Like so many other Canadians I was shocked and saddened to hear the news of the terrorist bombings in London. As I have been praying about our response, I feel the Lord is asking us, as sons and daughters, to take a firm stand in the spirit with the body of Christ in England at this time.
The Canadian identity is deeply connected to England as one of the two nations that helped found what is today Canada. And as a church in Canada, we also claim a godly heritage that came from the righteous seeds that were planted in this nation by faithful English men and women over hundreds of years. As God has released to us a measure of authority, it seems right that we honour our godly inheritance by asking God to extend the covering and favour He has given to as Canadians to protect and support the church in England at this time.
The picture I saw in my spirit is that we would be like “Joseph” to our aged father Jacob. Through God’s favour Joseph was granted great blessing and authority in Egypt. And in this way he was positioned to extend protection and blessing to his father and brothers at the time when crisis (famine) hit the land.
For years we have been walking our journey as a nation, knowing that when God grants His authority to the church of Canada it will be so we can serve other nations and bring them to their destiny. It seems right that some of the first nations the Lord would have us stand with are our parent nations, to whom we owe such a great debt of love and honour.
So how can we pray at this time for England?
Let us position ourselves in the spirit firmly beside the body of Christ in England, standing shoulder to shoulder as one inseparable body. Let us declare in accordance with Genesis 50:20 that whatever has been meant for evil, God will turn for great good.
Let us ask the Lord, as sons and daughters, to extend to the church in England the same favour and blessing that He has bestowed on us and even a greater measure.
The word for “crisis” in Chinese is “dangerous opportunity”. Let us declare that this crisis will be a time of when the hearts of God’s people in England will be awakened and the bond of unity between them will be strengthened. And let us pray that this will be the start of a turning of the nation back to God.
England has an amazing righteous history. Even in this century, intercessors such as Rees Howells literally changed the course of history, turning back the tide of Nazi oppression in the Second World War. Let us call forth the harvest of the faithful generations of men and women. And let us cry out to the Lord to release again a generation of prayer warriors, young and old, who together will lay hold of God and His purposes for the nation and will not rest until they see the fullness.
Supporting English Leaders
A few weeks ago, some of the Canadian leaders felt a burden to travel to England and connect with leaders there and share with them about the Canadian journey and the upcoming One Heart Gathering. The response was overwhelming. Everywhere they traveled, the English leaders were deeply touched to hear of our journey and of our heart to honour them as parents. They felt strengthened to know of our love and prayers.
As we come to our “holy matrimony” between French and English Canada, more than ever we recognize the pivotal role England plays in our spiritual destiny. We remember how Jim Goll prophesied that One Heart would be the marrying of the Spirit and the Word: the powerful prophetic anointing of the French Huguenots and the regal teaching anointing of the English. We know that without a right representation of the leaders from England, we will not be able to attain the fullness of what the Lord wants to release in the One Heart Gathering.
Many leaders want badly to come to One Heart but they are hindered by finances. Last summer we extended our heart and hands to France, welcoming leaders of the French church to Canada to the Homecoming. We feel now that God is giving us another opportunity to reach out to our other parent and honour them by helping them come to One Heart.
If you would like to sow to help an English leader attend One Heart, you may send a gift (marked for English leaders) to Watchmen for the Nations. (Please note: this specific opportunity to sow is no longer available, since this Gathering has already passed.)
Thank you for your heart to stand with England and in doing so, fulfill Canada’s destiny to be a healer to the nations.
David Demian
On behalf of the national leadership team