France – a journey in prayer

France – a journey in prayerDear Friends and Intercessors,We are about to embark on a journey in prayer into the French enigma. I deliberately use this kind of word to underline the complexity of such a journey, the perplexity one is brought to if the such an endeavour were to rest on human resources and capacities. An enigma it is. France; a nation among nations set apart by the Lord for purposes unclaimed, waiting to be explored.A House of Prayer begins with an altar, at an altar, perhaps even on an altar. A House of Prayer holds a priestly, sacrificial ministry at its core. We have been invited to take part of the formation of such a company of committed. Our geographical base for the operation will be situated in southern France, fairly close to spiritual sources of conflict crystallizing in inquisitions and religiously motivated cruelties. A House of Prayer springs forth as a formation of a body of friends, often carrying no other qualifications than those of sparrows and swallows who have found resting places close to the Altar - Ps 84:3. The willingness to gather and to stay gathered for the sake of God’s pleasure holds great value in a process of this kind. We extend an invitation to you to walk with us in prayer.Beginning to pray into what France is, or any nation for that matter, one will come across definitions, explanations, excuses, counter-productive reasoning, striving and division – a great mess will eventually be the only result. Yet, priestly ministry explores and defines – priests teach the difference between the holy and the profane, Ez. 44:23. Priestly ministry serves and corrects in prayer – praying life were sin abounds, 1 John 5:16. Priestly ministry may change a society – it does so by ministering Christ, praying forth conviction and repentance, revelation and formation.We need to find answers to questions – What is France? What are the French like? Is there anything which may be defined as particularly French? Do any of the many historic events play significant part in the formation of the French mind? Does the Lord hold any of these issues against the French people of today? Is evangelism the answer? What part does priestly intercession play? How to express the burden of the Lord in a way which pleases Him, in a way which has practical spiritual implications? Priests are practical people, does the sacrifice stand up to the rule of the sanctuary? Priests are practical people – does the work bring something of Heaven to Earth, will the Lord find a people sanctified and prepared for the purposes of God?French culture on the web is film, fashion and wine – we are after something which is more French than externalities of this kind. The French church seem to be as modern as any other in the western cultural sphere – if it moves along intellectual paths, it is dead as post-modernism itself, if it runs after the adventurous, looking for emotional satisfaction, it is as superficial as heathen culture. We are looking for a ministry of the interior planted firmly in French soil, coloured by the temper of the sanctified French heart.Will there be keys of a particular kind, special in shape and approach to unlock the Mystery of Christ to the French mind? Will there be anything quite special in the storehouse of the Father for the French heart for the sake of confrontation as well as comfort? Will there be a revelation of Christ made ready by the Spirit for the French commoner and noblemen which moves them to a radical turning towards heavenly values?We need you to come along and alongside in this prayer journey. We need your input. Direct us to sources of information. Bring the impressions gathered in your prayer chamber. Write about your French experience. Tell us about connections and contacts to be made and established. Arrange for Divine appointments.Please, help us to pray!We will hold the first gathering on French soil in October. Every blessing,Lars W.

The French prayer assignmentDear Friends,As the departure date rapidly closes in on me, I am intensely occupied with prayer and writing. France is still an enigma, a distant horizon. It is as if I am not allowed to enter into the French atmosphere before I am literally breathing it. Other countries have opened up very differently to me through the years. Priestliness is a major word to us at this point. Priestliness – a giving up of rights to master life; this way ministers life. Priestliness - counts it as great gain to bow down and serve. After all, this is what a House of Prayer is at its core. No mastering, only ministering in kindness. Our point of beginning gathers up in one single word – Zion. This word, this concept is central to the economy of the Lord. This word embodies the togetherness, the interaction, the intimacy intended in the will and the summary of purposes of the Father. Zion is the embodiment of the spiritual values of Jesus Christ. “Consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession.” As the High Priest, always praying, He is the source of all our prayers. Priestliness is prayerfulness. Ministering within the framework of a House of Prayer means interaction with this source of prayer and prayerfulness. Priestliness lies at the core of every prayer answer. He himself is sent as the fundamental prayer answer. To have been made able to pray in His Name equals the ability to pray according to what He represents. Priestliness prepares a setting for a set of prayer answers which answers to His purposes. Priestliness defines a man after the heart of the Father. Men and women gathered for the sake of capturing this climate, this atmosphere, this particular mindset constitutes Zion.Dear Friends, we are praying along these lines as we are focussing southern France.I will try to capture other segments from the teaching package to send to you before we begin interacting with this particular company of committed, the dear French friends, in the middle of October.Tolouse will be the larger municipal entity fairly close to our place of gathering.Please, pray for us. Please, if there are words from the Lord – let us know.Lars Widerberg

