“I had this day a great sense of the emptiness and vanity of all the things here below.  If I had millions and millions of worlds, they would not make me happy.  Christ is all in all; in Him I find a solid peace.”  – Henry Alline

Henry Alline was only 35 years of age when he died of tuberculosis in 1784, but in his short span of life, he helped trigger a revival across the province of Nova Scotia. His passion and zeal for the Lord led the itinerant preacher to visit almost every settlement in Nova Scotia, parts of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and other small costal islands.  He travelled by horseback, and sometimes by snowshoe, boat, or on foot, to preach the gospel to almost every part of Nova Scotia in his 10 years of ministry. This period in history was called the Great Awakening; it was a season of great revivalism throughout the colonies. It emphasized a greater importance on a personal experience of salvation through Christ then on church doctrine.  Services were held outdoors, in homes and barns rather than in churches although he established many independent churches across rural Nova Scotia.  These churches later became part of the Baptist movement in the East Coast.  Alline received criticism for his preaching style and theological teaching, mainly from the church leaders; he didn’t give it much priority as he continued to meet with the rural pioneers on their own terms to preach the gospel.  Alline preached repentance, holiness, and a conversion experience through Jesus Christ.  Many leaders of the day tried to silence him but he shared his disapproval of them, rebuking the church leaders of being unsaved and dead preachers – he pushed himself even harder to preach the gospel.

With the impact of the American Rebellion and the severing of ties from New England, settlers of Nova Scotia suffered from anxiety and a great sense of uncertainty for the future. These were hard times and Alline’s simple message of salvation through Christ brought hope.  One woman he impacted was Mary Bradley who heard Alline speak in Maugerville, NB.  She had such a fevour for the revival to continue through her region that she left the bulk of her estate so that the itinerant ministry would continue in her area.

Henry Alline gave all of himself to the cause of Christ, though not formally educated in theological training; he was stirred only by the passion to see souls saved for the kingdom of God.  On Alline’s tombstone it reads; “He was a burning and shining light and was justly esteemed the Apostle of Nova Scotia”. 

I want to honour one of the first great revivalists of Canada.  He deserves to be remembered as a man who sacrificed his life for the glory of God.   In an entry in his journal he writes that he once traveled 30 miles by horseback in the driving rain to preach to a group.  When he arrived he could barely stand but as he continued to sing and preach and soon experienced the Holy Spirit reviving him and giving him strength to continue.  Even when he discovered that he had contracted tuberculosis and his health was rapidly deteriorating, he laboured even harder for the gospel.

Though his name may not be familiar, his fruits are well known in heaven.   I once lived in Nova Scotia and there are many churches established there – thank God for men like Alline who gave themselves to the cause of the gospel.  Faith is rich in the East Coast and I give God the glory for the legacy he has left behind.  Many families are continuing on in their faith in Jesus Christ because of a man who brought the gospel to their fore-fathers over 230 years ago.

Carolyn Cowan – CIP

PRAISE REPORTS

-  Give God the glory for a Calgary intercity street church that has been able to give thousands of sandwiches and soups, and other goods to the poor on a weekly basis.  Through the giving they receive they have been blessed to support with food – five different ministries in the city!

Praise God for a BC ministry that will launch a chaplaincy service for elected leaders in the provincial parliament in Alberta!

-  Give Jesus the praise for the 600 students from across Canada that attended the Eastern Christian Conference in Pennsylvania.  Many hearts were rekindled with a passion to pray for the unsaved.  A group of dedicated students stayed up for the entire night praying through a list of unreached groups across the globe!

-  Praise God for a National Marriage Ministry that shared that the ministry of counseling and mentoring couples has now 30 centres operating across Canada! The ministry has a 91% success rate! Give God praise that He has heard our prayers to restore marriages across our nation!

-  Give God the honour and glory for a mission team that ministered to the church in Pikangikum,ON. Though the community has suffered greatly losing 25 people, 6 through suicide, in the past 6 months – they were encouraged by putting on the garment of praise for a spirit of heaviness according to Isaiah 61:3 which released many from discouragement and depression.  Praise Him! Lord please continue to do a work in their hearts.

- Praise God for our governments stand on supporting the nation of Israel. On a recent trip to Israel, Foreign Affairs Minister, John Baird, told President Shimon Peres that “you have no better friend in the world than Canada, no stronger ally who will stand up [for you]. We won’t stand behind you; we will stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel.”

- Give the Lord the praise for a new city-wide prayer group that has just launched in Tillsonburg, ON.  The Lord is calling forth His army to stand in the gap for our cities!

