Dear Praying Saints,

The world of nature seems to signal the times we are living in. The last couple of months have been much drier than usual, so much so that the colors of many trees began to change back in August, and other normally green plants had shriveling leaves well before their time. These changes that we're watching around us seem to be reflecting the many things going on in the world of men as well.

To name a few things floating around on the airwaves... France's newly appointed government all but collapsed with the resignation of it's prime minister; insecurity continues in the Pacific with China vs. Hong Kong, U.S trade relations, etc. Add to that the ongoing struggle between Russia and Ukraine; Venezuela's current regime is unsustainable; contortions of economic alliances; and on and on.

Perhaps the most significant in many ways is what is happening with the Israel-Hamas/Gaza conflict. The release of the remaining living hostages last Monday was a huge breakthrough, but the horror of what has followed is heart-breaking.

This scene from the "wailing wall" in old Jerusalem on Yom Kippur this year is particularly striking. in recent years attendance to High Holy Days has been on the increase. The adverse conditions have awakened many to the need for God's help to sustain their nation. But this time around has broken records — the highest numbers in decades, with some reports reaching the hundreds of thousands.

In our increasingly unstable world, the human longing for meaning and significance is coming more and more to the forefront. The continuing growth of revival among young people and old presents growing evidence that something transcendant is afoot as people turn as turning to Christ throughout the nations, including Muslem nations. This description in Daniel 7:14 of Jesus' arrival in heaven puts our eternity into proper focus. "And to Him [the son of man] was given dominion, honor, and a kingdom, so that all the peoples, nations, and populations of all languages might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed."

I recently watched a great interview with John Lennox, a retired Oxford professor of mathematics, philosopher of science and Christian apologist. It is titled, "Finishing Well", and I'd highly recommend investing 20 minutes of your time to watch it. I seen it two times and found a great encouragement and exhortation. You can watch it at this link.

In the words of the Apostle Paul from 2 Thessalonians 2:16, "Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word."

Dick & Gladys

Dear Friends of Wales Awakening,

Reading Psalm 61 Monday morning, I found myself swept up into a glorious cloud of recollection of God's unfailing mercies. Verse 1 says, "Hear my cry, O God, attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry unto Thee when my heart is overwhelmed: Lead me to the rock that is higher than I." It was like King David was telling my story all over again!

52 years ago, nearly to the day, I was on the rocky coast of the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State camped out with some friends. I was desperately seeking for God at the time. And alone on the beach that first night, I literally cried out because my heart was indeed overwhelmed—I cried out to God, and He heard me. Then about eight days later on the 23rd of September, I got radically saved at the Lord's Land near Mendocino, California.
Verse 3 continues, "For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in thy tent forever. I will trust in the covert of thy wings."

Reflecting over the last 52 years, together with Gladys now for more than 47 years, and all the incredible adventures on which God has kept us and and covered us with his grace and protection, we have continually experienced God's amazing faithfulness, His being a shelter for us and a strong tower from the enemy.

Last week we returned home after a wonderful week away in North Wales. It was an especially precious time because we hadn't had a vacation since June last year when we visited family in the U.S. We know the area quite well because we've traveled countless times to prayer-related events over the years. This time, however, we only had plans to relax and enjoy exploring the area around Snowdonia. We saw such beauty everywhere it was pure joy.

We did manage a couple of meals with dear old friends, but the Lord had control of the rest of our wanderings. We had many wonderful encounters and conversations with people in unexpected places, and just had to marvel at how He ordered our steps and timings. One particularly memorable event was meeting a young couple on a once intensely mined slate mountain high above the Lakes Padarn and Peris across from Llanberis, near where we stayed. Gladys struck up a conversation with a young cross-cultural couple, he from Tasmania and she from Rumania. After hearing of  their failure to have a family, we wound up praying for the Lord to give them a child, along with tears and embraces. Please help us pray for N. and L.

Another special highlight was my late birthday gift from Gladys. We rode the narrow gauge steam railway from Caernarfon to Beddgelert and back through amazing mountain and woodland scenery. We opted the first class Pullman Coach, and what a treat. As you can see in the photo, the woodwork was elegant and the furnishings very posh. And across the aisle from us was a French-speaking couple from Quebec with whom we enjoyed lots of laughs, using Spanish, English, and French in 3-way translations to add to the humor. People frequently assume we are here on holiday, and so are curious about what brought us to Wales when they learn that we live here permanently.

