The Prophetic Prayer for the Coming Revival in Europe.
1. The Walls of Secularism are Coming Down!
“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” announced President Ronald Reagan at the Berlin Wall, JUNE 12, 1987. This was the bold declaration against the concrete reality of the Walls of Communism in the eastern Europe which eventually came down in 1991!
Is it possible for the Church to speak to the Wall of Secularism which hinders the people in Europe from receiving the Gospel? From the book of Joshua, we know that God specializes in bringing walls down!
But do you know that the Berlin Wall was brought down through Prayer?
Pete Greig, founder of the European 24-7 prayer movement notes in ‘How Prayer brought down the Berlin Wall’ that journalists and historians have identified the Leipzig prayer rallies as the tipping point in the fall of East German communism – a remarkable acknowledgement for a movement that began so quietly seven years earlier, with a handful of people at a prayer meeting.
In the city of Leipzig’s most dignified church, Pastor Christian Führer, called people to pray for peace every Monday night which at the start there were often less than a dozen people. But this faithful prayer meeting continued and after 7 years the Church was crammed with 8,000 people and another 70,000 people outside which ignited the Peace Prayer Rally which led to the time when the Berlin wall fell on 9th October 1991. The Communist Official in the city admitted: “We were prepared for every eventuality, But not for candles and not for prayers.” Of course there were many other Christians around the world praying for many years for the Communist nations, and this was the moment God moved!
2. Prayer for Secularism’s Walls to come Down.
Now almost 32 years later, we unite to pray for the whole of Europe which has come down under the wall of secularism. There is a greater possibility of millions of Christians praying within and around the world for Europe for the greatest Revival ever seen in History.
The great European theologian of the 20th century, Karl Barth, said that:
“to clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world.”
We call you to pray persistently for Revival in Europe to reclaim back its Biblical foundations and its Missional Call. The former Dutch Prime Minister Abraham Kuyper wrote:
“There is not a square inch of domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry: ‘It is mine!”
Let us call on the Lord to welcome Christ into every “square inch of domain of our human existence” in Europe to see this final revival.
3. Europe: Post-Christian or Pre-Revival?
God is Not Done with Europe!
This question was discussed by Sarah Breuel who is the Director of Revive Europe on ‘Christianity Today’ magazine last year, who noted that although Europe is described as ‘Post-Christian,’ ‘Secular,’ or as a ‘Prodigal Continent,’ yet, there is a growing number of voices believe that “God is not done with Europe.”
We want to highlight and agree with key observations she makes about Europe’s destiny of Revival and pray in faith for a great outpouring of the Spirit over the Continent.
“Renewed spiritual hunger, new stirring of prayer, fresh expressions of the church, [and] migrant churches restoring faith” are signs of hope in our continent today, writes former Europe YWAM director Jeff Fountain. “Yet just as Europe was the first continent to be Christianized, it was also the first to be de-Christianized” and that the continent has been fundamentally shaped by the gospel, “but paradoxically, also by its rejection.”
Could it be that, in the midst of this spiritual desert, God might be springing new streams of living waters, or even seeds for revival?
Therefore, in this darkest hour, like William Carey, the great Missionary from Europe to Asia who prayed over 200 years ago, we too believe to:
“Expect Great Things from God – Attempt Great things For God” for Europe.
4. Prophetic Prayer for Europe from Isaiah 35!
J. I. Packer said that:
“without revival in the church, there is really no hope for the Western world at all.’’
Yet, we see in Scripture again and again that in the darkest of times, when people of God turn to him with all their hearts, God hears their prayers.
Therefore we Pray Isaiah 35 Prophetic Prayer because God has promised Revival for Europe.
a. Pray for the Outpouring of God’s Revival Rain over Europe.
“Europe is one of the toughest regions in the world in which to bear witness to Christ.
The combination of the three-headed monster of secularism, pluralism and materialism make Christian witness difficult across the Continent,” says Lindsay Brown, former general secretary of IFES.
Although Europe is known as a dry place for the Gospel, the Holy Spirit will bring the transforming Revival.
Prayer:
The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them,
Isaiah 35:1-2
And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose;
It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, Even with joy and singing.
They shall see the glory of the Lord,
The excellency of our God
- We Pray for the Holy Spirit to fall on the spiritual desert and wilderness of Europe and that will blossom with the Gospel of Christ.
- There will be an abundant harvest of Souls coming into the Kingdom of God.
- That a new wave of worship and joyful singing in Europe, which will supernaturally change the spiritual atmosphere and cause open heaven just like the Wesleyan Revival which brought about the greatest singing and worship revival to the modern-day worship.
- Pray that the Glory of God will be revealed in Europe to open the spiritual eyes of people
- That people will discover God’s excellence who will turn from the god-less worldview to seeing the Glory and the Majesty of God.
b. Prayer for a Powerful Prayer Movement in Europe.
The late revival historian J. Edwin Orr said that “whenever God is ready to do something new with his people, he always sets them to praying.” Writing about the Great Awakenings, he notes that the spiritual preparation for a worldwide awakening began in Great Britain seven years before the outpouring where believers of one denomination after the other, devoted the first Monday evening of each month to pray for Revival. This spread to other nations and the concerts of prayer remained the significant factor in the recurring revivals and extra-ordinary outburst of Missions.
This is happening again in Europe!
According to reports, for the last two decades, Pete Greig’s ‘24/7 Prayer Movement’ has seen the birth of 22,000 prayer rooms in 78 nations, the majority of them in Europe. He had a vision of young Europeans moving, “a mysterious, faceless army silently awaiting for orders.”’ The imagery reminded him of Ezekiel 37. “You see bones? I see an army.” One house of prayer in Augsburg, Germany, has had continuous prayer, day and night, for 11 years, or 110,000 hours.
Prayer:
Let us pray and Strengthen their Hands and Knees in Intercession to prepare Europe for Revival.
Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble knees.
Isaiah 35: 3-4
Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear!
Behold, your God will come with vengeance,
With the recompense of God; He will come and save you.”
- Let us pray and strengthen the Christians and Churches in Europe.
- That God will strengthen the weak hands which have held back from sharing the Gospel.
- Pray against the fear and intimidation has kept them out from being an voice in the continent.
- That the Lord will “make firm the feeble knees” of Intercession to believe for a great Harvest of Souls.
Sources:
Christianity Today.
Revive Europe.
Europe – Lausanne Movement.
24/7 Prayer Movement.
The Flaming Tongue – Edwin Orr.