-  Praise God for a City Prayer Group in Cambridge, ON that has been fervently praying for the safety of their city, they reported that recent statistics have shown that drug arrests and vehicle accidents have gone down in the city over the past three months! Pray has made the difference! To God be the Glory!

-  To Jesus be the glory for the amazing turnout of 15,000 worshippers represented from 62 different churches united together on January 8^th for the One Heart gathering in Winnipeg. Praise Him for the energetic worship together, it was certainly heard in the throne room of God!

-  Praise God for the Empowered to Heal conference held on January 26^th – 28^th in Winnipeg.  Many left the conference with renewed faith in Mark 16 that they will lay hands on the sick and they will be healed! Praise God that in just 11 years, 2,000 healing rooms have been established world-wide!

PRAYER-DRIVEN EVANGELISM

-  Pray for new church plantings to increase across Canada that are founded in the Way, the Truth, and the Life of Jesus.  Pray that God will open doors for new regions to be reached with the gospel of Christ in our nation.  Pray for the Spirit of adoption to be released, and for hearts to be open to respond and receive salvation.  Pray that all barriers will be removed and that the veil will be lifted from the eyes of those who are blind.  Pray for the many faithful believers involved in church plants, that they will be sensitive and obedient to the Holy Spirit as they have conversations with those who are seeking the truth.

PRAYER FOR THE NEXT GENERATION

-  Intercede for university student ministries across Canada.  Pray that the leaders will fear God and that the fruit of their leadership will be like the rains after a hot day, refreshing, and life giving.  Pray for God to increase the numbers of salvations of students in and outside the campus.   Pray that the wisdom of the world will discontent the youth generation and that they will be drawn by the Holy Spirit to crave for the authentic and uncompromised Holy Word of God.

PRAYER REQUESTS

Nova Scotia

-  Pray for the participants attending the Embracing Abundant Life seminar on February 6^th in Wolfville that they will grasp God’s glorious riches and strengthened in power through His Spirit, and that they will be rooted and established in His love.   (Ephesians 3:18-19)

New Brunswick

-  Believe and agree with the prayer warriors in Moncton that revival will come – that the church will be ignited with a passion to live holy and devoted to Christ and for the unsaved to believe and confess Jesus is Lord! Pray that the body of Christ will be encouraged and renewed in the battle of prayer.  Pray that they will begin to see the fruits of their labour in prayer!

Newfoundland & Labrador

-  Please intercede for a youth conference called ‘Greater Things’ in Grand falls-Windsor on February 24^th – 26^th.  Pray for that God will be glorified through the music and that the speaker will speak under the anointing of the Holy Spirit – pray that the message will impact the hearts of these young people and that they will leave permanently changed for the glory of God.

Prince Edward Island

-  Pray that God will raise up an army of prayer warriors in PEI who are willing to persevere in prayer & wage war on their knees for their families, churches, communities, and for Canada. (Luke 18:1-8) Pray for those who will keep us informed of what God is saying and doing on the island.  Intercede for this province that back-sliders will return to God and that their relationship with Christ will be ignited with a passion to see the entire island come to the saving knowledge of the gospel.

Quebec

-  Cover in prayer two 8 week courses titled Embracing the Father’s Love and Discovering the New Me, held at a church in Montreal from February 8^th till March 25^th.  Pray for the participants that they will receive and experience the richness and fullness of God’s love and encounter a revelation of their identity in Christ.  Pray for the instructors that their ears will tuned to hear the Holy Spirit’s leading and be obedient to follow His lead.

-  Lift in prayer that God will move mightily at the Every Increasing Glory Conference in Montreal on February 22^nd – 25^th.  Pray that God will transform those attending by His Spirit and them even deeper into His Glory.  (2 Corinthians 3:18)

British Columbia

-  Lift in prayer a Prayer Gathering on February 7^th in Kelowna that they will break through in worship and reach the Holy of Holies.  Pray for the unity of the spirit as they press in together in prayer.  Pray for the body of Christ to be refreshed and ignited and pray for a revival of souls coming into the Kingdom of God in Kelowna and across the region.

- Pray for a Promise Keepers workshop held in Cranbrook on February 9th, titled Grow Your Men, Grow Your Church.  Pray for the men in attendance that they will be encouraged, refreshed, and become further equipped to carry out the purposes of God in their lives and communities.

