Happy Birthday Prime Minister Harper

April 30 2009

                       

Most people don’t celebrate their 50^th birthday as publicly as the leader of a nation. We view this as an opportunity for the Christian community in Canada to take a few moments today and join us at NHOP to thank God for our Prime Minister. Besides serving in this political position, which we honour and respect, he is also our brother in the faith. We can therefore assume that he is one who “calls on the name of the Lord”.

In another century, in another country, another leader was known to “call upon the name of the Lord”

  President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 in a country divided by civil war made a Proclamation to call for a day of national humbling, fasting and prayer on Thursday April 30^th of that year.  Below is an excerpt from this document:

Whereas, the Senate of the United States, devoutly recognizing the Supreme Authority and just Government of Almighty God, in all the affairs of men and of nations, has, by a resolution, requested the President to designate and set apart a day for National prayer and humiliation.

And whereas it is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord. (Psalms 33 v 12)

The Proclamation can be read at this site.

 I found it interesting that NHOP’s Thursday fasting day fell on this date when a government acknowledged God’s interest in a nation’s affairs and asked for its citizens to do so too!

As we gathered in the prayer room this morning at NHOP we blessed the USA by praying for and with 2 of her fine young citizens who are with us for the week. Today many Christians in America will declare the text of President Lincoln’s call to prayer in thousands of locations in preparation for their National Day of Prayer next Thursday.  I wonder if the President had any idea that this would serve his country for so many generations.

  While reading this historic call for a nation to humble itself in prayer before God it didn’t pass us by that there are many leaders serving in our government who love and serve the Lord. They share our concern for and pray for Canada just as we do. We are grateful for men and women who are willing to rely on the wisdom of God to assist them in their responsibility as Parliamentarians.

We also prayed at length for our Prime Minister this morning, many honouring and thoughtful comments to bless him and his family. May he be able to celebrate with them today with cake and ice cream!

God Bless you Prime Minister Harper and God Bless Canada.

Fran Parker & the NHOP Team

Here I Am, Use Me!

By Kim Desinat

This is a marvelous time of my life!  I am changing everyday into Jesus’ image and I love it!  Today, someone prayed that God will use our prayers to do His will.  I do pray everyday, in fact, I came at NHOP to increase my praying life and yet this sentence touched me and shifts a light in my spirit; Lord, here I am available to you use my prayers to do your will I said.

I believe that the only way for God to intervene in our lives is through prayer.  In my preaching last week I started with a statement saying, “No prayer, no change”!

Do you believe things around you can change? Do you believe prayer will affect situations and peoples in you life?  The Bible give us a lot of stories of people who prayed to God and received answers to their prayers, for myself, I remember praying for my dad sickness, in fact I was interceding and asking God to give him life!  And the Lord my God did heal him and gave him the grace to live longer by adding years to his life!  Yes, because if it wasn’t for the prayers of the saints he’d be dead.  Thank you Jesus, our healer for all times!

What is your pray today? Mine is: God use my prayers to do your will on earth!

Check out more Nazarite blogs here.

National Prayer Breakfast: May 27-28, 2009

Coming up in less then a month will be the National Prayer Breakfast here in Ottawa.  The events purpose is to, “invite leaders to meet in the spirit of Jesus Christ in order to pray together”.  Last year the event attracted over 800 people from across Canada to pray & worship together.

The National Prayer Breakfast is chaired by David Anderson, a Member of Parliament for Cypress Hills – Grasslands, Saskatchewan.  He says of the breakfast,

“It’s a non-partisan non-political event, and it’s a Christ-centred event. It     doesn’t seek to convert anybody to Christianity, it’s just basically to invite people to meet in the spirit of Jesus and to pray together,”

He is also the chair of the Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast which meets every Wednesday morning on Parliament hill.  The breakfast gathers Christians across party lines for a time of prayer and fellowship in the early morning.

Canada is truly blessed to have the freedom and Parliamentarians who are passionate about their faith and prayer.  As the breakfast draws near pray for all those attending, and especially the Parliamentarians who are supporting it.

If you would like more information check out the National Prayer Breakfast website or email info@canadaprayerbreakfast.ca

Hidden Prayer

By Jeremiah Smith

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” ~ Matthew 6:6

As I was walking to Church I started thinking about this verse.  At the National House of Prayer we spend a lot of time in prayer.  However much of this time is spent in a corporate setting.  We’ll be praying as a group for our Government, Canada and whatever may be upon Gods heart.  In such a setting personal, hidden prayer can be a lacking practice.  Yet God was highlighting to me how very essential that type of prayer is.

I kept getting this picture of a husband and wife.  On the outside they’re taking care of children, working, eating, living together.  Yet we know that true intimacy is not found or developed at this level.  It is those moments of quiet, personal time that are the true indicator of a loving relationship.  Never before have I looked at this passage in that way, but doing so entirely changes my approach to hidden prayer.

Canada-Israel Together Tour

 

     This past Tuesday we had the wonderful opportunity of attending the Canada-Israel Friendship Tour dinner here in Ottawa.  In attendance were Canadian Parliamentarians, Israeli Parliamentarians, Church leaders, Pastors, Jews and Christians.  It was a night full of laughter, food, and excellent artistic presentations by the Alliance & Vie Dance Troupe, and Brian Doerksen.  However the full impact of the night can be summed up in one word: love.

