Author Henri Nouwen wrote a book called Sabbatical Journeys. He writes about some friends of his who were trapeze artists, called the Flying Roudellas. They told Nouwen that there’s a special relationship between flyer and catcher on the trapeze. The flyer is the one that lets go, and the catcher is the one that catches. As the flyer swings high above the crowd on the trapeze, the moment comes when he must let go. He arcs out into the air. His job is to remain as still as possible and wait for the strong hands of the catcher to pluck him from the air. One of the Flying Roudellas told Nouwen, "The flyer must never try to catch the catcher." The flyer must wait in absolute trust. The catcher will catch him, but he must wait.
Greetings Canada’s Kneeling Army,
I pray that your Christmas was wonderful and that your New Year will be blessed with a renewed Hope and a deeper Commitment to serve our great High Commander and Chief, Jesus Christ.
This First Friday of January 2010, let’s meditate on what “the Fear of the Lord” really means for the spiritual transformation of Canada. In the darkest days of Israel, Almighty God revealed out of obscurity arguably one of the greatest prophets of all times, Elijah the Tishbite, whose name means “God is Jehovah”. Elijah arrived on the landscape in Israel when devotion to the true and living God was at an all time low, and the “Fear of the Lord” was a nostalgic gesture at best. Intercessors, we all know how the first super-bowl of the gods ended. Even with home field advantage, Baal couldn’t win the contest which, on the surface, appeared to be a blow-out; 450 prophets of Baal to one – an over confident country camel-hair-wearing prophet of the unpopular God of Israel. It sounds very similar to modern day Canada and the battle we are engaged in against the occult, secularism, humanism and the New Age! Remember, the prophets of Baal prayed for hours but Elijah’s prayer was brief as recorded in 1 Kings 18:36-37 (NIV): "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again." His prayer had sixty words in it, and even if you pray it with long pauses in between, it can still be prayed in under 30 seconds. Fire fell down from heaven and took the offering of the wood, the water, the soil and the stones. It was as if a laser beam had hit the spot and evaporated everything! The people made a decision on the spot, that the God of Israel was God and not Baal. That very day the prophets of Baal were wiped out.
Now, you say, “Wonderful, I remember the account, but I have been praying for my family, my community, my church and Canada and I see little or no change.” Praying friends, I empathize with you BUT, like Elijah of old, I hear the Spirit of God saying, as he did in 1 Kings 18:43, “Go Again, Go again in 2010”, and believe God for the results. It took seven times of Elijah’s servant going and looking until he came back with a weather report of seeing a cloud the size of a man’s hand. Elijah didn’t send that servant to look again to see if another cloud came up or even if the cloud had gotten bigger. Instead, he said go tell Ahab to leave quickly because rain is on its way. The scripture goes on to say that the Spirit of the Lord came upon Elijah and he outran the horses and chariots of Ahab back to Jezreel. Wow! When the rain falls and the Spirit of the Lord has full control, there is no telling what could take place. David, another man of God, reminds us of God’s assurance when he says, “…by your Spirit have I ran through a troop and jumped over a wall.”
I, dear friends, am ready for the rain to fall; I’ve got my ear tuned to heaven and I believe I hear the sound of abundance of rain. Intercessors, the drought is coming to an end. “God, send us the rain!” Now believe! To aid you in “Going Again”, CIP has put together a January Prayer Guide with a strong focus on Wisdom and “The Fear of the Lord”. There are 31 proverbs, one for each day, and we encourage you to fast a portion of the month in addition to the First Friday. On your mark get set, “Go Again!”
Prayer warriors, we at Canada In Prayer hold to our pledge to continue to stand on the front line for the spiritual transformation of Canada. Our God is faithful and He has underscored the significant need for our ongoing mission of intercession for every aspect of Canadian society in these vital times. We are confident that Almighty God is never in recession and will continue to be faithful in providing for our needs as we together, “Go Again in 2010”. For each of you who receive our monthly prayer newsletter, use our website, reach out to other intercessors on CIP Facebook, watch CIP on YouTube, and attend our equipping and empowering seminars, we value your continual intercession and financial partnership in this ministry. Please prayerfully reflect on where you will designate your giving, and consider a onetime gift to CIP or monthly support of your voice in Canada as together we battle to protect His dominion from coast to coast to coast!
Again in 2010,
FROM THE TRENCH:
Dear Friends,
What a mighty God we serve! He is the God who will give us the victory in 2010 as He has done every year until now. May you prosper even as your soul prospers in this New Year!