Alberta

-  Pray for the Redesigning Church Conference in Lethbridge on February 3^rd & 4^th that the speakers and teachers will effectively communicate God’s Word and pray for those attending that they will be released to minister in the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

-  Lift in prayer a Pastors/Leaders Prayer Summit in Calgary, on February 6^th – 8^th and pray that God will bring the leaders together in greater unity and that they will be united in purpose to serve the city. (Psalm 133:1)

-  Cover in prayer two ministry training sessions with Name Canada (The National Association of Marriage Enhancement), where they will train and equip couples to counsel and mentor married couples. It’s happening on February 10^th & 11^th in Edmonton and February 24^th & 25^th in Calgary.  Pray that the Lord of the harvest will send workers to be trained and couples who desire to help keep the legacy of the Christian home intact and marriages and families healthy.  Pray for the conferences that this will be a powerful conference that will enrich and enhance the marriages and ministry of couples who participate.

 Saskatchewan

Yukon Territories

- Pray for a church in Ross River that God will continue to add to their numbers daily.  Pray that the church and the congregation will be a light beacon to all in the area to find hope and peace through Jesus.  Pray that God will strengthen the leaders and that they will declare the word boldly and that their speech and their preaching will not be with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. (1 Corinthians 2:4)

-  Cry out to God for the atheists in the Yukon, statistics say there are many who do not believe in the existence of God.  Pray that God will break through their own understandings and that they will begin to see and understand that the Lord lives and desires to be revealed to them.  Pray that God will use signs and wonders to open their eyes. (Proverbs 3:5)

Northwest Territories

-  Intercede that God will strengthen in body and spirit the ministerial leaders who travel from region to region.  Pray that God will raise up Christian Leaders to take the call and minister to smaller communities.  Ask God to send in those who have a genuine love for the people and a desire to see lives transformed by the power of Jesus Christ.

Nunavut

-  Declare over Nunavut that no longer will the enemy take another victim to suicide, pray and ask God to hold the blood Jesus over every person, over household as we cry out in mercy for the stronghold of suicide to be broken off every household.  Pray that they will declare and confess that they are more than conquerors through Christ who saves them. (Hebrew 7:25, Romans 8:37)

Ontario

-  Cry out with God’s people as they come together in prayer and worship at the True North Conference on February 1^st – 4^th in Toronto.  Pray that the speakers will proclaim the Word of God boldly and that their speech and their preaching will not be with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. (1 Cor. 2:4)  Agree that it will impact and ignite hearts of those attending.

-  Intercede in prayer with a prayer gathering in Toronto on February 4^th and cry out for the church in the GTA that it will thirst and long for more of God to see His power and His glory. (Psalm 63:1-2)

-  Lift in prayer the 3^rd annual Kitchener/Waterloo Regional Day of Prayer, pray for every group that is meeting together in various churches on February 10^th & 11^th that God will bring them together in the bonds of peace and in the spirit of unity.  Pray for the church as they cry out that they will draw near to God and sanctify their hearts together. (Eph. 4:6, James 4:8)

-  Intercede with Toronto area Pastors and Intercessors as they pray at the City Hall on February 15^th that they will be united in one goal and focused on Jesus as they cry out for the city.  Pray that the corporate and strategic prayers will demolish strongholds of poverty and brokenness in the city.

 -  Lift in prayer a Promise Keepers Men’s Retreat in Ottawa on February 15^th, titled Grow Your Men Grow Your Church.  Pray that God will use this time to build their character and bring them into a place of wholeness, faith & excellence, enabling them to be confident in their purpose as men and become evangelists in their churches and communities.

-  Please pray for a Men’s Retreat: God’s Design for Fathers in Puslinch on February 17^th – 19^th.  Pray that the men will grow deeper in their faith and receive a greater revelation of the destiny that God has called them to as men and as Fathers.

-  Cry out for those attending Thy Kingdom Come Healing Encounter in Breslau on February 18^th & 19^th that God will impart wisdom and truth into the hearts of those who attend and increase their faith to believe for healing and deliverance.  Pray that every sickness and disease will be broken off in the name of Jesus. (Acts 10:38)

-  Lift in prayer the Scott Mission House in Toronto that God will revive the hearts of each client and pray that their hearts will be transformed by the love of Jesus.  Pray for God’s favour for the material and financial provision for the unfolding vision of a new expansion of the Mission into East Toronto.  Pray that God will raise up and equip the clients to become spiritual leaders, evangelists and care givers.

-  Pray for a Christian Website in Kitchener as they receive new directors on their board.  Pray that God will give each member a united vision for the ministry and that they will see clearly God’s direction.  Pray for new doors of opportunities to reach the lost through the site and through the radio programs.

