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Warwick and Alison Marsh

I, with my wife Alison Marsh and others, founded the Canberra Declaration in July 2010, inspired by the Manhattan Declaration, which was released in the USA in October 2009. The team behind the Canberra Declaration helped start the National Day of Prayer & Fasting in 2011. I was the coordinator of this day from 2011–2021. Thank God others now lead this Australian National Day of Prayer, which continues to this day under the banner of Australia Prays.

For the last twelve years, the team behind the Canberra Declaration has been calling the nations of the world to join in prayer and fasting with our brothers and sisters in Christ in the USA between the American National Day of Repentance and the USA National Day of Prayer. Over the last twelve years, we believe we have had people from over 60 nations around the world join with us to pray and fast for America.

Brothers in Christ

Ps Jeff Daly

So why does Australia call the nations of the world to pray and fast for the USA? I wish I could say it was my idea, but it is not. The idea was inspired by someone here in America. In February 2013, the founder of America’s Annual National Day of Repentance on 30 April, Ps Jeff Daly, visited Australia and found out about our National Day of Prayer & Fasting, and unbeknown to us, called America and his global prayer network to pray for Australia during February.

In late March 2013, Ps Jeff wrote to me asking for prayers for America on the National Day of Repentance. I was so overwhelmed to know that he and prayer warriors in the USA were praying for Australia, and with tears pouring down my eyes, wetting my keyboard as I typed, I said to him: how could we say NO to his heartfelt and gracious request? So here we are today, more than twelve years later, standing with you in October 2024 for revival, repentance and reformation.

We in Australia believe it is our turn to bless the nation of America and pray for healing for the USA through prayer and fasting according to 2 Chronicles 7:14. We are grateful for the protection that America gave Australia and the nations of the free world during World War II. The Battle of the Coral Sea, fought by the USA from 4-8 May 1942, was the turning point in the Second World War for Australia. Thank God for America!

The Battle of the Coral Sea

Without the intervention of America’s armed forces, Hitler and his evil forces would have beaten the Allies in World War II. Without America’s active resistance, Communism would have triumphed in the twentieth century. Those two godless ideologies were responsible for over 120 million deaths in the twentieth century. How many more lives were spared because of America’s stand against evil? Thank God for America!

Each year, it is estimated that America gives over $70 billion per year in foreign aid to the world from governmental, private and faith-based institutions. People in almost all of the 206 nation-states in the world benefit each year in some way from America’s generosity and kindness. Thank God for America.

Crisis Point

Today our respective national houses are on fire, the alarm bells are ringing. In Australia and America, between a third and a half of all marriages fail. We have collectively rejected biblical morality, which means more and more people do not even bother getting married, and cohabiting couples suffer family breakdown at five times the rate of married couples. Families are in crisis!

No-fault divorce with ever-increasing levels of adultery are also undermining marriage and leading to an epidemic of fatherlessness which is crippling the next generation and leading to higher levels of incarceration for crime, higher levels of criminal behaviour, drug addiction, domestic violence, increasing levels of abortion and other forms of homicide, poverty, psychological problems, a pandemic of pornography, increasing levels of child sexual abuse, increasing problems in public health and a myriad of problems in education and in government.

Even worse, our respective nations have redefined marriage. The redefinition of marriage has almost totally destroyed marriage and has opened up the pandora’s box of gender disorientation pathology. This, in turn, has led to even greater levels of fatherlessness, family breakdown and gender confusion. Everybody agrees that our respective nations are in crisis, and something should be done.

That something is found in 2 Chronicles 7:14,

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land.”

America is in crisis because it has forgotten the rock from which it has been hewn, and it is falling into moral and spiritual bankruptcy. Our country is the same. Moral and spiritual bankruptcy leads to financial and governmental bankruptcy. America is in great danger from within and without.

Lana Vawser from Australia said,

“There is a fight for the destiny of the USA right now. The destiny of America hangs in the balance. The Lord is calling His people to arise and pray for the United States of America. It is time to contend.”

What has been really humbling for us Aussies has been the comments and the tears of thanks from our praying friends in the USA. Kim Marble from Richmond Virgina said,

“I wept with thanksgiving that you will be praying for us… The announcement of your call to prayer and fasting on behalf of America was a great encouragement to me. I am a prayer warrior, but I have been weary and, at times, discouraged… I pray for Christ to be the true Cornerstone of our nation… I pray for our nation to come into its God-ordained destiny.” 

Laura Mallory from Texas said,

“I just wanted to say thank you very, very much… Hearing people from other nations pray for mine touched a hurt spot in my heart that I hadn’t even realised was there which had been caused by knowing that many people hate my nation. It was healing today for that wound to hear so much true love for the USA and I will never forget it!”

Doug Stringer, the facilitator of The Response USA, fighting back tears, said,

“I’m absolutely moved in the depths of my heart and spirit! It’s a cup of cool water from across the seas to know our brothers and sisters are praying for us. Thank you to all our Aussie brothers and sisters!!!!”

Right now, the Canberra Declaration has called our Nation to a month of prayer and fasting for a revival and restoration of Sexual Integrity from the 1 – 31^st of October 2024. Yet again, we are praying for America. The third prayer point for our prayer call reads thus: “Revival, repentance and reformation of America.”

The scripture says in Job 42:10, “God restored the captivity of Job after he prayed for his friends.” America is a long-time friend of Australia. Both nations fought together in the First and Second World Wars, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf, Iraq, Afghanistan; and now we fight side by side in a spiritual battle for our respective nations. There is a restoration that comes as we lift each other up before the throne of Grace.

God bless America!

Father in Heaven
Thank You for America, home of the brave and the land of the free.
This nation has been a great blessing to the nations of the world.
She has financed the preaching of the Gospel to the four corners of the earth;
sent missionaries to almost all the nations of the world.

We thank You for the enormous aid given to the poor around the globe.
We thank You for the protection that the American Armed Forces has given freely to the peoples of the earth.
Today, we stand in the gap on behalf of the nation of America and cry out for mercy.
Yes, this nation has turned its back on You, but so has our nation of Australia.

We thank You that “mercy triumphs over judgment”.
We thank You that You are looking for the merest excuse to bless us and heal us.
Jesus has made a way at the cross, and His blood cries out grace and more grace.
Lord forgive us, Lord cleanse us, Lord heal us.

In Jesus’ name, we pray.
AMEN.

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Image courtesy of Adobe.