Because of this we always have open doors to share the Good News of Jesus. And so we try to make the most of each opportunity as we are encouraged to do in 1 Peter 3:15, "But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense [explanation] to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect." For all of us as believers, it is our privilege and joy to share our faith with as many as we can. We never know what reaction we may encounter, but the Lord has His ways of directing our steps and words.

We barely had time to catch our breath after coming home before another joyful aventure began. This threesome of amazing intercessors had been on a prayer assignment to the Isle of Lewis, the well-known site of the Scottish Hebrides revival, and several other key places for prayer. Their last stop was West Wales, and we had the privilege of taking them to the chapel in Blaenannerch and then sharing sweet fellowship at our home. Once again the Lord was far ahead of us and gave us an exceptional time together.

We want to encourage you to press hard into the plans that God has for each one of us. We all have an important part to play as we see the ugly fruit of godlessness in the world around us. And may we always remember and boldly proclaim that God is a strong tower for all that run to him. So our prayer is today that thousands would run to him and be saved.

Dick & Gladys

P.S. Just a reminder of my 3-minute podcast Welsh Morning Moments available at: dfunnell.podbean.com.

Dear Friends and Praying Saints,

Just over three weeks ago, there was an amazing gathering Anaheim, California. The following is a press release from Harvest.org.

"Pastor and evangelist Greg Laurie’s annual Harvest Crusade concluded this past Saturday, July 19, with a capacity crowd of over 45,000 at Angel Stadium. With an additional 200,000 online viewers, the one-night event also saw more than 6,500 people make professions of faith, marking one of the most powerful responses in its 35-year history. This marks the second consecutive year the stadium has been packed out for the event.

"'It doesn’t matter if you’re young or old, or if you’re rich or you’re poor,' Laurie told those in attendance. 'Your life feels like one long scroll, and no matter how far you swipe, you’re still empty inside. What you’re looking for isn’t found on a screen or an AI voice. It’s found in a living God who has a plan and a purpose for your life tonight.'"

They are planning a large baptism at Pirate Cove as they did last year this coming Saturday. It will surely be a glorious and life-changing event for the thousands who will take the step into the waters of the Pacific Ocean!

The wonderfully encouraging part is that this was just one event in one place. Whatever we are aware of is just a drop in the bucket compared with all that's going on around the globe by God's grace. In spite of difficult circumstances and heartbreaking needs almost everywhere we look, He is building His eternal kingdom. 

And the beat goes on... In my July email, I mentioned that there had been a large gathering in London on July 4th, when "more than 2,000 people—most of them young adults—packed into Saint Church's Hackney location for an all-night prayer and worship gathering." 

Again, this was not an isolated event. That is made evident by a front page from one of the largest British newspapers two weeks ago.  As society becomes more secular, many young people are beginning to search for something deeper and more meaningful. They're starting to see that the promises of modern culture — success, status, and self-gratification — often leave them feeling empty. Gen Z and older alike are seeking something lasting and true. Sounds so familiar—almost a re-run of what happened to many of us in the '60s and '70s. The prospering post-WWII world just didn't have what we "baby-boomers" were searching for... until we found Jesus, or better said, He found us!

During the summer holidays here in the UK, there are lots of activities for kids out of school. Many summer camps are organised by churches and inter-church ministries where kids can have an immersion experience in Bible study and teaching, worship, prayer and just plain fun. The 24/7 fellowship is such an important element of these experiences, and  there is always good and lasting fruit as a result. Our local Mt Zion Baptist Church participates in one of these camps and many lives are changed forever. And again... this was just one of many, many more events for school-aged and young adults as well—family camps, Christian worship festivals, etc.

We had the privilege of being in the prayer team for a large group of kids, mostly in the 13-18 year-old range. Firestarters brought 80 young people from Scotland and 40 from Wales to Swansea for 8 days of teaching, fellowship, and evangelism on the streets. 

As I said, there is far more happening than meets the eye, but as we share with others, we just keep hearing more good news. On Sunday we went to the Bible College of Wales for the Sunday meeting where we met a group of about 30 who came mostly from the USA for a week of praying and visiting important revival places, etc. Each one had stories we would have loved to have had opportunity to hear! 

Our old friend Jeff Roberts shared an excellent message from Ephesians 3:17-20 about being "...rooted and grounded." I love how verse 18 says, "[that you] may be able to comprehend together with all the saints..." Through the eyes and ears of so many we are enabled to take in more and more of what the Lord is doing through His love for a lost world.