Canada

-  Cry out to God on behalf of the First Nation people of Canada that the issues addressed at the recent summit in Ottawa will be considered and strategies implemented to correct the problems of rampant poverty and deplorable living conditions.  Ask God to expose corruption within region chiefs and band council and execute His justice.  (Galatians 6:9)  Pray for the body of Christ that God will strengthen them with His Spirit and that they will reflect the light of Christ.

-  Pray that the Canada 911 call to pray and fast will continue to be a call that will ring in the ears of every intercessor to continue to press in and pray for this nation!

First Friday Prayer Guide:  January 2012

Dear Friends,

                Glory to God – we have successfully completed our 21 days of prayer and fasting for Canada and are witnessing the breakthroughs!  Thank you for your sacrifice and your incredible passion and dedication to seeing the righteous foundations of our nation restored for the glory of God.

                As we close the time I want to encourage you, praying soldiers in the trench, that this is not the end; it is the beginning!  We have been called and commissioned for such a time as this, and now we are being mobilized as God’s army to accomplish His kingdom purposes!  “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever. Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong, and do it.” (1 Chronicles 28:9-10)  It was David who had it in his heart to build a temple for the Lord, and it was He who received the plans and made the preparations, but it was his son, Solomon, who actually carried out the building.  We and those who have gone before us have laboured in prayer and have positioned everything in the heavenlies, and now it is time to carry out the service that we have been called to and begin to reap the fruit!  We have spent these 21 days “knowing” the God of our forefathers; now it’s time to also “serve” Him!

Notice in verse 9 that David exhorted Solomon to serve God “with a loyal heart and with a willing mind”.  Another translation says “a steadfast heart and a willing mind.”  This passage struck me so profoundly, because so often we struggle in our hearts and especially in our minds to be fully surrendered, obedient, and committed to God and to carrying out His plan.  When we really get down to it, the truth is, we want to do what we want, but we don’t want anyone to know that we want to do what we want!  So we cover up and go through the motions of saintly living.  But our hearts and minds reflect otherwise.  (If you can’t say amen, say “ouch”!  I’m definitely saying it right now!)

The reason that we were able to receive the victory during this fast is because of Revelation 12:11; “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”  But now that we are back to our “normal” lifestyle, we must continue to be set apart – we have to live a “fasted life”.  We are called to continue to die to our own flesh and our own will, desires and emotions, not seeking to preserve what is left of us through self-righteousness or self-confidence or self-reliance, but seeking to expose and put to death everything in our flesh that still remains so that we can be all that Almighty God has called us to be.

I’m not sure about you, intercessors, but as we move forward now in our service, I want to stay clean!  I want to stay healthy!  I want to stay focused!  I want to keep my spiritual fervor and discernment, and continue to receive revelation from the Lord.  And the only way to do that is to be a living dead person!  It may be wintertime, but we have to strip down and get naked again before God!  I realize you might be feeling uncomfortable right now, but desperate times call for desperate measures!  Let me urge you – remember the power you witnessed during this time of fasting and prayer; remember how clearly you were able to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit; remember the transformation you experienced in your own life and the lives of those around you; remember the praise reports you saw and heard from others across the nation who were fasting and praying along with you; remember the promises of God for Canada!  We don’t want to lose what we have worked so hard for!  Nor does Almighty God want us just to say, “That was a nice time,” and move on with our usual routines.  It is His love and jealous desire for us and for our nation that is wooing us back to our First Love and to the place of total reliance on and confidence in Christ, not in our flesh.  It is FAITH in Him that will sustain and continue to bring about the change.  Self-reliance, self-confidence, self-righteousness and ultimately, self-preservation, cause us to wrongly place our trust in ourselves rather than in Christ.  And His word says that, “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6).  So lack of faith is sin, and self is sin.  This is a season when, compelled by the love, fear and righteousness of Almighty God, we need to say, “Lord, I give you all of me, and I put my faith in You.”  In other words, “I sit on you, Jesus – I rest my full weight on you and trust you to hold me and to steer me where you want me to go!”

Friends, my letter this month is not meant to discourage you, but rather encourage you that there is GREATER – more peace, more joy, more fruit – in this next season if we will just confess and repent for our many attempts at self-preservation (the mind-sets, patterns and cycles that are so engrained in us that we don’t even recognize them), let go of our fear of not being preserved (in other words, of “dying”) and our expectations and demands regarding how we think we should be preserved, and make a choice to put our faith in Almighty God, asking Him to cleanse us and set us free.  As Paul said in Philippians 3:3, 7-11, “For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh…But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

This month, together let’s pray this passage for ourselves, for one another, and for the entire Body of Christ in Canada, that we may become all that God has called us to be – that through our death we will truly live, and so will many others!  Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to show us what “self-” is still in us so that we can let go of the stress of “preserving” and experience the freedom that comes from trusting and obeying (serving), and the joy of truly knowing Christ Jesus our Lord!