Hi LarsWe have two families in our church here who felt 'called' to relocate in France for the gospel's sake. They have both linked with French churches and a taking time just to 'be' in their new surroundings. One family, with an amazing testimony to God's faithful, have relocated in the Rhone valley and have lots of contacts with Christians around Toulouse and Nime.

I take special interest in this prayer assignment and will come alongside in focussed intercession.Terry

France,probaly the most sinful nation on the face of the earth./Oh I'm sorry I must interept God's heart so loves this nation and I can feel heaviness no not heaviness em... ,burden? in my heart. Like a prophecy in my belly. I can feel God's precious precious precious (Oh isn't Jesus wonderful).I will have a prophecy for you tommorow night on France and its call.I'm from Ireland and know that alot of the saints' blood has been spilt in France. I will ask the visitors to my website to pray for France.-mcauliffeandy.tripod.comThank you dearly beloved,Andy

Toulouse, and Albi close to the northeast.Space center and the Albigenses.Quite some distance as to spiritual values.Voltaire and Sartre, the Roman church.And then Muslims interfering.Sacred secularism.I hope you will be able to work unhindered in this mess.We will pray for you all.Mark

Ron,We are to be located near Albi, in the Tarn-valley.Nimes is situated quite some distance to the east of Toulouse, isn’t it?Send the friends my e-mail address for contact; I am at home tomorrow too.Intercessors.Network@comhem.seOr, allow me to contact them by sending me their addresses.Blessings,Lars

It is as if I am not allowed to enter into the French atmosphere before I am literally breathing it. Other countries have opened up very differently to me through the years. Though I know very little of this, being landlocked on this little patch of land all my life, this really stood out Lars as it applies to certain areas of prayer.From a prior correspondence:The way of Cain and his altar presents one fundamental approach to community and society – isolation. He builds a city to shut himself in and to shut intruders and offenders out. His way of troubleshooting is summed up in an awful statement – abortion, a cutting off of life and fellowship; abortion, a neat invention to reduce pressure and responsibility, adding some flowers to the whole arrangement for the sake of dignity. He finds his final harvest in alienation and depravity. Huxley and Sartre were not the first humanists – sacred secularism and the “humanist frame” is as old as man. Cain is lost in fantasy, taken in by illusion, ending up in delusion and desolation. His intentions carry at best a pious mask. The foundation of his city bears the name optimism, but the parts to carry the full load of reality are hollow. The mood of the city lauds tolerance, but has nothing to say to the man whose heart aches for the want of veracity and faithfulness.May you all bring the latter in abundance. Will be praying brother.

