NIGHTWATCH FOR EUROPE week beginning Sunday 7th October 2007
‘Could you not watch with me for one hour?’ (Mtt26: 40)
WELCOME TO THE NIGHT WATCH FOR EUROPE
It is always good to get encouraging reports of the positive impact of the watch material. Some of the greatest impact has been in permissioning and increasing spiritual warfare in our continent. So tonight we will begin once again to resist the devil, and then direct our resistance in particular against his pressure on the strategic country of Belgium. Belgium has been locked in political stalemate since elections in June failed to produce a new government. The uncertainty has sparked fierce debate over whether the country should be split into the mainly Dutch-speaking Flanders and French-speaking Wallonia regions.
By the way, any of you who live within reach of the Alsace region might be interested to know that the whole Nightwatch team will be in Guebwiler for the weekend of November 9 -11th, a weekend that coincides with the one remaining year of this watch. Details from david@leighweb.com
If you know of anyone who would also like to receive this night watch prayer bulletin each week, they can subscribe by going to www.passion.org.uk/announcemail and submitting their details on the web form. Alternatively they can email us at admin@passion.org.uk
IF YOU ARE A REGULAR YOU CAN SKIP THE NEXT 2 PARAGRAPHS
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 one more year, 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 7th OCTOBER 2007
1. WE BEGIN BY RESISTING THE DEVIL AWAY FROM OURSELVES (15 minutes)
Read Revelation 12:9-11: “And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, ‘Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.’”
Remember that according to the prophetic overview of the current times that we have been following, we are poised as the times of positioning (2004-2008) give way to times of intervention through the church into the world (2008-2012). By the blood of the Lamb, the word of our testimony and the yielding of our lives to the cross the enemy will see the enemy overcome on the earth in clear and specific ways. Use these three aspects of spiritual warfare to resist the devil from your spirit, soul and body, from your home and family, from the various expressions of the body of Christ to which you specially relate, to your town, region, nation, and continent.
2. NOW LET’S BEGIN TO RESIST THE DEVIL OVER BELGIUM! (15 minutes)
At the end of June I was in Brussels at the invitation of some Belgian African leaders for a night of prayer for the city and the Lord directed me to the national Basilica of the Catholic Church that was built as a commemoration of Leopold II and his work in the Congo, that we now know to have resulted in a genocide greater than the holocaust. This has never been fully dealt with by the church in Belgium, particularly the Catholic Church, although some progress has been made through the Europe-Africa reconciliation process and connected initiatives. This needs to be resolved now, otherwise Belgium may not survive.
Begin to resist the devil away from the intercessors in Belgium, from the ordinary people, from the body of Christ (particularly the Catholic Church), from the politicians, and from the royal family (some of whom have been very open to the Holy Spirit). (15 minutes)
3. PRAY FOR MEN AND WOMEN OF PEACE, COURAGE AND SERVANT HEARTS TO RISE UP AND GIVE A LEAD IN BELGIUM (15 minutes)
Last month we received the following feedback from a Nightwatcher in Belgium:
“I am writing to you today for Belgium. I don't know if you know the political situation of my country. The elections took place in June and we haven't the government yet. The North demands things that the South can't accept. We are hearing talk of separatism! More in the North than the South and Brussels (that is one of three regions). I don't know that the Lord wants but I pray for his will. The situation is very difficult and even if the economy seems to be the first reason, it is more a problem of feelings and wounds from the past. Do you receive news from other watchers about this? I think that Belgium needs help at this moment.
Thank You for your prayers.”
Pray for men and women of peace, courage and servant leadership to rise up within Belgian society who can lead the country forward through the very difficult political impasse that has arisen over the last few months. Remember that Belgium is increasingly the institutional heart of Europe, and may represent a sign of the continent’s future.
Pray Isaiah 49:7-12 over Belgium:
“Thus says the Lord, the redeemer of Israel and its holy one, to the despised one, to the one abhorred by the nation, to the servant of rulers, ‘Kings will see and arise, princes will also bow down, because of the Lord who is faithful, the holy one of Israel who has chosen you.’ Thus says the Lord, ‘In a favourable time I have answered you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you; and I will keep you and give you for a covenant of the people, to restore the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritages; saying to those who are bound, 'Go forth,' to those who are in darkness, 'Show yourselves.' along the roads they will feed, and their pasture will be on all bare heights. They will not hunger or thirst, nor will the scorching heat or sun strike them down; for he who has compassion on them will lead them and will guide them to springs of water. I will make all my mountains a road, and my highways will be raised up. Behold, these will come from afar; and lo, these will come from the north and from the west, and these from the land of Sinim.’”
4. USE THE FOLLOWING DETAILED REPORT TO FOCUS SPECIFIC PRAYER ON KEY ISSUES FOR BELGIUM (15 minutes)
Carol Britton, an American intercessor with the Brussels house of prayer is reported in the European Union of Prayer newsletter as follows:
“It’s such a new time here in Belgium. Elections for the Belgian Federal government were held on June 10th. Elections in Belgium are for a political party, not for an individual. Prime Minister, Guy Verhofstad, who led the country for eight years, stated well-in-advance that he would step down from office this year. The day after the election, he gave the resignation of his government to Belgium’s King Albert. There has been very little agreement of how this new government should be formed, and which parties would have the main lead. One man was appointed to assess the possibilities for government coalitions, then later another man to form the government. But there have been huge differences between the Flemish and French-speaking parties. King Albert, who is a Christian, is mediating and has appointed someone else to continue to explore the situation and bring unity. So, Belgium stands right now with no federal government and many Belgians feel much of this instability, of no
covering and the possible total split of the country. We believe our God has His hands on this country and is covering it. I pray that individuals will really sense and desire the Lord’s covering. We are praying for the Lord to provide the right government that will rule with integrity, honesty, purity, and in the light. Please join us in praying for Belgium’s government.”