 Naked and Unashamed,

“In the midst of this great coldness towards God there are some, I rejoice, who deliberately long after God. They want to taste, to touch with their hearts, and see with their inner eyes the wonder of God.”

~ A.W. Tozer

Greetings Canada’s Kneeling Comrades,

CIP’s humble, heartfelt thanks to each of you who faithfully sacrificed precious time and energy praying with fasting these last 21 days.  We know that there has been personal breakthrough, breakthrough in families, breakthrough in congregations, and breakthrough in transforming the spiritual landscape of our country.  We thank Almighty God for the ‘Viral Revival of 2012’; a new beginning of intercession utilizing multimedia technology to manifest and mobilize the Kingdom of God.  We have not reached the end; we are living in the manifestation of God’s response to our prayers – spiritual transformation and grace in the Destiny of Canada.  Go God!

Intercessors, God continues to respond to obedience in our generation as he did in Abraham’s time.  Genesis 26:1-6; ”And there was a famine in the land, other than the former famine that was in the days of Abraham…And the Lord appeared to him and said, Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I will tell you…I will be with you and will favor you…For Abraham listened to and obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commands, My statutes, and My laws. So Isaac stayed in Gerar”.  Isaac obeyed, stayed and sowed in that land, and received a hundredfold blessing from God that same year.  Genesis 26:13 explains to us that, ”Isaac became great, he went forward, and he grew until he became very great.” Genesis 26:14 tells us that, ”Isaac had possession of herds, flocks, and a great store of servants.”  Genesis 26:14 also declares to us that, ”the Philistines envied Isaac.”  Genesis 26:15 accounts, “For all the wells which his father’s servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth.”  In the Middle East, digging wells was proof of title to surrounding unoccupied lands.  Once someone dug a well on a piece of land, it was their way of “staking their claim” to that piece of property.  A well on a piece of land also signaled to all would-be invaders, friends and enemies alike, that the land belonged to someone else.  Isaac inherited the lands where Abraham had dug wells, so that made the land his.  For the Philistines to fill the wells with earth was an act of hostility and a declaration of war.

Today in the Canadian church, the devil has declared war on God’s people and has filled in many of the ancient wells from sea to sea to sea.  Where Isaac struggled with the Philistines filling in his wells and stealing his land, we fight a much different enemy. Ephesians 6:12 says, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”  The enemy that we fight against is spiritual and not carnal.  Genesis 26:18 tells us, “And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them.” Intercessors, that is our ministry mandate; we must do what Isaac did in Genesis 26:18.  We must re-dig the ancient wells that the enemy has stopped up!  Phase One is completed: Answer the Call – “Canada 911” – Cry Out to Almighty God (2 Chronicles 7:14) corporately in this generation for our birthright, the destiny of Canada.  Now we enter Phase Two: “Restoration of the Inheritance” – Re-claim the Wells of Revival from sea to sea to sea.  When we re-dig these ancient wells we will find what Isaac’s servants found in Genesis 26:19; “And Isaac’s servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water.”  That word ‘springing’ in the Hebrew means ‘living’.  If we will dig again these ancient wells, we will discover living water flowing out of them.  Let us touch and agree to honor our forefathers’ sacrifice of the past by claiming every well on this land of Canada.

 The Next Step:

1.    Find any wells of revival in your region where God has moved mightily in the past; go to those places and pray about    them.

2.    Write in to CIP on Facebook, Twitter or email and tell us where those wells are.

3.     Invite myself and CIP to come and pray with you and with others in your region at those wells.

Friends, this land is our inheritance.  Over the next 24 months, let us mobilize, occupy and multiply!

Re-digging the Wells,

———————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Canada 911 Prophetic Truth Released:

“A Revival train was travelling all across Canada; it was an old steam locomotive; there were 1,000′s of people along the way; the train made stops at many stations raising up and training believers to minister in this Revival.  This was not for the faint at heart.  Many weren’t able to minister as they were not grounded in the Word.  I heard the verse: “Study to show yourselves approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.”  I sensed that the “old steam loco…” is related to the many stories of past revivals which you [CIP] have brought to light….all part of what’s to come; and also, God’s Name of “Ancient of Days” and the word the Lord gave me for 2012: “Restoration of the Inheritance“. God, we contend for fresh revelations for Your people in Canada and Your Ruach to breathe Your Life into each of us as we seek You and feed on Your Word of Truth.  We open our hearts and minds to receive all that Your Most Holy Spirit wants to reveal and to impart into us.  May we have teachable spirits and be equipped and prepared for this great Revival that is coming!  ”I delight in Your decrees; I will not neglect Your Word.” (Psalm 119:16)?

