Canadians called to pray
A growing consortium of diverse Christian ministries, organizations and prayer groups from across Canada is encouraging Canadians to pray for 40 days this spring for the "evangelization and transformation" of the nation.
The call to pray from May 3 to June 11 is described as a "40 Day Prayer Ramp," whose purpose is to "exponentially ramp up prayer" for revival. According to www.40dayprayerramp.com, individuals and prayer groups are being asked to pray "specifically for national evangelism initiatives—that men, women and children come to Christ in every community across this land."
"There is such a need in Canada," says David Macfarlane, director of National Initiatives for the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) and one of the organizers of the prayer initiative. Citing a spiritual slide away from God in this country, he says, "we're not going to make a difference if we don't pray."
Macfarlane says "so many wonderful prayer movements are focused on the Church and on Christians," and while that's good and needful, it seems a "missing component" of many existing prayer movements in Canada "is praying for the lost."
The idea for the prayer ramp was evaluated at an EFC-sponsored retreat last August when 35 Canadian "prayer leaders" gathered in Mississauga, Ontario to determine whether there was merit in the idea of a nationwide call to prayer. At that meeting, an executive committee formed and received a mandate to move forward with the initiative.
"We did not want to start a new prayer network," says Macfarlane, "we simply wanted the existing ones to focus on the lost and on evangelism."
He says another aim of the prayer ramp is to get Canadians to pray "for national programs that are underway such as Alpha's program and Celebration 2006," as well as other national initiatives that are attempting to reach people for Christ.
Lyndell Enns, director of communications for Alpha Canada, is a member of the prayer ramp executive. He says that while there's "nothing magic" about the period of 40 days, the group selected that length of time for their prayer initivative because of scriptural precedent.
"It was something that Jesus used and something that Moses used," says Enns. "More recently, people like Bill Bright of Campus Crusade for Christ have used the same period."
The 40 Day Prayer Ramp is supported by organizations including Alpha Canada, Canada in Prayer, the EFC, Intercessors for Canada, Mothers Who Care, National House of Prayer, the Salvation Army, Watchmen for the Nations and Women Alive.
The prayer ramp website suggests resources on prayer and offers ideas for supporting the initiative including neighbourhood prayer walks, community-wide prayer festivals, drive-by prayer and prayer via free teleconference.
Enns says he and the other prayer ramp organizers would like to see Canada become "a truly God-welcoming country.
"In history and all through Scripture, God has chosen to be present in a very visible way, blessing [people] and prospering them when they are obedient to Him. And at other times, He has chosen to distance Himself," says Enns.
"In the case of Canada, there is good reason to believe that we would be blessed with the presence of God much more greatly if we were to soften our hearts toward Him."
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