This is the final National 24-Hour Prayer Watch to be produced and marks the end of 25 years of continuous 24/7 prayer cover over our nation. As we all know God moves in seasons and it is time to vacate the stage to allow God to raise up those who will give leadership in prayer in the emerging season that is upon us. I want to take this opportunity to thank the dedicated contributors who have worked tirelessly throughout the years to provide the prayer points in each week’s bulletin. This is not an easy nor simple task and requires dedication and commitment to keep producing them week after week. Thank you so much. I also want to thank you, our Prayer Watch members, for your faithfulness in prayer over what has been a remarkable journey with so much happening during that time in our own country and the world.
Finally, may you be refreshed knowing that the baby born at Christmas is still in charge of the world and that victory in all the issues we have covered in the Prayer Watch bulletin is assured because of the victory He won on the cross. We wish you all a very Blessed Christmas and a New Year full of wonderful new experiences of Christ working in your life, and many answered prayers for yourself, your loved ones, and the nation as a whole.
Brian Pickering
National Coordinator
In Everything Give Thanks
It is easier to give thanks when everything seems to be going well. It is so much harder when things are changing, challenging, unstable and frightening and everything seems chaotic and uncertain. We like things being stable, peaceful, and secure, but it is often in the tough times we see the selfless courage that was shown by those who have triumphed through the impact of 9/11 or Covid or bushfires, drought and floods, or unrest, sickness, or financial hardships. We give thanks for the courage shown at these times and the way many have been guided by love and been dedicated to help others. Let’s celebrate just two special people and events.
Firstly, Moira Deeming from Victorian Liberal Party who when she spoke publicly for girls’ and women’s rights and the truth about marriage and family, the Victorian liberal leader, John Pesutto, expelled her from the party to purge the party of members like her. We are so thankful that there were lawyers whose dedication, expertise and integrity helped the judge to find that she had been defamed and completely cleared her name and awarded her $300,000 in damages. Secondly, at schoolies week last month on the Gold Coast, there was a constant flow of schoolies for most nights asking genuine questions about God. Many wanted to embrace a more spiritual path amid the usual schoolies chaos. We can thank God that, despite the many negative influences on younger people, a number of young people were keen to learn about the hope in Jesus. The feedback was described as “overwhelmingly positive” with mission teams offering baptisms in the sea.
There is a great need in our nation for more of us, who belong to Christ Jesus, to show simple and creative ways to be thankful in all things, encourage those who are timid, take care of those who are weak, be patient with everyone, not pay back evil for evil, but always do good to all. To be full of joy and never cease to pray for this (as this is God’s will for us). When this happens, it would impact our nation especially when we choose not to quench the Holy Spirit, but test everything, hold on to what is good and stay away from every kind of evil (from 1 Thes 5:12-14). We know not why God’s wondrous grace has been given to us as a nation, nor why, unworthy, Christ in love has redeemed us for His own. But we know Whom we have believed and are persuaded that He is able to keep that which we’ve committed unto Him against that day.
Let’s pray thanking God:
* For the challenges we have experienced in our nation over the last 25 years being thankful for the good times as well as the hard times. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning us (1 Thess 5:18)
* That we can learn to be joyful, pray without ceasing, be thankful in all circumstances, know what God’s will is for those who belong to Christ Jesus and how not to quench the Holy Spirit.
* For Him to pour out on the people of Australia a spirit of grace and prayer (Zec 8:12).
Giving Thanks for God’s Grace Over our Nation
As this is our final bulletin let us give thanks for God’s grace poured out over our nation over the past 25 years.
Let us give thanks for:
* God’s protection, love and grace extended to our nation in response to the prayers of His people over the past 25 years
* For those who have faithfully kept their commitment to maintain continuous prayer 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Pray God’s richest blessing on your teammates, who with you have kept watch night and day for 25 years.
* For those who have faithfully prepared the Prayer Watch bulletin during that time, researching, discerning and writing the prayer points and encouraging the saints in their roles as watchmen over the nation.
‘Presumption of Innocence Must Stand’, Says Law Council
Australia’s peak legal body, the Law Council of Australia, is challenging a movement to reshape the administration of rape trials in the wake of the #MeToo movement. Labour has led a push to have the Australian Law Reform Commission conduct an inquiry into justice responses to sexual violence. The Law Council, in its submission to this Commission stated, “The presumption of innocence, the right to silence, the right to a trial by jury, the burden of proof resting on the prosecution and the criminal standard of proof (beyond reasonable doubt) are all essential to the integrity of the criminal justice system.” The submission proposed reforms including better funding for community legal services and implementing “early intervention strategies and services” including consent education. It also recommended that “All law reform proposals must be carefully considered and critically evaluated to ensure they do not undermine key safeguards of the criminal justice system”.
Other submissions tendered to the inquiry, predominantly written by sexual assault advocacies, have called for a “civil” approach to rape cases – with a different standard of proof – to be introduced and a crackdown on “inappropriate” defence questioning. There have also been calls for an accused person’s right to silence to be “reviewed”, for prerecorded evidence for complainants to be allowed and for the introduction of specialist sexual assault courts. The Law Council does not support the introduction of specialist sexual assault courts, saying it could “exacerbate existing disparities” for people who live outside metropolitan areas and could “create significant risks of ‘burnout’ and trauma for staff consistently working in such courts”. “Instead, we support greater focus on raising standards of trauma-informed and culturally safe practices across all criminal courts,” the submission reads.
Please pray:
“Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back – given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.” Luke 6:38 MSG
* The Christmas season has begun, and financial and social stresses have increased, as they do every year. Pray for Australia, for the joy, peace and generosity of Christ to flood our country, not the trauma and distress and loneliness that comes with selfishness, excessive use of alcohol, spending and lack of hope.
* Pray that the Australian Law Reform Commission does not give in to the demands of vested interest groups such as sexual assault advocacies which would weaken the integrity of our criminal justice system. But pray for wisdom and insight as they deliberate.
* Pray for revival and transformation for Australia. Lord, make us into what You would have us be.
Praying for the Future
* Pray that God would raise up another generation of Intercessors who would hear the call to cover our nation in 24 Hour prayer.
* Pray too that God would empower future leaders with the commitment and dedication to give their all to leading the Intercessors of our nation in maintaining a 24/7 watch in prayer over our nation.
Praying for our Nation
Individualism and tolerance have led to the undermining of our biblical values in these days. We have aligned ourselves as a society, with other gods. The god of self, the god of ‘my rights’, the god of the intellect, the god of success, the god of power and influence, and gods associated with other religions. Let us pray for a revival in our nation that will turn the hearts and minds of our people back to the one true God of the Bible.
2 Timothy 3:1-9
Source: Australian Prayer Network
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