~ Prophetic word shared by one of CIP’s intercessors

————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Dear Friends,

Happy New Year!!  I pray that your Christmas was saturated with the peace of our Saviour, and that you’re refreshed and ready for a new year with Jesus!

As we recognize the close of the previous chapter and the opening of a new one, I have been seeking the Lord for His wisdom for this fresh start.  I was out on one my “prayer drives” (my best time with the Lord is usually in my car!), and I heard the Holy Spirit say “Open doors in 2012”.  Friends, I let out a breath that I felt like I’d been holding for a long time!  I don’t know about you, but for me this past year was a challenging one.  Yes, it was very rewarding, but certainly not without it’s “growing experiences”!  As we look ahead to 2012, I believe the landscape is set for the abundance of fruit to now come forth out of our labours of the last year!  Glory be to God!!

In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he encouraged them in chapter 6 verse 9; “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”  Dear friends in the trench, you haven’t given up!  You’re still here fighting; you’re still planting your seeds in the good soil of righteousness.  So, remember – weeping lasts for the night, but joy comes in the morning!

Now, this doesn’t mean that the coming year will be easy or that we’ll just breeze through it, but we can stand on God’s promise according to Revelation 3:7-13; “These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.  I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut.  I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.”   Fellow soldiers of the Most High, you may feel weak and like you can’t go on, but take heart; the door that the Lord is opening in 2012 requires no effort of your own!  It’s already open, and no one can shut it!   As we pray and fast together corporately during this month of January and our “Canada 911” 21-Day Fast, let’s remember what lies on the other side – the restoration of righteousness and the glory and presence of Almighty God in Canada, and a reaping of the abundant fruit that is already ripe for harvest in our personal lives, homes, families, communities, across this country, and within the Body of Christ around the world!  Intercessors, we are a part of history in the making, and we are preparing the way for our Lord Jesus Christ’s return!

Overcomers, as we agree together this month, let unwavering faith be our anchor as we stand on the promise of God for open doors and REVIVAL in our nation and beyond.  This is the season of harvest!!

Before the Open Door,

From the Trench – December 2011

]]> http://canadainprayer.com/2011/12/first-friday-prayer-guide/feed/ 0 http://canadainprayer.com/2011/12/letter-from-our-executive-director-5/ http://canadainprayer.com/2011/12/letter-from-our-executive-director-5/#comments Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:53:33 +0000 admin http://canadainprayer.com/?p=731 [Continue Reading]]]> January 2012

Why is prayer so critical you may ask?  The only logical answer to the question is simply that God has chosen to work through people. Even when it is the Lord Himself initiating something, earnestly desiring to do it, He still needs us to ask.  Andrew Murray succinctly speaks of our need to ask: “God’s giving is inseparably connected with our asking…Only by intercession can that power be brought down from heaven which will enable the Church to conquer the world.”   

 ~ Dutch Sheets 

Greetings Canada’s Kneeling Comrades,

I pray that your Christmas and New Year have been blessed by a rejuvenated intimacy with your Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and a fresh anointing of grace.

Friends, since the good Lord returned me to being His voice on daily television (700 Club Canada – see www.700club.ca for NEW local broadcast times), I have become even more acutely aware of the ‘Shift’ that is happening worldwide.  Almighty God has obviously not been caught off guard, as He has positioned His kneeling armies in every corner of the world.  Fifteen years ago, through obedience, a small band of believers were totally convinced that Canada was and still is in desperate need of prayer for every aspect of society, and we continue to agree to call the whole Church (Body of Christ) in Canada to pray.  Canada In Prayer’s mandate is more alive today then ever before, and your sacrificial giving and commitment to stay on the wall is a testament to the Dominion of God in this country.  Thank you!

This First Friday of January 2012, let us meditate on the “Divine Positioning” brought about by the ‘Shift’.  The culture of our society is at a crossroads; some might even say it is resting on a precipice, therefore the lovers of Christ – the redeemed of the Lord – must align ourselves in this divine positioning and “Answer the call”.  The main forces leading the way are secularism, humanism, materialism, the occult, Islam and Christianity.  Throughout church history, God has used his Church leaders to call the Church into praying and fasting.  As Jesus told his disciples, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” (Mark 9:29).

