ loving and supporting one another in the diverse missions He has called us to as members of His Body (John 17 and Psalm 133).

• For a mighty anointing of the Holy Spirit to rest upon each one presenting and leading us in prayer and for His prophetic insight to flow among us!

• That we will develop valuable, ongoing relationships and friendships that advance His Kingdom.

• For key moments and inspiring stories to be captured via video and distributed effectively to the prayer, revival and mission movements around the world.

• For favor with authorities, the granting of visas, and safe, peaceful travel arrangements for all those coming to Herrnhut.

• For protection from the evil one and all the forces of darkness (Psalm 91).

• For the Lord of the Harvest to thrust forth missionaries to the ends of the earth and that every unreached people group will have a viable movement of Christ followers within the coming decade (Matt. 9:37-38).

Thanks so much for partnering with us in prayer for this historic gathering. In His hands, your prayers will make all the difference!

For the Supremacy of Christ in all things,

Jason Hubbard, Director, Light of the World Prayer Center

John Robb, IPC Chairman

During a visit to Germany and preparations for the Berlin Prayer Initiative in 1997, I had an unusual visionary experience during the night in which I saw pin pricks of light approaching amidst great darkness. As they got closer, I could see that they were warriors with burning swords that began to cut through the dark canopy overhead. I then heard the words, “These are the intercessors” and afterwards “New Reformation.” A few days later, I received a communication from a mission leader that had also visited Europe, in which he was calling Christians in Europe to pray and work for a “New Reformation”! As you must know, 2017 is the 500^th anniversary of the Reformation and there are a number of celebrations and observances being planned there and elsewhere. Why don’t we pray for a New Reformation, not just for Europe but for our whole world?

Two years ago, a German prayer leader friend and I visited Herrnhut, the small village in SE Germany where Count Zinzendorf and the Moravians began a prayer chain in the 18^th century that went on for over 100 years and sent out about 300 missionaries. They were the first Protestants to go to the ends of the earth with the Gospel for the unreached. Herrnhut means “The Lord’s Watch”, an identity that was dusted off and revived a few years ago when some local believers there started up a 24/7 prayer chain once again!

During our visit, we joined the local church for their Sunday service and as we worshipped, I noticed lovely young children dancing so freely and un-self consciously in the presence of the Lord directly in front of us. Putting aside his own sermon, the pastor asked my colleague and me to share and pray fatherly blessings over the whole congregation. I felt moved to pray that from this fabled place a new and great revival would flow out to Germany, Europe and beyond. 

A couple of the Moravian descendants later took us to the local cemetery where we stood amongst the 6000 graves of Count Zinzendorf and the godly saints who prayed in "the Lord's watch" from 1727 for 100 years. I was deeply moved to hear about the children of that day who went out in the fields in the night and cried out to the Lord. Adults in neighboring homes tried to get them to shut up; however, they were irrepressible and kept on praying! These same Moravian children who cried out to God in the fields at night later went out as the first Protestant missionaries, many of them never coming back to their homeland but laying their lives down for the Lord among the unreached peoples. Others returned and are buried here. The women who were guiding us around showed us those graves and those of Zinzendorf and his family.

I felt the Lord stirring me that this ground still has powerful, earned spiritual authority, so that like the ancient prophets did, they could pray, speaking out things that the Spirit puts in their mouths for the revival and transformation of nations and it will happen. Adding to this conviction, I was told that in 1989 a prayer gathering in Herrnhut with hundreds of German intercessors had proclaimed with faith and authority the end of the Berlin Wall. It obediently came down soon after they were praying this! Indeed, as one theologian affirmed, history belongs to the intercessors, who believe the future into being! 

Germany has been an engine of periodic revival in its history, not only as the home of the Reformation in the 16^th century but also the great Pietist revival that swept through the country in the 17^th century. Count Zinzendorf was the product of Pietism, an awakening focusing on prayer and Bible study in home gatherings that brought many dead Lutheran churches to life. Prepared as he was by one revival, Zinzendorf welcomed the persecuted Moravians to his estate and became the vehicle for another one that impacted the rest of the world so deeply from such a small rural village. Wow!

Could it be that in our day the Lord is getting ready to unleash another awesome revival through united prayer that will impact the world in social transformation and mission breakthrough like the one that flowed out of 18^th century Herrnhut? New united prayer movements have arisen in recent years within Europe and globally, and I believe we are all asking God to do that very thing. The role of the children and youth will of course once again be crucial; therefore we need to support and empower them in every way we can so they can take their places in both the prayer and mission movements in every nation on earth.

Towards the end of seeing such transformational revival and mission breakthrough in the nations, we in the IPC along with other prayer and mission leaders (about 120) will meet in Herrnhut, May 8-12, to pray, deliberate and strategize together. Would you please join with us over the coming weeks and during those crucial days we will be together in that historic place of prayer, revival and mission. Would you please pray that our world will be blessed once again with a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit that affects Germany, Europe, and beyond?

The Lord stands ready to transform not just individuals but also nations, regions, indeed our whole world, when His people pray with faith and expectation that He will answer. “According to your faith, it will be to you”, He said.

John Robb

IPC Chairman

Loving your neighbour begins with sacrificing time to pray for them. Bringing five neighbours before God regularly, praying for them to become Christians, will lead to people getting to know Jesus for themselves. Neighbourhood Prayer Network can testify that this has already happened on a number of streets across the UK. Will you join many others praying for their neighbours?

(Rebekah Brettle, Neighbourhood Prayer Network)