Prayerwalk Revisited

In April 2005 Peet Bekker, a Christian brother from South Africa and a friend of Pray for Denmark came to Denmark for a prayerwalk at the northern tip of Jutland known as the Horn of Denmark. You may recall that he prayerwalked from Hirtshals on the west to Skagen at the tip of the Horn and then on to Fredrikshavn on the east.

Before undertaking this special prayerwalk, Peet said, "I know that once I smelled the air, tasted the water, felt the wind and seen the people, I will have so much more compassion and be able to pray with all my heart. Walking in an area helps me to see the way God sees it and better understand the things to be prayed for. I will also be there in person to deliver God's messages of hope and inspiration to people that are in need of it right there and at that specific moment in time...I have an excitement in my heart for Denmark. I believe the Lord wants to bless this country. If these words stir your heart in any way, please pray for Denmark too."

It is more than a year since Peet completed his prayerwalk and if no discernible spiritual breakthroughs have followed upon the prayerwalk, we need to remind ourselves that God does not waste the efforts of His servants when He has led them by His Spirit. Though God may not yet have revealed His purpose, in time He will.

We believe that God is working in quiet ways in Denmark. There are numerous small indicators, among them Peet Bekker's prayerwalk, God's leading in getting PrayforDenmark.com online, and in raising up groups of believers throughout Denmark who are praying for revival. How and when that revival will occur, we do not know, however we are persuaded by faith that a new Reformation and revival will someday break out in Denmark and bring salvation and the infilling of the Spirit to individuals and churches all over the country. I pray every day for that to happen and I sense there are others joining with me in praying for for revival in Denmark.

One day, God will make it clear why he led a believer in South Africa with no known connections in Denmark to engage in a prayerwalk at the northern tip of Jutland, but we do know from the Word something about God's nature: He will never guide a believer in a capricious manner and He will one day reveal His purpose. A simple prayerwalk carried out in response to God's leading has inspired other believers to pray for a great movement of God's Spirit in Denmark.

An update on Peet Bekker: He has recently moved from South Africa to New Zealand. Because his ministry is not confined to Africa, he has changed the previous name AFROWALK to "Come Walk with Me." His website is now found at http://prayerwalk.blogspot.com/. In an email message from Peet he wrote that, "I know I spoke and prayed some things in the spirit in Denmark which had to be given life, so to speak. You know ... when we speak God's will and God's Word over a place. the angels (and the demons) recognize it by the aroma of God's Word and presence. Going there and praying for those towns, people and Denmark moved things in the spirit-world which I am not seeking to find out, because maybe God will show me some day. But I know I had to go and things are moving." I like how Peet describes prayerwalks as "just 'intercession on the move.'" At age 44, it is still his dream to take part in the 20 km (12.4 miles) Olympic Walk event. He trains weekdays, spending many hours on the road and says, "When I train for the walks, I not only walk--I prayerwalk." What a special ministry this dear brother has whose one desire is to magnify the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

PRAISE God for Peet Bekker and one man's willingness to quietly and without fanfare step out by faith last year on a prayer journey from Hirtshals to Skagen to Fredrikshavn.

PRAY that Peet Bekker's prayerwalk will serve as a model for other believers, whether from Denmark itself or from other countries, willing to ask God for direction in prayerwalking in various parts of Denmark.

PRAY that God's Spirit may move across the land of Denmark from east to west and north to south in ways that may only be discernible to the eyes of faith, bringing a new Reformation and spiritual revival to the Folkekirke as well as free churches.

Tønder Festival, August 24-27

Tønder is a small city located close to the Danish-German border in southern Jutland. For more than 30 years, the town has played host to the gala Tønder Festival that presents a wide variety of traditional and modern folk music from all over Europe and elsewhere. The Festival has an international flavor. Besides Denmark, participating musical groups will be coming from Australia, Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland, Sweden and the United States. There are paid, ticketed concerts on the official program, but also a lot of music to be heard in the streets for free.