As we begin this New Year, CIP is spearheading a 21-Day Fast entitled “Canada 911”, in cooperation with the 700 Club Canada, denominations and congregations, prayer groups and individual intercessors, beginning on January 9, 2012 at 9:11 pm and ending on January 31, 2012 at 9:11 am.  We have incorporated in this month’s prayer guide a 21-day prayer calendar to help us “Answer the Call”.  If any of you would like to invite your local church or denomination to participate, please feel free to contact our office at (905) 297-4527 ext. 203 or prayer@canadainprayer.com.

 Friends, through much prayer God has so burdened me to pray to restore this nation and rebuild its walls – to raise up the tabernacle of David by praying for the church to be cleansed and made strong again by the power of His Holy Spirit.  This ‘Call’ is anchored according to our founding ministry verse 2 Chronicles 7:14and the inspiration verse of the fast,Amos 9:11; “On that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, and repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old.” Intercessors, I know that many of you have been contemplating personal fasts for family and corporate fasts for your local churches, which are all important.  What I am asking us during this “Canada 911” call is to take a wide view of what Almighty God is doing around the globe.  Canada is ripe for revival, and the wells are here to be re-dug.  This prophetic call, like all prophetic calls, is sacrificial.  It will temporarily put the “whole” before the “individual”.  History has shown that every time Canadian Christians have prayed across denominational and regional lines in unity, revival has been our reward.  I am reminded of the Great Grimsby Revival on Lake Ontario, and the revival meetings of Phoebe Palmer in 1857 that spread with revival fire, affecting crowds to get right with God and change their ways.  Countless were baptized and back-sliders repented.  Phoebe, a revivalist and author, went throughout the east coast speaking in St. John, Moncton and Halifax, NB; Charlottetown, PEI; as well as the Ottawa Valley and Hamilton, ON.  The Church increased significantly, and Christian organizations in Canada such as the Wesleyan Church, Salvation Army, Church of God, Church of the Nazarene, Christian & Missionary Alliance Church, and the Methodist Church were formed.  The seeds that were planted by praying and fasting continue to bear much fruit.

 Following the trail-blazing of Phoebe Palmer, in 1921 Charles Price, a Methodist minister filled with the Holy Spirit at a revival meeting with Aimee Semple McPherson, a Canadian in California, “Answered the Call” and immediately returned to his church and gave his testimony.  1,000 members of his church began to hold “seeker meetings”, crying out to God for His presence.  A revival had begun!  As a result, revival members of the church started evangelistic outreaches, and healings were reported.  In 1922, Dr. Price began holding evangelistic meetings in Victoria, British Columbia.  By 1923, Dr. Price preached to over 250,000 people over a 3-week period and many were healed.  He held tent meetings in Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Toronto, as well as in the US.  In some of the meetings, up to 1,000 people were saved each night.  In 1928, Dr. Price counted 35,000 conversions to Christ in that year alone.

 Kneeling Comrades, in 2012, myself and the Canada in Prayer team will be traveling across Canada once again, this time re-digging the wells, and I am prayerfully seeking organizers and supporters in various regions who bear witness to this prophetic call.  In every generation, Almighty God has a witness.  Are you a witness?  If you are, please call the CIP office at (905) 297-4527 or 1-888-320-8844 ext. 203, and let us answer the call together.

 Answering the Call,

P.S:  Whether you do the full twenty one days or just a part, please watch 700 Club Canada weekdays throughout January, get your prayer guide on our CIP website, and  follow me on  Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and the 700 Club Canada.

 www.canadainprayer.com                         www.700clubcanada.ca

Letter From Our Executive Director – December 2011

21-Day Fast ~ Restoring the Tabernacle of David

A big thank you to all of those who laboured with us through prayer and fasting from January 9-31, 2012 to see the wells of revival re-dug and the tabernacle of David restored in Canada according to Amos 9:11:

“ On that day I will raise up, the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, and repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old…”

Words of prophecy and reports of what Almighty God did throughout the time will be posted shortly!

CLICK HERE if you would like to view the Prayer Guide with daily prayer directives that were prayed.  Repent, Rebuild, Rejoice!

The Simple yet powerful tools you need to have an impact on the destinies of nations.

