NIGHTWATCH FOR EUROPE week beginning Sunday 29th July 2007
‘Could you not watch with me for one hour?’ (Mtt26: 40)
WELCOME TO THE NIGHT WATCH FOR EUROPE
Thank you for praying for the 3rd Europe/Africa Reconciliation Process event in Gabon last week. This was an extraordinary time that achieved a greater level of government involvement than before with the opportunity to present our repentance at an audience with the president of Gabon and then have the presence of his Vice President as his official representative at the event itself which involved over 4000 people. The Gabonese government very specifically recognised the European Delegation, acknowledging that we had no official mandate, but still making a tremendous statement of forgiveness and African apology to Europe on behalf of the government of Gabon and in the capacity of the president as the longest serving African leader on behalf of the continent itself. This has effectively put us in the position that we have to bring their response to the attention of the political and ecclesial leaders of Europe as far as we are able, and we need prayer this coming week as we approach them. This will be a large part of the work of the Watch this week.
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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 for another year and four 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 29th July 2007
1. PRAY FOR THE HEADS OF STATE OF FRANCE, GERMANY, THE NETHERLANDS AND THE UK AS THEY RECEIVE THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE GABON CONFERENCE AND THE STATEMENT OF THE GABONESE PRESIDENT (15 MINUTES)
What makes this response so important is that while it recognises the repentance as intercessory and not official, it greatly extends its reach into the hearts and minds of the people on whose behalf it has been received. While intercessory repentance carries power whoever makes it, the readiness of the churches and government of Gabon to receive it is evidence of that power. The willingness of the Gabonese government to receive it on behalf of the nation as a whole has positioned the intercession to reach back into Europe at a wider and deeper level too. Pray for the timing of the sending of the statement, the accompanying letters and DVD of the 2005 conference in Berlin to the selected heads of state above.
2. PRAY FOR EUROPEAN CHURCH LEADERS AS THEY RECEIVE THE THREE POINTS THAT OUR AFRICAN BROTHERS BROUGHT TO US. (30 minutes)
We prayed into these points last week, now we need to pray for other European church leaders as they process them.
(i) The European church has failed to be a prophetic voice on behalf of Africa in the cause of justice. There have been situations where African leaders and governments have made genuine attempts to withstand the dependency forced on them by global institutions, for example when organisations such as the International Monetary fund and the World Bank have made aid, development and investment funds subject to free trade and other conditions for the advantage and protection of Western economic and political dominance. An example given was the French destruction of the government of the Ivory Coast when it attempted to stand free of French domination in the recent past. Pray for the European church to have a fuller understanding of the gospel of the kingdom of God, to pay deeper attention to the situation in Africa (and other countries with which our nations and continent are involved), and for courage to be a prophetic voice. (10 minutes)
Consider the following scriptures:
"Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy.”
(Ezekiel 16:49)
“Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! Behold, the pay of the labourers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.” (James 5:1-4)
(ii) The Western nations have frequently publicly disgraced African leaders who have failed in their leadership role. In this they have been hypocritical, allowing those like Richard Nixon after Watergate, Jacques Chirac after financial scandals remaining after his years as Mayor of Paris and other world leaders such as General Pinochet to maintain their homes and defend their reputations after their years in office. This has resulted in dishonour and ridicule coming on the African people whose identity and standing is represented by their leaders, and should be respected even when they fail or abuse their positions. (10 minutes)
Consider the following verses:
"Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for he himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.” (Luke 6:31-35)
(iii) Those who have taken initiatives for repentance and partnership towards African nations in the past, have sometimes failed to follow through with long-term and two-way practical relationships and have failed in particular when it comes to working through the spiritual and cultural issues of a genuinely mutual leadership. Pray for this European /African Reconciliation Partnership to build humbly on the work of the past, learning from past mistakes and establish new forms and ways of relationship in the spirit. (10 minutes)
Consider the following verses:
"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Mat 5:16)
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” (1Cor 15:58)
Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them. They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger. But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. They love the place of honour at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men. But do not be called Rabbi; for one is your teacher, and you are all brothers. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for one is your Father, he who is in heaven. Do not be called leaders; for one is your Leader, that is, Christ. But the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted. But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.” (Matthew 23:1-13)
3. PRAY FOR THE DEVELOPING CORE OF AFRICAN/EUROPEAN FRIENDSHIP AT THE HEART OF THE EARP (15 MINUTES)
Pray especially for Chris (UK), Hudson (Kenya), Samuel (France), Laurent (Gabon) and Lynn (Belgium) as they hold the relational and administrative ends of the process. Pray for the finances that are needed for the next phase of the work, especially a week of time together with the Lord for the core and council in Kenya sometime in the next six months. None of us European or African have supplies of funds apart from the Lord’s provision. Pray too for the many initiatives of partnership between our nations and continents across the different spheres of creation that they will proceed in line with the kingdom of God.
PLEASE LET US KNOW WHAT YOU HEAR FROM THE LORD AS YOU PRAY.