Tønder (pronounced TUN-ner) Frikirke is well located in the very center of the city's downtown area. This weekend there will be countless numbers of passersby milling about the streets and thus providing a marvelous opportunity for evangelism. Though the church events are not listed as part of the official program, Pastor Rene Nielsen and the church's members are concerned to have a vibrant and welcoming Christian presence during the Festival by keeping the church doors open at crucial times and by providing good Christian music and coffee hours. On Friday, August 25 the church building will be open for music and coffee from 8:00 to 11:00 p.m., featuring Danish noted gospel singer Signe Walsøe. On Saturday, August 26 the church will be open from 3:30 to 11:00 p.m. and will feature a concert by a 30-voice Room4Joy gospel kor (gospel choir). The coffee times provide an opportunity to talk with people one on one and to make vailable informational booklets and tracts about the gospel and church's ministries. Faithful Pastor Rene and his wife Mette are warm and loving people. I met them and had delightful fellowship with them while on my trip to Denmark last spring. I got to see the church's facilities and admire its very attractive and inviting worship center (see an image of the church's exterior at www.toenderfrikirke.dk/). Pastor Rene and I walked the streets around the church building itself that this weekend will be crowded with many hundreds of Festival-goers. I feel a great burden for Tønder Frikirke and for Pastor Nielsen and his family. They will greatly value our prayers on their behalf.

PRAY that the Holy Spirit will give Pastor Nielsen and the congregation of Tønder Frikirke direction and enormous wisdom for an attractive and winsome witness for Christ and the gospel during the Festival.

PRAY for many opportunities to meet and talk with Festival-goers and for wisdom and "holy boldness" in opening fruitful conversations on spiritual matters.

PRAY that the Spirit-anointed music and testimony of Signe Walsøe on Friday evening, and the Room4Joy gospelkor on Saturday evening, will attract overflow crowds of those readily able to discern when music is used to lift up and magnify the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

PRAY that during the Festival there will be young people and young married couples from the Tønder/Møgeltønder area itself who will be attracted to the gospel and align themselves with the fellowship and ministry of Tønder Frikirke.

Den Danske Global Leadership Summit, September 29-30

Over the past 14 years, the Willow Creek Association has provided "outside-the-box" leadership ideas and challenges at regional Global Leadership Summits in more than 130 locations throughout the world, including Denmark. This year is no exception as many pastors and ministry leaders from all over Denmark will gather at Copenhagen's Kulturcenter for two days of intensive focus on transformational leadership, Friday and Saturday, September 29 and 30. Prominent speakers will focus on this year's Summit theme: "En leder ser ikke virklighheden som den er, men som de kan blive" (A leader sees reality not as it is, but how it might be). Church transformation committed to changing the world requires a transformed leader. As one pastor put it, "I don't believe the 21st century church is about bigger and better ... It's about who can serve the people effectively and efficiently." Many Danish pastors and ministry leaders validate the input they have received from previous Summits. Willow Creek Association is an American organization and the danger is in trying to slavishly impose American ideas on Danish culture and on the Danish churches. But, we believe that God's Spirit can and will use the various presentations as prods to Danish vision and creativity. The enormous task of putting this Summit together is in the hands of the Willow Creek Denmark Steering Committee and the effective day to day management of Coordinator Ruth Cilwik Andersen. I had the privilege of meeting Ruth and her family last spring and found her to be a godly woman and a graciously gifted and visionary Christian leader and executive. The Summit has its own brochure that for those interested may be downloaded at the following web address: http://www.jasplus.dk/willowcreek/ny/pdf/programmer/GLS2006.pdf

PRAY that all of the myriad details of planning and producing this year's Global Leadership Summit in Copenhagen will come together with no last-minute hitches in programming, all-important media technology, worship and drama teams, or financial arrangements and support.

PRAY that the spiritual purposes of the Summit will overshadow every session and maximally influence everyone attending so that the the person and redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ will be prominent and preeminent.

PRAY, as we did last year, that the Summit venue, Copenhagen's 800-seat Kulturcenter, will be filled to capacity with pastors and ministry leader coming expectantly to drink in fresh inspiration for ministry and to experience transforming renewal of their spiritual commitments and leadership vision.

PRAY that this Summit will become one more piece in the Holy Spirit's activity toward radical reformation, revival, and renewal in the life of all of Denmark's churches, whether folkekirke or frikirke.