Dear Fellow Pilgrims
The Lord bless you. Thank you again for your support for the call to pray for
revival in New Zealand through the month of November. You are
one of a very small number of Church leaders in our nation (less than 1% of those we contacted) who see the need for revival or who want to
commit themselves to pray for our nation. We have been led to believe that there are a number of churches & prayer groups throughout New
Zealand who have been and are praying for revival, but we have not heard from them directly. However, God often works through small
numbers of committed people. He only needs a remnant!
one of a very small number of Church leaders in our nation (less than 1% of those we contacted) who see the need for revival or who want to
commit themselves to pray for our nation. We have been led to believe that there are a number of churches & prayer groups throughout New
Zealand who have been and are praying for revival, but we have not heard from them directly. However, God often works through small
numbers of committed people. He only needs a remnant!
Some personal thoughts for praying for revival in our nation
1. I believe that we need to "stand in the gap" as New Zealanders, as the prophets
of old did in Israel, identifying with and repenting for the
sin in our nation and the lukewarmness and compromise in the Church in our nation. We need to pray "Lord, forgive us…" as Nehemiah,
for example, prayed.
sin in our nation and the lukewarmness and compromise in the Church in our nation. We need to pray "Lord, forgive us…" as Nehemiah,
for example, prayed.
2. I believe that we need to come before God in specific "identificational" prayer
for:
▪ the fact that our nation has turned it's back on God. We are no longer a
Christian nation.
▪ the passing of laws in our nation that are contrary to the Word of God and the
ways of God.
▪ our nation's horrific record and standing with regards to abortion (see the
"Silent Killer" brochure listed on our website).
▪ the demise of the family as the cornerstone of society.
3. I believe that a major focus of our prayer and our repentance must be related
to the failure of the Church in our nation to be light and salt
and to be a living testimony of the saving grace and power of the gospel of Christ. Not by protest and petition, but by being Christ's
ambassadors in our communities. Today, according to surveys by some missions organisations, New Zealand is virtually an unreached
people group. I'm convinced that we need to come before God in specific "identificational" prayer for:
and to be a living testimony of the saving grace and power of the gospel of Christ. Not by protest and petition, but by being Christ's
ambassadors in our communities. Today, according to surveys by some missions organisations, New Zealand is virtually an unreached
people group. I'm convinced that we need to come before God in specific "identificational" prayer for:
▪ the lukewarmness that pervades much of the Church in our nation.
▪ the seeker-sensitive practices that have come into the Church in our nation that
have presented compromised truth and a
compromised gospel that is powerless to save and to transform lives. We are in trouble when we won't preach about the Cross of
Christ, or the blood of Christ, or sin, or hell, or holiness, or repentance, or the wrath of God, or dying to self, because we don't want to
offend the unsaved/seekers.
compromised gospel that is powerless to save and to transform lives. We are in trouble when we won't preach about the Cross of
Christ, or the blood of Christ, or sin, or hell, or holiness, or repentance, or the wrath of God, or dying to self, because we don't want to
offend the unsaved/seekers.
▪ the compromised gospel that is preached in much of Christendom today that
ignores repentance, that presents a Saviour who came
to save us from our troubles (so we can live our best lives now), rather than a Saviour who came to save us from our sins and from
the wrath of God because of our self-seeking rebellion and sin.
to save us from our troubles (so we can live our best lives now), rather than a Saviour who came to save us from our sins and from
the wrath of God because of our self-seeking rebellion and sin.
▪ the "other/different gospels" that Paul speaks of in Galatians 1:6-9 that
pervade the Church in our nation. These include the gospel of
healing, the prosperity gospel, the "experiences" gospel, all of which contain truth but which are not the full or true gospel of the New
Testament. The son of an American preacher who has huge influence in New Zealand (he visits New Zealand annually for a large
conference), recently said in a meeting in Auckland that God had shown them (this influential ministry) that "the gospel of today is no
longer the gospel of repentance – it is now the gospel of healing". Although this has been their doctrine and practice for years, it is
interesting that it is now their stated doctrine and belief. They have publicly and specifically identified that they are preaching "another
gospel" rather than the gospel of the New Testament. In doing so, they have positioned themselves outside of the truth of Scripture
and are recognising "extra-biblical revelation" as greater truth than the Word of God.
