August 21 – 27, 2021
We look back at this year’s week of fasting and prayer for Switzerland in amazement and deep gratitude. While preparing, a group of friends and prayer partners gave us several prophetic impressions. These were:
- speer point which will be sharpened
- sword which clarifies
- Jeremiah 1:2-19
- change of clothing
Everything we hear in such weeks of fasting and praying must be set in relationship to the church, the Christians in the land. We hear what the Lord says about the church’s condition and what he intends to do about it. What we experienced in connection with these impressions, that is, the way we were led in prayer, was very impressive. The spear point which would be sharpened are the prophetic ministries and voices in the land through which the Lord calls his people to repentance. These voices (spear points) want to silence others, make them blunt and ineffective – especially fellow believers. A biblical example of this is the text in Jeremiah. Initially Jeremiah himself did not want to speak God’s word, then others wanted to prevent him. They wanted to muzzle him, blunt him, etc. But the Lord gave him wonderful promises. An additional aspect of the text is tearing down, planting, building up. Before anything new can grow or be built, the old must be torn out or down. This can be vey painful when it happens in our lives, so we prefer to leave things as they are. We hope and pray that we will reach the point where we can no longer put up with this condition and are ready for change, no matter what the cost.
The sword which clarifies is of course God’s word. We prayed that his word would again „pierce our hearts“ (Acts 2:37) and we asked „What should we do?“ We prayed for every canton of Switzerland that this would again happen through the power of the Holy Spirit! It was amazing we experienced during our ministry in the monastery of Einsiedeln. When we arrived a worship service was just beginning and what we heard was the proclamation of God’s pure word! We then prayed for just this, that His word would pierce the listeners’ hearts. This must take place in all of us! The remainder of the idol worship in Einsiedeln was shocking, in part because of the worship of the „black Madonna“ which prevents so many people from being saved.
Under the aspect of changing clothes, one of course thinks of Romans 13:14, „Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ“ Each Christian must experience a change of clothes. Exactly what it means to take off the old man (clothes) and put on the new man Jesus Christ should be or can be clear to each of us when we read God’s word. It is a sad fact that many Christians are still walking around in their old clothes. A change of clothes is absolutely necessary!
W.W.
