1. For those who will make the journey to Canberra for the Prayer Service 10 AM - 4PM AEST in the Great Hall in Parliament House on 15 February, here are some suggestions. 

• Please read about visiting Parliament House on the official website where you will find information including how to get there and where to park if you are coming by car.
• Please arrive half-an-hour early so you can go through security and receive your name tag and welcome package. The event starts at 10 am sharp. You can enter and leave the Great Hall throughout the day.
• For accommodation in Canberra go to www.visitcanberra.com.au or for group accommodation, cabins or tenting go to www2.carotel.com.au    
• The Canberra Bible Reading Marathon will be held for 72 hrs from Thurs Feb 12th 10am to Sat Feb 15 10am continuously day and night in two locations: in front of New Parliament House to the side on the grass near the Ceremonial Stone, and under the flag pole on the City Hill roundabout. Praise God the Word of God will be read out loud over Canberra by around 500 Christians before the Prayer Service. The Canberra House of Prayer are also hosting a prayer meeting on Saturday evening. See here for details.

2. For those participating in local churches around the country on Sunday, there are resources you can share with your church leaders.

• You might have 5-10 minutes in the service when this Short Prayer and Declaration are read.
• The whole service may be given to prayer for Australia. You could follow this Sample Service.
• You might have a prayer time after your main service, or in the afternoon, so those who wish can pray for a longer time even fasting over lunch time.
• You might watch some of the event by webcast from the Great Hall from 10 am - 4 pm (note the time is AEST). This can be accessed on the home page www.nationaldayofprayer.com.au

3. For those praying at home or in other groups, these guidelines will help you.

• The group can be as small as two prayer partners or a family unit.
• You may already be meeting together as a home group or special interest group - consider having a special prayer time this Sunday. Watch some of the live webcast from Canberra together and then pray.
• As well as the resources mentioned above, there are books, YouTubes and songs in Suggested Resources. 

When you register for the National Day of Prayer & Fasting you are also asked about how you would like to participate in the 40 Days of Prayer & Fasting.  

 

This season of prayer, this year called the 40 Days of Delight, begins on Wednesday 18 February (Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent) and continues until Palm Sunday 29 March. This is a time to prepare our hearts as we move towards Easter. You can choose to fast as the Lord leads you and according to your experience of fasting in the past. We suggest you try a Daniel Fast. Resources to prepare you and help you are found here.

  

Please follow this Five Point Prayer Plan for DESTINY.   

1. Delight in the Lord with all your heart. Psalm 37:4, 1 John 4:11-16
2. Make a list of friends you will pray for on each of these 40 days, praying they will find their DESTINY and a new life in Jesus Christ. Invite them to encounter the life of Jesus at your church. John 10:10
3. Include these 40 Days of Prayer in your church prayer calendar and mobilise your church to find its DESTINY and partner with God in His ongoing revival and transformation of our nation. 2 Chron 7:14
4. Research Australia's Christian heritage for yourself. Discover our nation's DESTINY in Christ in prayer and share this with your friends and family. www.chr.org.au
5. Pray each day for God's continuing outpouring of His Holy Spirit fire on Australia to fulfill our prophetic DESTINY as a South Land of the Holy Spirit and a missionary sending nation. Acts 2:17-21

This year the daily devotions have been written by Sue Tinworth and are based on the Passion Translation of John's Gospel. If you requested the daily devotions when you registered for 2015, they will be sent daily to your inbox.  If you didn't and you must register to receive them. 

 

 

The devotions will also be available on the 40 Days website and posted on Facebook. If you want to print them, a PDF document will also be on the website.  

You can check on the website if there is a venue near you hosting a prayer event. If you would like to organise a prayer meeting in your location during the 40 Days, please email Sue Tinworth with the details.   

 

URGENT FINANCIAL NEED   There are considerable costs involved in such an event. To hire the Great Hall alone is approx $12,000. Other costs include promotion (printing of advertising, postage, website, Facebook, etc) PA and associated equipment hire, videoing for webcast and TV programs, and all the administration costs involved in running a national event and calling a nation to pray.    We have received approx $40,000 so far but much more is required to reach the budget of $120,000. This can be achieved through major donors, sponsors and churches partnering   but also through many smaller donations. A number of generous donors have agreed to give an extra $10,000 on the basis that we are able to raise $10,000 in donations before the event on Sunday.   Are you able to sacrificially give towards calling our nation back to God?     VOLUNTEERS NEEDED We will need helpers for the Canberra event on Sunday. If you are able to assist on Saturday or early on Sunday morning or help for an hour or more on a roster during the event  please respond by return email.

 

 We look forward to our fellowship in united prayer this weekend. As we come before the throne of grace, let us expect great things from God for Australia.

 

Yours for Revival and Transformation of Australia,

David and Marilyn Rowsome

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

www.nationaldayofprayer.com.au           [email protected]