I have been hearing the Holy Spirit whisper one specific scripture in my spirit over the last month or two and, as I have continued to seek Him for His wisdom and understanding, He has been making it increasingly clear. As we begin this New Year, all of the encouragement and exhortation I have received from others around me has pointed back to the same thing, Proverbs 17:3: “The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart.”
Now, some of you may ask, “What exactly does that mean?” Great question – I asked the same thing when I first heard it! And so I have been asking the Lord. And, though there is still more revelation to be received, He has been bringing me to a greater understanding of this scripture as He parallels it with the rest of His word. Proverbs 27:21 (NKJV) says, “The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, and a man is valued by what others say of him.” 1 Thess. 2:4-6, “On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else.”
So what does this say? To me what is resounding in my spirit is that the flesh and it’s selfish desires must die! In 2010, God is looking at our hearts. Now before you groan, let me reassure you of the great excitement in this process! Our Heavenly Father, the Gardener, only prunes the branches so that they will bear MORE FRUIT (John 15:1-2). So, guess what? It’s harvest time! Time for abundant life! Time for His kingdom to come and His will to be done! The Holy Spirit administers to us the life that comes through Jesus Christ (John 6:33). The Kingdom of God is LIFE. But we cannot have that life without the Holy Spirit, and we cannot receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit if we are living and walking in the flesh. So, where there is flesh still active, the kingdom is being hindered in our lives. “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.” (Rom. 14:17-18)
If we walk in the flesh and try to please man, when God tests our hearts (yes, I said WHEN not IF), not only will He not find us pleasing, but we will not end up receiving the kind of praise from others that is approved by Him. Like we saw in Proverbs 27:21, one of the ways Almighty God tests us is by what others say of us. Just because men praise us doesn’t mean that we are acceptable to God! Even Satan receives praise from His followers and from the demonic forces that he rules over. There are two types of praise we can receive from men – praise from those who are corrupt and are approving us for walking as they are, and praise from those who see the light and love and kingdom of Christ being reflected in our lives. I don’t know about you, but I would certainly prefer the latter type of praise! But if we are living for the praise of men, we will receive that same type of praise from that same type of people – those who are living to be approved by the world’s standards rather than Christ’s.
What’s the good news then, fellow prayer warriors? When we put to death our flesh, walk in the Spirit, and serve Christ’s kingdom, we will receive praise from both God AND men! Maybe not ALL men, but the men whose praise is acceptable to God. When we live in a way that represents God’s kingdom, we will prove valued by both God and man. Though we may feel like we have been heated in the furnace or melted in the crucible, we will pass the Lord’s testing of our hearts!
So, friends, as we launch into this New Year ahead and heed the charge to “Go it again in 2010”, let’s remember and reflect on those times when we, and many others before us, laid down our flesh for the sake of Christ’s kingdom and for His praise and honor, and the great rewards it yielded for His glory. Let’s prepare ourselves once again for the Lord to test our hearts; let’s give ourselves fully over to Him, showing ourselves approved unto Him. As together we take time to pray through our CIP January Prayer Guide 2010 and walk through the book of Proverbs, let’s ask God for the wisdom to die to our flesh and allow Him to mold our hearts according to His standard, that we might bear much fruit and walk in the abundant life that He has destined not only for us, but for all whom He has called and chosen to come into His kingdom through our prayers and witness, for such a time as this!
For the Praise of God,
JANUARY 2010 PRAYER GUIDE
STAY THE COURSE, CONTINUE PRAYING, AND DON’T GIVE UP!
As Paul put it so well…“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:1-3, NIV)
WEEK ONE - Continue in Intimacy with God
January 1st (Proverbs 1) Pray for the body of Christ that we will increase in His wisdom and instruction. Cry out for a holy fear of the Lord, and the strength to overcome temptation to sin. Pray for this nation of Canada that they will fear the Lord and seek His counsel and not despise His correction.
January 2nd (Proverbs 2) Intercede for believers that they will treasure the Lord’s commands and incline their ear to wisdom and understanding.
January 3rd (Proverbs 3-5) Pray that mercy and truth will be bound around our necks and that we will trust in God and not lean on the wisdom of man.
WEEK TWO - Cleanse your Bride Lord
January 4th (Proverbs 4:4-5) “Let your heart retain my words; Keep my commands, and live.” Pray that we will keep His commands and allow His word to transform our lives, and not turn away from Him.
January 5th (Proverbs 5:12) Cry out for hearts to be fully surrendered to the Lord that will love his instruction and seek His correction.