healing, the prosperity gospel, the "experiences" gospel, all of which contain truth but which are not the full or true gospel of the New
Testament. The son of an American preacher who has huge influence in New Zealand (he visits New Zealand annually for a large
conference), recently said in a meeting in Auckland that God had shown them (this influential ministry) that "the gospel of today is no
longer the gospel of repentance – it is now the gospel of healing". Although this has been their doctrine and practice for years, it is
interesting that it is now their stated doctrine and belief. They have publicly and specifically identified that they are preaching "another
gospel" rather than the gospel of the New Testament. In doing so, they have positioned themselves outside of the truth of Scripture
and are recognising "extra-biblical revelation" as greater truth than the Word of God.
▪ the teachings and the practices that have come into the Church in our nation
because of the erroneous conviction that "it is not the
source that determines whether something is Christian or not, it is the intent". Practices that are sourced in eastern mysticism, new
age and roman catholic mysticism are now commonplace in the Church and in Bible Colleges in our nation. Jesus says in Luke 6:43
that a "corrupt tree cannot produce good fruit" which means that a corrupt source cannot produce that which is good in the sight of
God, no matter what the intention may be. That which is founded in the domain of darkness under the prince of darkness, cannot
bring illumination in the kingdom of God, except as that which comes in the same way that the devil himself comes, masquerading as
an angel of light.
source that determines whether something is Christian or not, it is the intent". Practices that are sourced in eastern mysticism, new
age and roman catholic mysticism are now commonplace in the Church and in Bible Colleges in our nation. Jesus says in Luke 6:43
that a "corrupt tree cannot produce good fruit" which means that a corrupt source cannot produce that which is good in the sight of
God, no matter what the intention may be. That which is founded in the domain of darkness under the prince of darkness, cannot
bring illumination in the kingdom of God, except as that which comes in the same way that the devil himself comes, masquerading as
an angel of light.
▪ the devaluing of the Word of God in our Churches and our Bible Colleges to the
point that many are teaching that the Scriptures only
contain the inspired words of God, rather than "all Scripture being God-breathed and inspired and profitable for teaching, for reproof,
for correction and for training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16)
contain the inspired words of God, rather than "all Scripture being God-breathed and inspired and profitable for teaching, for reproof,
for correction and for training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16)
▪ trusting in the arm of the flesh – our programmes, methods, strategies & personalities rather than our dependence upon the
anointing & the enabling of the Holy Spirit. We can pray "not by might, nor by power, but by Your Spirit" & then trust in what we know
to do.
anointing & the enabling of the Holy Spirit. We can pray "not by might, nor by power, but by Your Spirit" & then trust in what we know
to do.
▪ the false teaching of Replacement Theology in many of our Churches and Bible
Colleges.
4. I believe that we need to cry out to God for divine intervention in our nation – for the “Lord whom you seek” to “suddenly come to His
temple” (Malachi 3:1). We need to cry out to God to revive us – the Church in our nation – and for an outpouring of His Spirit to flow
through New Zealand.
temple” (Malachi 3:1). We need to cry out to God to revive us – the Church in our nation – and for an outpouring of His Spirit to flow
through New Zealand.
5. Some of you have asked me what are we doing as a Church. We are setting aside every Sunday night service in November to
specifically pray and to intercede for revival. These meetings are open to anyone who wants to join with us in prayer. We also have a
weekly prayer meeting where the emphasis will be revival, we run an email based Prayer Link and revival will be the main prayer focus in
each email that goes out in November. We will also be encouraging our people to fast as the Lord leads them.
specifically pray and to intercede for revival. These meetings are open to anyone who wants to join with us in prayer. We also have a
weekly prayer meeting where the emphasis will be revival, we run an email based Prayer Link and revival will be the main prayer focus in
each email that goes out in November. We will also be encouraging our people to fast as the Lord leads them.
Please feel free to send me your comments and thoughts, especially with regards
to how you plan to respond in your Church to this call to
prayer.
prayer.
The Lord bless you, your family, your ministry and your Church
Peter Whitcombe
