Friends,

This Canada Day, we take the time to express our thanksgiving to the Lord for all He has done and continues to do for us as a nation. We acknowledge that God has generously provided for us and given us freedom to worship and to embrace our faith in Jesus, in whom we can take comfort during these challenging times. July 1, 2020 finds us in a unique season with a multitude of needs that call for focused prayer. With that in mind, please join me in praying for Canada in the following areas: 

• For the Lord’s intervention in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic
• As of June 29, Canada’s case count stood at 103,918. We mourn for at least 8,566 people who have died, including some of our very own credential holders, and pray for God’s continued comfort and peace for their loved ones.
• We pray for healing for those who are still in the process of recovery, and ask that God will spare their lives.
• While we are thankful for God’s help for Canada in “flattening the curve,” we want to continue to pray for His intervention in limiting the spread of the coronavirus.
• We ask God for the grace to not grow weary in honouring restrictions that have been put in place by our governing authorities. We also pray for wisdom for those authorities as they lead.
• We ask Him for strength and encouragement for individuals and families all across our nation grappling with the effects of isolation and disrupted work and schooling schedules.
• We pray for continued strength, wisdom, perseverance and provision for our health care and front line workers, and that our health care systems will function smoothly.

• For our churches
• As our churches resume in-person services with restrictions, we pray for wisdom for our pastors, leaders and congregation members.
• We pray for protection for those preparing and caring for the meeting facilities and for those in attendance.
• We pray for strength and encouragement for our pastors as they lead in a challenging season.
• We pray for lives to be transformed by God’s Spirit as worship and the ministry of the Word takes place both onsite and online through the ministries of our churches.
• We pray for ongoing wisdom for our pastors and leaders as they continue searching for ways to serve their communities in the midst of the pandemic.

• For our ongoing work in pursuing racial reconciliation
• We pray that our leaders and churches will embrace and implement biblical principles of racial reconciliation, justice, and equity within our spheres of influence.
• We pray that we will work together toward the eradication of poverty.
• We pray for ongoing wisdom as we pursue short- medium- and long-term conversations and plans for implementation towards these goals.
• We pray for healing and unity in line with Jesus’ prayer for us (John 17:20-23).

In closing, I invite you to view this short message and join in singing our national anthem: https://youtu.be/16x4-bwWRnw

Wherever you are, we ask for God’s blessing on you and your household this Canada Day. May God continue to keep our land glorious and free.

David Wells,
General Superintendent of The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada

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