     There was truly an amazing sense of love as Christians ate & conversed with Jews, and as Canadians blessed Israeli’s.  In Genesis 12:3 God promises to Abram–the father of Israel, that he, “will bless those who bless you” and  in Zechariah 2:8 God calls Israel the, “apple of his eye”.  As the night progressed the full revelation of these two verses become greater and greater.  One couldn’t help but feel Gods immense love for his still chosen people, and how beautiful it was as Christians to be able to bless them.  We came as separate peoples, but left as friends.

     Recently David Demian, the Director of Watchmen for the Nations, was on 100 Huntley Street sharing his vision for the Canada-Israel Together Tour.  You can check out the video’s on Youtube if you missed it.

Part 1 – Click Here   Part 2 – Click Here  Part 3 – Click Here

Campfire 2009

  We are really excited about this summer’s high school camp here at NHOP.

Check out all the details on our website for how to apply to this unique training opportunity.

MoveIn Conference – May 8, 9, 2009

by Richard Long,

  We are really encouraged by the movement of the Spirit that we see with the MoveIn Conference coming up soon in Toronto. 

We are blessed to have one of these intentional, incarnational, missional communities just a few doors down from us in our neighbourhood. 

  If you know of some young adults who are ready to make an impact on the high-risk neighbourhoods of your city you may want to help them to attend this free event hosted at the People’s Church in Toronto on May 8th, and 9th.  Here’s a little bit about their vision …

The MoveIn Vision

John 1:14 says, “The Word [Jesus] became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” Or, as The Message paraphrases it, “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.”

MoveIn is about copying Jesus’ example (Phil. 2:5-7) by literally moving in to the neighbourhood.

We have discovered that something amazing happens when a group of Christians intentionally moves into a neighbourhood to pray (Acts 1:14) and be. In doing so, they have chosen to become part of the neighbourhood. Rather than visiting or serving and then going away, they will share in their neighbourhood’s joys (Rom. 12:15), and in its troubles (Rom. 8:17); and they will have an opportunity to be right in there as salt (Matt. 5:13) and light (Matt 5:14) – as the hands and feet of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27; Matt. 25:35-40) – with a cup of cold water in one hand (Mark 9:41) and the good news (Isa. 52:7) in the other.

Continue reading …

Vote on Bill C-268 today

by Richard Long

   As our regular readers will know, we have been following the progress of MP Joy Smith’s private member’s bill on Human Trafficking.  It will have it’s second reading vote today, we are told, right after Question Period around 3:05 PM.  (This is ealier than originally scheduled.)  Please be praying that it will pass so that it can be sent on to the Justice Committee for further work.  Pray that members of other parties will join in and get it to the next stage.

We will let you know on this blog a little later on today, how it went.

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Update:  Great News!  Bill C-268 easily passed it’s second reading and is now headed to Committee.  It was encouraging to see that the Liberal and NDP parties also supported the motion.  One Bloc Quebecois member also took a courageous stand and voted for the bill although her party had taken a stand against it.

Canada Israel Together Tour

by Richard Long,

  Today, here in Ottawa we are looking forward to a special dinner with members of the Israeli Knesset who are on the Canada Israel Together tour.  They have already had meetings in Toronto and Montreal, and will be moving on to Winnipeg and Vancouver from here.  This is being sponsored by Watchmen for the Nations who are working with other ministries in Canada to host this special delegation.  Our whole team, including our Nazarites and other interns will be attending the dinner tonight.

  Amongst the many other things they are doing will be the Holocaust Memorial Service this afternoon at 3:00 PM, which has now been moved to the LeBreton Flats further west of Parliament Hill.  (We are dealing with potentially 25,000 Tamil demonstrators who are also here in Ottawa today.)

  Please pray that as Christians and Jews in the Ottawa area enjoy a meal together tonight and share the concerns and hopes of both communities, that this will deepen our friendship and bring about God’s purposes for both nations and people groups.

Pray for the Tamil People

by Richard Long,

    Here in Ottawa, you cannot escape the tragedy that is unfolding far away in Sri Lanka.  For two weeks now there has been an ongoing demonstration in front of Parliament by Canadian Tamils who have loved ones back home who are caught up in the war zone. 

  If you are keeping up with this situation, you will know that we are at a dire place in that civil war.  The Sri Lankan govermnet has today given a 24 hour period for citizens to escape the small territory that they are closing in on at the far northeastern tip of the island.  In the last day the government military breached a earthen barrier that has at least allowed innocent citizens to flee.  Even as they do so they are being attacked by suicide bombers. 

   At NHOP we have been praying for this situation.  We have walked, talked and prayed among the Tamils who are holding their vigil on Parliament Hill.  They are naturally very gentle people but they have very heavy hearts.  We are told that thousands more will join the demonstration tomorrow, the same day that their will be a Holocaust Memorial Service on the grounds.  Our local police and the RCMP have the challenge of managing the crowds. 

   So …. lots to pray about!