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Intention

To recognise prayer as active partnership with God, and to be stirred toward urgent, Spirit-led intercession for the awakening and return of souls in this generation.

Scripture

“Labouring together [as God’s fellow workers] with him then, we beg of you not to receive the grace of God in vain [that merciful kindness by which God exerts his holy influence on souls and turns them to Christ, keeping and strengthening them — do not receive it to no purpose]. For he says, ‘In the time of favour (of an assured welcome) I have listened to and heeded your call, and I have helped you on the day of deliverance (the day of salvation).’ Behold, now is truly the time for a gracious welcome and acceptance [of you from God]; behold, now is the day of salvation!”

– 2 Corinthians 6:1–2 (AMPC)

“The Lord utters his voice before his army, for his host is very great, and they are strong and powerful who execute God’s word. Therefore, turn and keep on coming to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning, until every hindrance is removed and the broken fellowship is restored.”

– Joel 2:11–12 (AMPC)

Reflection

Paul’s language here is striking: we are labouring together with God as his fellow workers. In this devotional, I want to focus on one way we do that: through prayer. What a privilege, that God works in and through us to establish the desires of his heart and fulfil his plan (Romans 8:26–28).

We are called not only to reconcile souls to Christ, but to keep and strengthen them once they come home. And he hears and heeds our call.

I believe we are living in a Joel 2 season. Not by might or by power, but by his Spirit, God is awakening his body to prayer (Zechariah 4:6). We are calling the prodigals home — he is turning the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children toward the Father and their fathers, where they find an assured welcome waiting.

This is a time of favour. A time of assured welcome. Isaiah 49:8 captures it:

“Yahweh says: ‘When the time of showing you favour has come, I will answer your heart’s cry. I will help you in the day of salvation, for I have fixed my eyes on you.’”

By God’s grace, for around 18 months now at our Wednesday prayer nights, we have focussed on Joel 2:12 and 2 Corinthians 6:1–2. And God has been faithfully at work in us through these scriptures. One member of our congregation sent me this testimony after a recent Wednesday night:

“I have been praying continually more than I ever have before. It’s just like something came alive inside of me and I can’t stop, which is awesome because it’s the first time really in all my years that I’ve truly grabbed hold of it — and even then, not by my own might. I know it’s the Holy Spirit moving, and that’s what I see at the moment. This incredible movement of the Holy Spirit upon us all in prayer, particularly on these nights.”

This is an example of what God is doing through prayer among our congregation. But I am convinced that he is also calling the whole Australian church to prayer and creating a national movement of prayer by his Spirit.

Several years ago, the Lord gave me these words for this very season, and he keeps bringing them back to mind:

“There’s a call across this nation for my righteous ones to hear:

Get ready for the battle, for my time to come is near.

Step in line and march in time, take up my sword and shield,

and you’ll invoke the victory. Just let my Spirit wield the sword.”

I believe God is awakening and regrouping his army, as described in Joel 2. He is calling and enabling us, by his grace, into a place of self-surrender like never before — laying aside everything that would hinder us from hearing his voice and following his leading.

Video

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,

We are so grateful for your grace working in and through us as we call the hearts and souls of this nation to yourself in this season.

We declare that the ears and eyes of the prodigals are open, and that they will come to themselves and return home to receive the assured welcome you have waiting for them.

We thank you that the soul of our nation is turning and keeps on coming, until every hindrance and blockage is removed and broken fellowship is restored.

We thank you that you are creating a prayer movement across this nation — not by might nor by power, but by your Spirit. Amen.

Author Bio

Kim Jones, along with her husband Tim, and their family, pioneered Liberty Family Church in Gosford on the Central Coast of NSW in 1997.

Her desire is to see our nation transformed through an encounter with God’s life-changing love and healing power, by raising sons and daughters. She has served as NSW State Coordinator for parliamentary prayer for many years and serves on several boards across the nation.

Prayer Points for October 2026

We are praying for the Church to:

1. Awaken to her first love for Jesus (Ephesians 5:14; Revelation 2:4).
2. Awaken to evangelism so that millions will trust in Christ (John 3:16; Proverbs 11:30).
3. Awaken to her prophetic voice to the nation (Isaiah 52:1; Matthew 14:4).

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