January 6th (Proverbs 6:16-19) “These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him…” Intercede and repent on behalf of His Church for pride, laziness, perversion, lying, wickedness, gossip, and discord.
January 7th (Proverbs 7:3) “Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.” Cry out for God’s people to keep His commandments guard their hearts to stay fully committed to God in love.
January 8th (Proverbs 8:34) “Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates waiting at the posts of my doors.” Pray for the body of Christ to repent of distractions and seek God with a passionate heart dedicated to hearing Him speak.
January 9th (Proverbs 9:10-11) “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For I will multiply your days, and years of life will be added to you.” Give thanks to the Lord for His faithfulness and mercy as He pours wisdom, understanding, and blessings upon those who fear Him.
January 10th (Proverbs 10:12) “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sin.” Pray for God’s love to motivate His children to be a pure reflection of Christ’s love to the world.
WEEK THREE - Change our Hearts
January 11th (Proverbs 11:30) “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls are wise.” Pray for the Church to walk in holiness and in doing so; bearing fruit and drawing all men unto God.
January 12th (Proverbs 12:25) “Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression. But a good word makes it glad.” Pray that anxiety and depression will be broken off minds and that they will find peace with God.
January 13th (Proverbs 13:12) “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” Pray for hope to be restored and lives transformed by God’s love.
January 14th (Proverbs 14:34) “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” Cry out for our government and justice system that it will guard and protect the people of Canada with integrity and righteousness.
January 15th (Proverbs 15:13) “A merry heart does the heart good, a word spoken in due season is good”. Repent for critical thinking and grumbling complaints and pray that our hearts and words will reflect His love and joy.
January 16th (Proverbs 16:2) “All a man’s ways seem innocent him, but motives are weighed by the Lord”. Repent for impure motives and actions and cry out for God to establish our thoughts by His righteousness.
January 17th (Proverbs 17:14) “The beginning of strife is like releasing water; Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts.” Pray to God, on behalf of the saints to strengthen their hearts in self-control not allowing offence to stir up strife and unforgiveness.
WEEK FOUR - Lead this Nation Lord
January 18th (Proverbs 18:21) “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” Cry out for God to sanctify our thoughts and the words we speak. Pray for believers to speak powerful words of love and edification.
January 19th (Proverbs 19:26) “He who robs his father and drives out his mother is a son who brings shame and disgrace.” Pray for our youth that they will not be led to rebellious ways or acts of wickedness but desire to serve and please God.
January 20th (Proverbs 20:7) “The righteous man leads a blameless life, blessed are his children after him.” Pray that we will leave a legacy of holy and clean living that will be passed onto our children and our children’s children.
January 21st (Proverbs 21:22) “A wise man scales the city of the mighty and brings down the trusted stronghold.” Cry out for intercessors to stand in the gap for their cities and communities, believing and trusting God to tear strongholds.
January 22nd (Proverbs 22:6) “Train up a child in the way that he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Intercede for parents that they will instill biblical standards and values to their children.
January 23rd (Proverbs 23:17) “Do not let your heart envy sinners. But be zealous for the fear of the lord all the day.” Cry out for the zeal of Lord to consume believers to see God glorified across this nation.
January 24th (Proverbs 24:11) “Rescue those being led a way to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.” Pray for God’s mercy upon this nation, for salvations, and backsliders to come back to the Lord.
WEEK FIVE - Let Us Deny Ourselves
January 25th (Proverbs 25:28) “Like a city whose walls are broke down is a man who lacks self-control.” Pray that we will deny ourselves and allow the Holy Spirit to guide and control us.
January 26th (Proverbs 26:20) “Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.” Cry out to God and allow Him to guard out hearts and bind out tongues from gossip and strife.
January 27th (Proverbs 27:17) “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Pray that we will responsive to God as He uses our relationships to stretch us and shape us into His character.
January 28th (Proverbs 28:13) “He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” Cry out for the Holy Spirit to convict our hearts of sin and lead us to confession and repentance.
January 29th (Proverbs 29:25) “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” Pray that the fear of man will be broken, and that we will walk in fear of the Lord and seeking only to please Him.
January 30th (Proverbs 30:5) “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” Cry out for the lost that they will find God’s promises to be true and that they will run to God for safety and profess Jesus as Lord.
January 31st (Proverbs 31:21) “When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.” Pray for mothers that will teach godly principals to their children and be an influence to others as they place their trust in God.
HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM CIP!
