NIGHTWATCH FOR EUROPE week beginning Sunday June 29th 2008
‘Could you not watch with me for one hour?’ (Mtt26: 40)
WELCOME TO THE NIGHT WATCH FOR EUROPE
Thanks for all your prayers and feedback over the culmination of the European African Reconciliation Process in Kinshasa this past week (see last week's nightwatch). The outcome was awe-inspiring! The final ceremony of repentance took place in the presence of senior church and government leaders and thousands of Congolese in the huge interdenominational cathedral. After a very clear Congolese presentation of the sins and horrors of colonialisation, followed by the specific statements of repentance by the European delegation, forgiveness was freely given first by the church and then by the representative of the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The latter then proceeded to take our breath away by publicly consecrating the DRC to the Lord of hosts on the government’s behalf, and presenting a gift from the President to the local organising committee towards the conference expenses! All of this was seen live throughout the country on national television. The following day saw the rapid spread of the same heart attitude in the repentance of Hutu and Tutsi from Ruanda and Burundi, together with Zimbabwean, South African and Congo Brazzavillean for the sins of their people towards the Democratic Republic of Congo. This was followed by statements of forgiveness once again from both church and government leaders. So we thank God for the fulfilment of nine years work and proceed with expectancy to a partnership of blessing for our two continents.
This week we will begin by giving time to thanksgiving for all this. We will then pray into possible ways ahead for our partnership on both continents and begin a practice of praying for genuinely partnership initiatives of Europeans and Africans towards the alleviation of poverty in Africa which we will endeavour to continue until the end of the watch in September. Finally we will continue to pray for the forthcoming Nightwatch transition event. We have still not reached clarity on the location, but the date is clear, and we intend to make a final decision by the 16th of July so that those coming can go ahead and book travel and accommodation. We make no apology for taking time over this - we need to hear clearly from the Lord.
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If you are receiving this material unexpectedly it is because someone has suggested that you may be interested to join in. If you do not want to keep receiving it please inform us immediately and we will stop sending it to you. We want to let those of you who are newcomers know that we are very pleased to have your partnership in this watch. We are simply asking for a commitment of an hour a week some time between 9pm and 6am whatever time zone you are in.
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 until the end of September 2008 after which there will be a transition into a different form of intercessory support. If you have to miss an occasional watch it’s OK as the rest of us will carry it. We are ready for eleventh hour workers for this final three months!
THE CONTENT OF THE WATCH FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING SUNDAY 29th JUNE 2008
1. LET’S USE PSALMS 2 AND 24 TO GIVE THANKS FOR THE ENCOURAGING OUTCOME OF THE EUROPEAN/AFRICAN RECONCILIATION PROCESS (10 minutes)
"I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: he said to me, 'You are my Son, today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will surely give the nations as your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as your possession.” (Psalm 2:7-8)
“Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the king of glory may come in! Who is the king of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O gates, and lift them up, O ancient doors, that the king of glory may come in! Who is this king of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the king of glory. Selah.” (Psalm 24:7-10)
2. PRAY FOR SPECIFIC SIGNS THAT THE SPIRIT OF DEATH OVER OUR TWO CONTINENTS IS BEING BROKEN (20 minutes)
a) At the request of the Congolese leaders we prayed together for the spirit of death over our two continents to be broken. Please use the same scripture that we used from Isaiah 28. (10 minutes)
“Therefore thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be confounded. I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the level; then hail will sweep away the refuge of lies and the waters will overflow the secret place. Your covenant with death will be cancelled, and your pact with Sheol will not stand.” (Isaiah 28:16-18)
b) Pray for Zimbabwe at this time. It is significant in the light of the breakthrough in Kinshasa that in the last few days Robert Mugabe has stated that only God can remove him, and that there has been an increasingly united African voice rising against his now overtly oppressive regime. Pray for God to intervene and for Africa to stand free from the injustices of both continents (10 minutes).
3. PRAY FOR THE SAME KIND OF UNDERSTANDING OF REPENTANCE AND FORGIVENESS TO COME TO THE CHURCH AND GOVERNMENTS OF EUROPE THAT WE ARE BEGINNING TO SEE IN AFRICA (10 minutes)
We have stood in the gap for Africa and now both church and government there are seriously starting to embrace repentance and forgiveness. Pray for the same to happen in Europe. Ask the Lord for wisdom for those giving a lead within the Europe/Africa Reconciliation Partnership over the appropriate timing, location and action to facilitate this.
4. PRAY FOR THE WORK OF ADVANTAGE AFRICA (10 minutes)
Advantage Africa supports the work of inspirational people working to overcome poverty and disadvantage in Kenya and Uganda. Two new units for disabled children have been established (with a further one under construction), together with a village clinic and nursery, a foster home for orphans, a primary school, small enterprises for single parents and AIDS prevention initiatives. Advantage Africa was founded on a Christian vision and a £10 donation; God has blessed the work and since enabled them to help some 20,000 people.
Pray for the management, as they support and encourage the various partners in their work and for healing of the mistrust and fear that has followed the post-election violence in Kenya. Pray too for a new project in Masese, Uganda among child-headed households to help the children participating to escape the extreme poverty in which they live. Pray for the resources to continue the work. Core funding comes to an end next month and new individuals and institutions to sustain the activities are urgently needed. More information can be obtained from news@advantageafrica.org
5. PRAY THE BLESSING OF JOSEPH OVER AFRICA (5 minutes)
When Joseph was taken to Africa he made it his land and his home, just as the Israelites later did in Babylon when the Lord told them to make the destiny of the city their own destiny. Pray Joseph’s blessing over Africa today.
"Blessed of the LORD be his land, with the choice things of heaven, with the dew, and from the deep lying beneath, and with the choice yield of the sun, and with the choice produce of the months. And with the best things of the ancient mountains and with the choice things of the everlasting hills, and with the choice things of the earth and its fullness, and the favour of him who dwelt in the bush. Let it come to the head of Joseph, And to the crown of the head of the one distinguished among his brothers. As the firstborn of his ox, majesty is his, and his horns are the horns of the wild ox; with them he will push the peoples, all at once, to the ends of the earth. And those are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and those are the thousands of Manasseh." (Deut 33:13-17)
6. PRAY ONCE MORE FOR THE RIGHT LOCATION FOR THE NIGHTWATCH TRANSITION EVENT (5 minutes)
Pray for clarity over the next two weeks so that the necessary information can be provided and those planning to come can make the necessary arrangements for the weekend of September 26th-28th.
IN EXPECTATION OF A RESURRECTED EUROPE AND A TRANSFORMED AFRICA,
