- Are you concerned about the direction Australia is going today?
- Does your heart break because so many Aussie men, women and children do not know Jesus?
- Do you want to see Australia reach its destiny?
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If you answered 'yes' to any of these questions, we urge you to check out and take part in -
The National Day of Prayer & Fasting had its beginning at the 'Second Canberra Declaration - Prayer and Strategic Planning Consultation', held in Parliament House on 28 February, 2011.
About 30 Christian leaders from different churches and ministries heard from some Senators and MPs that a bill to redefine marriage would most likely be passed in Government. In response, we all knelt on the floor of the conference room and cried out to God. Together we felt an urgency to gather Christians to pray and fast at the seat of our Government. And so on 24 July 2011 the first National Day of Prayer & Fasting took place in Canberra in the Great Hall of Parliament House.
The three National Days of Prayer & Fasting and 40 Days of Prayer & Fasting held since then have been strategic opportunities to cry out to God for the revival and healing and transformation of our nation. Each year has focused on a special theme. For Australia to reach its destiny, we believe we need to see Australians turn back to God and live with Jesus Christ as Lord. Laws are not enough. We need changed hearts.
And so in 2015 the theme is DESTINY. This year the 40 Days of Prayer & Fasting are being called the 40 Days of Delight for it is as we delight in God that we find our personal and national DESTINY. Please watch this short video to find out more and know how you can get involved.
In the video, Dr Graham McLennan, one of the visionaries for the Canberra Declaration and now on the National Day of Prayer & Fasting Organising Team, is quoted as saying, "For Australia to find its DESTINY we must first understand our Christian heritage".
A thrilling example of this is the
1902 Revival in Melbourne which ignited a worldwide awakening! The Evangelisation Society of Victoria had invited
Reuben A Torrey, an American minister to come to Melbourne to conduct meetings. A woman in Melbourne who read his book
'How to Pray' started to organize prayer meetings all over the city. When R A Torrey arrived he found 1,700 neighbourhood prayer meetings praying weekly for revival. In four weeks, nearly 9,000 became Christians! For the next six months Torrey travelled throughout Australia preaching. Revival swept the nation. The news spread like wildfire to many other places around the world.
In 1904, Torrey was in Wales and because of a minimal response to preaching the Gospel, he called for a day of prayer and fasting. Suddenly things changed dramatically. Within six months 100,000 had come to faith in Christ! According to Torrey, on the day of prayer and fasting a young man, Evan Roberts, who had been praying for revival for 11 years, received an anointing of the Holy Spirit with great power. Here the mighty Welsh Revival began!
In his book 'How to Pray' Torrey writes, "If we want to pray with power, we should pray with fasting. There are times of emergency or special crisis, when men of earnestness will give themselves up solely to prayer. There is mysterious power in such prayer. Every great crisis in life and work should be met in that way."
Yes, the world is in a time of emergency and Australia is a nation in crisis but let us reflect on our Christian heritage and the great things that God has done in Australia in the past. We might think that revival can never happen today but Jesus said,
"What is impossible for men is possible with God" (Luke 18:27).
God can bring revival again, if He can find people who will pray.
Yours for Australia reaching its DESTINY,
David Rowsome and Warwick Marsh
for the Canberra Declaration team
PS Thank you for your prayers and passing on the invitation to the Australian National Prayer Breakfast which took place last Monday. Many who have attended past Prayer Breakfasts thought it was one of the best ever. We share the event with you in these photos.