A House of Prayer in southern FranceThe house of the Lord is a place of prayer for all nations and peoples. It is a house of peace and friendliness, a house of dignity and godliness, a house of respectful listening. There is an altar at the center of the house, an altar representing a dying to personal preferences and needs. The altar at the center of His house does not receive sacrifices intended to placate and make way for the redeeming of man’s desires. The altar of Abel is its prototype; the altar of Cain its antipode.These present days are like the days of Noah, all of them are tainted by Cain’s way of handling the necessity of an altar. He represents the controversy of the two altars, and his stance and approach is at display everywhere. The aesthetic, perhaps even the ecstatic worship pleases his mind. The produce of his hand at the plow and palette as well as at the drums and amplifiers, sweating in religious and as well as intellectual fervour, pleases him. At the conclusion, at the consummation of all things this man accepts nothing, represents nothing but secular worship, a concentration of mans will and efforts. But God requires otherwise. The way of Cain and his altar presents one fundamental approach to community and society – isolation. He builds a city to shut himself in and to shut intruders and offenders out. His way of troubleshooting is summed up in an awful statement – abortion, a cutting off of life and fellowship; abortion, a neat invention to reduce pressure and responsibility, adding some flowers to the whole arrangement for the sake of dignity. He finds his final harvest in alienation and depravity. Huxley and Sartre were not the first humanists – sacred secularism and the “humanist frame” is as old as man. Cain is lost in fantasy, taken in by illusion, ending up in delusion and desolation. His intentions carry at best a pious mask. The foundation of his city bears the name optimism, but the parts to carry the full load of reality are hollow. The mood of the city lauds tolerance, but has nothing to say to the man whose heart aches for the want of veracity and faithfulness.Former French Education Minister, philosopher Luc Ferry said recently that his ideal is a system of religious-style ethics: a secular system that goes deep but keeps religion well out, calling it “sacred secularism”. He was not challenged on the contradiction. Some say it is because it perfectly illustrated the French paradox. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth. Ps 50:2.The city stands against the City. The altar opposes the Altar. The profane strengthens its positions against Zion. The pompous pities priestliness. But, out of Zion, out of the fellowship of the burning heart God will shine forth. The declaration and the testimony to be brought forth from this position at the Altar will penetrate and prevail.As we are about to begin finding ways to pray as a House gathered for worship according to Abel rather than to Cain, please, cover us in prayer along the lines of sacrifices suitable to the purposes of the Lord.As we are gathering this coming weekend for prayer in a small setting not far away from Toulouse, please cover us in prayers which will accommodate a setting like Abel’s.As we are restoring a prayer altar in the region in which the Albigenses were made a sacrifice ready for the altar, please, cover us in prayer as to reaching a fulfilment like theirs even at the very beginning of our fellowship.Lars Widerberg

“Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth. Ps 50:2.The city stands against the City. The altar opposes the Altar. The profane strengthens its positions against Zion. The pompous pities priestliness. But, out of Zion, out of the fellowship of the burning heart God will shine forth. The declaration and the testimony to be brought forth from this position at the Altar will penetrate and prevail.”God chose the foolish things of the world that he might put to shame those who are wise. God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong; and God chose the lowly things of the world, and the things that are despised, and the things that are not, that he might bring to nothing the things that are: that no flesh should boast before God.1Co 1:27-29This is the strategy of the House with its altar.Let us pray together with Lars and his team.Brother Terry

I am closing down the Intercessors Network office, and will not be back online until Wednesday the 20th.Thank you for praying for us as we travel south to have fellowship with dear saints in southern France, near Albi.Lars W.

Blessings as you minister to the Lord together with friends.Terry

We will be praying. Have a truly blessed trip!/Rikard

lwpray wrote:France – a journey in prayerHey Lars,To be quite honest I didn't pray for your trip, but how was it? Give us some(allot of) details.

Thank you, Zeke, for asking.I will try to put together a small item reporting on the journey.Few trips and tours of mine have been this rich as to fellowship.Lars

lwpray wrote:I will try to put together a small item reporting on the journey.Great, I would love to hear what is happening in that nation. NCMI hasn't had much connection with people in that nation, so to hear what God is doing with others is truely very exciting.We have noticed a trend in that many nations that were old colonies, relationships established within those African countries leads to relational connections on the European continent. Many doors have opened up this way in other European countries. Eager to hear, great to have you back.

lwpray wrote:Few trips and tours of mine have been this rich as to fellowship.Lars Amen! :-D I'm so glad to hear that! I'm waiting eagerly to hear more about it.../Rikard

Welcome back Lars,Looking forward to hearing more about the trip. It did come up often in the passing days.