NIGHTWATCH FOR EUROPE week beginning Sunday 10th June 2007
‘Could you not watch with me for one hour?’ (Mtt26: 40)
WELCOME TO THE NIGHT WATCH FOR EUROPE
As I prepare for this week’s watch the world’s richest and most powerful nations are meeting for the G8 summit in Germany. The gospels make clear what a huge temptation international power and wealth really are, and the huge difference between the governments of this world and the government of God. So the suggested guidelines this week begin with resisting the devil from the leaders and governments of Europe, followed by prayer for the intercessors in Germany who have been carrying some of the prayer weight for the summit. Then we shall pray into some helpful feedback from last week’s watch as well as issues raised in the EURCP-European Union Review & Call to Prayer- June 2007 and the Prayer e-mail for Europe May/June 2007.
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We will send you a brief outline for prayer each week according to the prophetic direction coming from the contemporary prophetic movement in Europe. You will not always agree with everything in the watch material. Go with what you can and trust the Lord to help you with the rest. This Nightwatch began in November 2003 and We are looking to carry on for another year and five months, while realising that some can’t commit right now for as long as that, we are pleased for you to enlist for as long as you can. If you have to miss an occasional watch it’s OK as the rest of us will carry it. A six-month commitment is probably a good start.
THE CONTENT OF THE WATCH FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING SUNDAY 10th June 2007
1. TAKE TIME TO RESIST THE DEVIL FROM EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS AND THEIR LEADERS (15 minutes)
The G8 nations are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, UK and the USA. They are regarded as the leading industrial democracies in the world. The EU is represented as a kind of ninth member, although not a nation state and already represented through four of the European nations. Given that Russia is also partly within Europe and that Canada and the USA were seeded by European colonisation this makes the G8 a very European organisation.
Using Matthew 4:8-11 and Luke 22:25-27 resist the devil away from the leaders and governments of the G8 nations, especially for those in Europe:
“Again, the Devil took him up into a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, ‘All these things I will give you if you will fall down and worship me.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go, Satan! For it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God, and him only you shall serve.’ Then the Devil left him. And behold, angels came and ministered to him.” (Mat 4:8-11)
“And he said to them, the kings of the nations exercise lordship over them. And they who exercise authority on them are called benefactors. But you shall not be so: but the greater among you, let him be as the lesser, and he who governs, as one who serves. For which is the greater; he who reclines, or he who serves? Is it not he who reclines? But I am among you as he who serves.” (Luke 22:25-27)
Finally pray for strength and encouragement for Ortwin Schweitzer and others from the European Union of Prayer who have been interceding during the G8 summit.
2. PRAY FOR THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE USA.
One factor impacting the G8 summit is the conflict between between Russian and American ideologies and cultures. As the Prayer e-mail for Europe May/June 2007 helpfully puts it
“It is inappropriate that the USA because of their need to feel secure presume to deploy a missile shield on the European continent. With this shield it would also be very easy to shoot down Russian missiles before they reached the US. Not that Russia would like to do that, but the balance of power in the world has been considerably upset. Before that the potential of atomic and other warheads had been bilaterally reduced at the same time. Such steps build trust and have led to detente among the power blocs. In such times of insecurity and also disillusionment about the inferiority of the communist system, God gives Russia the chance to come back to his values or to decide to go back to the old values of oppression, concentration of power and military strength. Unfortunately Russia seems to be falling back at the moment. On the other hand if only the US acted out of trust in God and the Russians were willing to take this chance, the conflict would be solved for now.’ (Full text available from office@touchthenations.org)
Pray for these positive shifts to take place among Russian and American leaders. Prayer for a new uncovering of original gospel truth in both countries and for grass roots movements for peace to spring up among their peoples.
3. PRAY FOR RESTRAINT AMONG EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS IN ORDER TO PROTECT BASIC FREEDOMS
Fear of terrorism in European nations is leading to an erosion of freedom as governments attempt to suspend or change laws that prevent imprisonment without charge. The EURCP-European Union Review & Call to Prayer- June 2007 mentions that Britain could opt out of a key provision of European human rights laws to impose house arrest on terrorist suspects after three more went on the run. John Reid, the British Home Secretary, told MP's he might trigger existing powers to "derogate" from Article Five of the European convention which prohibits detention without trial. Gordon Brown, who is shortly to become the new British Prime Minister, has made known his desire to extend the current 28 day limit on imprisonment without trial to 40 days. (EURCP@aol.com; http://www.euprayer.com)
In the words of Peter, pray for courage and strength for European Christians to stand up for basic gospel freedom for all:
“Live like free people, and do not use your freedom as an excuse for doing evil. Instead, be God's servants.” (1 Peter 2:16)
Pray that the peoples of Europe will not allow their fear of evil and violent acts to throw away freedoms often brought by the past influence of the gospel.
4. CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR OUR UNDERSTANDING AND EXPRESSION OF THE GOSPEL IN THIS SEASON OF RECOVERY (15 minutes)
Last week we prayed into a statement about the shift that is taking place in our understanding of the gospel since the end of Christendom and the status quo affirming forms of church and gospel that went with it. We described thinking that fails to put justice for the poor as the necessary sign of the new birth, the presence of the Holy Spirit and the primary purpose of the church. One of the Nightwatch team responded as follows:
“I must say, I find that an interestingly worded statement. Have we defined things a bit narrowly here? That begs a number of questions if one reads the statement somewhat literally:
* Do we really mean "A" necessary sign or really "THE" necessary sign?
* Do we really mean "A" primary purpose or really "THE" primary purpose?
* Is justice for the poor more important than justice "for the abused", "for the defrauded", etc.?
* Are we in danger of putting the 2nd commandment in 1st place?
I've no problem with justice for the poor, and indeed the problems of the Church in the Christendom expressions because of that lack (and others) are exactly as stated, but the way in which justice for the poor was positioned in this item is, I think, problematic...not the least of which for the actual cause of waking the Body of Christ up to our gross deficiency in this area.”
I think it is probably right that the definite article may come across too strongly here, and that it would be more accurate to say ‘one of the most important signs’. But perhaps just ‘a’ sign would weaken the importance of the poor too much; we might start to think of it as an optional part of the gospel. And do we have any right to grade the two greatest commandments as first and second in importance? Might they not be of equal importance? Please keep praying into these crucial issues and giving us your feedback.
THANKS AGAIN FOR TAKING PRAYER AND OUR CONTINENT SO SERIOUSLY
