From 28 August–17 September, the Canberra Declaration is holding 21 days of prayer and fasting for Australia and the globe. The title – “a wave of glory” – is based on Hab 2:14 where the prophet sees a coming day when the “glory of the knowledge of the Lord” will cover the earth “as the waters cover the sea”. God knows Australia needs it. The world needs it.
A Gathering of Prayer Leaders
Recently prayer leaders around Australia gathered with Dean Briggs, executive director at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City (IHOPKC). He’s also a global representative for the International Prayer Council. What Dean shared was highly significant, inspiring and must be heard.
It’s easy to focus on the troubles of the world. The words of Isaiah 60:2 have particular force and relevancy to our time, where it states that “darkness will cover the earth, and total darkness the peoples”.
But focusing on the darkening hour will cause us to shrink back from using the very power that has been put in our hands to deal with that darkness!
Prayer as Training for Reigning
God has permitted evil and evil spirits in the world – and He has His reasons for doing so. One reason is that it creates the difficult ‘arena’ that provides the perfect place in which on-the-job training can happen.
Dean brought to our attention an excerpt from Destined for the Throne by Paul Billheimer. On page 15, Billheimer writes:
Because the crown is only for the conqueror (Revelation 3:21), the Church (later to become the Bride) must learn the art of spiritual warfare, of overcoming evil forces, in preparation for the tasks that await her following the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
To enable her to learn the technique of overcoming, God ordained the infinitely wise program of believing prayer. He did not ordain prayer primarily as a way of getting things done. It is His way of giving the Church on-the-job training in overcoming the forces hostile to God.
This world is a laboratory in which those destined for the throne are learning in actual practice how to overcome Satan and his hierarchy. The prayer closet is the arena that produces the overcomer.
This alters our conception of prayer from a ‘tick the box’ job into a relational and transformational process brimming with royal dignity. It makes clear that God’s ordained means of prayer carries with it a potency that needs to be captured. This is all the truer when we come to the power of corporate prayer.
Corporate Prayer as a Concentration of Force
Dean Briggs
Dean brought to our attention the military concept of the concentration of force, where large numbers condense together at a decisive point to break through enemy lines.
On 6 June 1944, a concentration of force took place at Normandy that the world had never seen before. It had taken months of planning. On that day, some 160,000 troops crossed the English Channel and concentrated all their efforts on gaining a decisive point of entry. Their success allowed hundreds of thousands of troops to join them shortly after.
Dean likens this to corporate prayer. A small number of people praying can get a lot done. But national or even global breakthrough require a greater number.
Isaiah paints a bleak picture in Isa 59:12–15. He speaks of increasing transgression, people turning away from God, oppression, lying lips and that “truth has stumbled in the public square” – to mention but a few things. He ends with, “The LORD saw that there was no justice, and he was offended.”
But what is truly astonishing is verse 16:
“He saw that there was no man— he was amazed that there was no one interceding.”
God was shocked that the calling of the intercessor lay vacant.
God will do His part. But we must do our part. His mighty arm will save, but He does that in partnership with His people through corporate prayer.
The Vision of the Red Wave
The “wave of glory” theme has a red (not blue) wave on it. Initially, this looks rather odd. But it is intentional. Last year, pastor Steve Davis from Victory Life Centre in Perth had a vision of a red wave. During the vision, he heard the Spirit say, “The tide is turning.”
Steve saw the tide go out and it left a lot of rubbish on the beach. The tide kept going out until he heard a huge explosion out in the ocean.
After the explosion, a huge wave came up out of the ocean – and it was vivid red. As it approached the west coast of Australia, he heard the words, “This is the wave of the blood of my Son. And it’s going to cleanse and heal the land.”
A Concentration of Force is Coming
There is a concentration of intercessory force coming to Perth for the World Prayer Assembly (WPA) on 3–6 October. We are anticipating that thousands from around the world will gather at the WPA. They will pray that the blood of the Lamb will cleanse and bring salvation to millions – even billions – around the world. God has dreams for Oceania and dreams for the world.
But the lead-up to this concentration of force requires much preparation – just like D-Day at Normandy did. This is the ‘wave of glory’ 21 days of prayer and fasting. But it is not just preparation for the WPA. It is also a concentration of corporate prayer in its own right.
Please sign up for the “wave of glory” 21 days of prayer and fasting here. The webpage also contains downloadable flyers and other information about this upcoming concentrated effort of assault on enemy lines.
May God see many in Australia and Oceania that use the God-designated power of prayer to see what God wants accomplished!
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