This is a great book that I highly recommend reading during the “Canada 911″ fast.  In Derek’s book he reminds us that like Abraham who stood in the gap for the city of Sodom – we are called to stand in the gap for our nation.  God assured Abraham that ten righteous persons could, by their very presence, preserve a city of a least ten thousand.  Derek explains the ratio of one to a thousand – “one” being a person of outstanding righteousness while the remainder of the people fall below God’s standards.  Derek explains that if we extend this ratio of ten righteous people praying for a city, they can preserve a community of ten thousand!

This book recounts from his own personal experiences, and how history was shaped through prayer during the Second World War in North Africa, the birth of the State of Israel, the end of the Stalin Era, and the independence of Kenya, East Africa.  This book will help you to implement change – in your family, church, community, and country, and the world.

Here’s an excerpt from the forward by Lou Engle of The Call:

“We live in a culture that is so resistant to God and His Spirit that I believe today’s generation needs the weapons of fasting and prayer simply to survive.  In Chapter 6, Derek talks about how fasting humbles our soul – the part that demands to have it’s own way – and brings the spirit man strength.  I need that! I’ve seen it work in my own life….This is an end-time book.  Young people need to understand that fasting is a God-ordained need means of laying hold of the treasures of Heaven.  As you read this book, take hold of these truths and put them into practice in your walk with god.  And let the accounts of how fasting and prayer have affected the destinies of nations inspire you to do the same.”

Christians can change the course of history and government through prayer & fasting – this book will stir you up and encourage you not to give up!

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galations 6:9

Book Review by Carolyn Cowan – CIP

        My fascination with revivals began over fifteen years ago,  I am not sure why, but I’m convinced that God’s Holy Spirit placed that within me.  I love reading about revivals especially those that have taken place in Canada.  One such fascinating revival or great move of God, took place in 1857.  Phoebe Palmer, a minister, and author of the magazine “A Guide to Holiness”, had been speaking in Quebec, and Ontario.  Phoebe, along with her husband, had finished their speaking tour when they stopped in to visit friends in Hamilton, Ontario.  They had plans to board a train for New York the following morning but God had other plans in store.  Phoebe and her husband were asked speak at the Mc Nab Street Wesleyan Methodist Church for the evening service, but because of the response they ended up staying on for several weeks.  A total of 600 people professed their faith in Jesus Christ!  The following year Phoebe and her husband travelled to the Canadian East Coast where hundreds of conversions were recorded; 400 in St. John, 170 in Halifax, and 700 in Prince Edward Island!

In 1971, in Saskatoon, another great revival took place; a pair of brothers named Ralph and Lou Sutera were invited to speak for a 12 day crusade at a local church. Each night the numbers grew and grew and by the fifth day they needed to change locations to a facility that would hold thousands! The crusade continued on for a total of seven weeks.  Many people were saved and hundreds turned from their ways to get right with God.  A police chief stated in a daily newspaper report that people were coming into the police station to confess to crimes.  (I love this story!) Henry Blackaby, a pastor  in Saskatoon, was greatly affected by the revival.  Today, Blackaby’s ministry touches leaders in capitals around the world.  His book Experiencing God has sold millions of copies and has been translated into 43 languages. That’s what revival does – it touches lives, ignites hearts, and sets people in alignment with His plans & purposes for the advancement of His Kingdom!

When I hear of hundreds of people coming to their knees before God and seeking Him whether it’s for the first time through salvation or returning to Him in repentance – I can’t help but feel excited!  Can this happen again in our life time?  I am believing for it!

In this New Year, Canada In Prayer has called a nation-wide fast for 21 days beginning on January 9^th.  It’s a “Canada 911” – calling on the Father to hear our cry, to revive our hearts and stand in the gap for God to revive this nation.  We hope that you will join with us as we each seek our own individual revival and a revival that will call in a great harvest in these end times.  Psalm 2:8 says “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.” Come let us cry out together in united prayer as we stand on the wall together knowing that God is faithful to hear our cry when we earnestly seek Him.

Is God speaking to your heart to join in this fast? This may be your first time fasting, if so, you are not alone, many are making this fast their first one. Make your commitment to fast with God, whether it is a Daniel fast (veggies & fruit only) or fasting from one or two meals per day or fasting from media etc. For some experienced fasters they will be fasting with liquids and juices only.   Just remember that it is a personal decision between you and God.  Most importantly, you want to be able to stick with the commitment throughout the 21 days so prayerfully consider what you should fast. Check out this blog that helps explains the benefits of fasting Click Here.

We would love to hear from you, please drop us a line and let us know if you would like to commit to pray with us.  You can also connect with us on Facebook as well.

Carolyn – CIP