One morning in early June I noticed a beautiful young goldfinch fluttering desperately trying to free itself from our bird feeder. Somehow one of its feet had slid down and gotten jammed between the steel bars that spread out to each side. It was totally trapped and would have died without my help.

What a picture of our human situation. Unless God reaches down and helps us, we are dying and lost in sin, having no hope without God in this world. Jesus said in John 6:44, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day."

This is the sure hope that empowers our prayers for revival and God's intervention in our world today.

Dick & Gladys

Dear Praying Friends,

Matthew chapter 18:18 says, "Surely I say to you, whatsoever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." I'm sure we've all known this verse for many years. Perhaps it has even been an important component of some our prayers—I know it has been in mine at times.

This year I am reading through the New American Standard Bible, the 2020 updated version. And when I read Matthew 18:18 yesterday morning, it just blew me away! Verse 18 says, "Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven." (εἰμί, Strong's No.g1510) That is extraordinary! What a change and huge difference that makes. Recently I've been talking about sticking close to the Lord in my podcasts. We need to lean more on the Lord and be bathed in His word and His presence, and really have our hearts guided by Him, rather than operating in our own strength.

And so what this seems to emphasize is that if we're really keeping our hearts close to heaven, then what we bind on earth shall have already been bound in heaven—it has already been bound before we pray. So by sticking close to the Lord, and really leaning into being sensitive to the Holy Spirit, we are hearing from heaven what has been bound, and we bind it on earth.

Jesus is our model for prayer and intercession. He said, "What I see My father do, I do... What I hear My father speak, I speak." This really challenged me. And so then following on in verse 19 it says, "Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done by my father who is in heaven." So it's the same concept and really adds a totally new dimension of power to our praying.

Even with the best of intentions, we shouldn't just decide spontaneously, "Hey, let's pray for this, or let's pray for that." "Yeah, that's a good idea. Let's go for it." Rather this underlines our absolute need to really be listening to the Lord. Then when we pray together and we agree on something together, we're going be agreeing on things that we've heard from heaven and have already been done.

We just need to stay as close to Him as we can, so that our words, our prayers, and our actions are originated by Him, and not from within ourselves. It's all about staying aware of the weakness of our own human hearts and making it our priority that God's heart be the main influence in our own. That's food for thought and fuel for prayer.
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The following is quoted directly from Relevant Magazine on Instagram. You can see the post at this link...
Last Friday night in East London, more than 2,000 people—most of them young adults—packed into Saint Church's Hackney location for an all-night prayer and worship gathering. The multi-church event—created in collaboration between Saint Church, King’s Cross Church and Imprint Church—ran from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. and sparked what many attendees are calling a powerful spiritual outpouring marked by salvations, spontaneous worship and moments of deep repentance.⁠

“There was a thick and heavy sense of God’s presence,” recalled Al Gordon, pastor of Saint Church. “Dozens giving their lives to Christ, healing, freedom. Moments of extraordinary weight and glory. Singing like I’ve never heard: passion, raw, hunger."⁠

In a recap post on Instagram, Gordon shared there were also testimonies of healing, deliverance and salvation, and spontaneous worship.⁠ According to the event’s website, the bimonthly joint prayer gatherings are moments of “unity, prayer and worship,” focused on calling on God to revive neighborhoods, the city and the next generation.⁠

The gathering is part of a growing movement in the U.K. some have called “The Quiet Revival”—a surprising rise in faith among young adults. In the last six years, the number of 18- to 24-year-olds in Britain who identify as Christian and attend church has risen from 4% to 16%. Among 25- to 34-year-olds, the number has jumped from 4% to 13%.⁠

Pastor Dave Ferguson of Community Church in Naperville, Illinois, who was also in attendance on Friday, shared that he believes what is happening throughout the U.K. will spread to the U.S.⁠ "There is early evidence that it is also moving across the Atlantic to the United States," Ferguson shared. "I personally believe this is coming our direction."⁠

"One thing is certain: we are witnessing a profound and sovereign spiritual moment," Gordon said. "You can’t orchestrate this... And at the end of the day, the true sign of God at work is not numbers, or experience even, its lives transformed, made new, sent out."⁠

On a parting note—there's more... In Amsterdam last month there was an event called Presence—A Worship Symphony on the streets of Amsterdam. Beautiful and powerful. People came to know Jesus, were set free by the grace of God, and baptized. Right in the heart of Amsterdam, on Dam Square.
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We trust these bits of news will encourage you as they have encouraged us. And there is so much more going on as we lend our ears and hearts to the Lord. May He bless us all with His closeness and favor,

Dick & Gladys