Dear Friends of Wales Awakening,

Here's a Call to Prayer, 1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NASB)
"First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity." We are certainly in a time of much need for prayer. I don't believe there are very many people in the whole world who would not like a tranquil and quiet life, and it seems that we couldn't be farther from that presently. So it is encouraging to see so much prayer going on in so many places.

The small and very old church across the road from our house, St. John's Church of Betws Ifan, has been open for prayer on Thursdays for the past couple of months. Yesterday we had a good time praying through some of the  Psalm 70s with the sister who was in charge of the day.

Last weekend we attended the "Heal the Land" conference in Bulth Wells as we did also last year. There were times of inspiring worship, anointed teaching, prayer together in groups, and some great workshops. One of the main teachings was about the concept of "sibling nations" and the responsibility of the believers in one nation praying for their neighboring nations, or other nations with which they have a special connection. Another key point was just the simple but all-important practice of just stopping our activities several times throughout the day and drawing ourselves into the presence of the Lord for a few moments of worship and prayer, silent or otherwise. This helps us keep our bearings, and our peace when circumstances pull us in other directions!

It was good to reconnect with old friends who we've known for many years and catch up on how God is moving in one another's lives. It was also a blessing to meet some new folks, especially a few younger ones who are very much engaged with and seeking the fullness of God's plans for Wales and the nations.

Speaking of old friends, this same past weekend there was another gathering of really old friends from Gospel Outreach. This was my family in the faith when I first came to Jesus, 51 years ago this past Monday on what had once been a hippie commune until they "saw the Light". It was the light of Christ in them that changed my life forever and launched us into an adventure, in faith that still surprises us! As much as we would have liked to have been there, the worship and prayer, and love and thankfulness for the Lord and His goodness transcends borders and decades, and we are all in this together!

Also this week, there is a huge event going on in South Korea, the 4th Lausanne Congress. This movement was started in 1974 by Billy Graham with the objective of uniting the church around the world to mobilize to fulfill the great commission. There are about 5000 people gathered together in this event, saturated in prayer and worship, to be equipped, energized, and motivated to see the body of Christ end into its Calling to "go you therefore and make disciples of all nations." We have a friend who is at this conference who will be with us in a couple of weeks and we are looking forward to hearing a firsthand report.

These are just four instances of the saints gathering for prayer, in groups both large and small. And we are sure that simultaneously there are hundreds and thousands of other groups around the world at this very hour that are praying for our needy world. And because we are one in Christ, it is really one massive reunion taking place in the kingdom of God, in its outposts around the globe, and that means the power of the Holy Spirit is being unleashed to bring change to the hearts of millions as we pray!

Perhaps the smallest of all of these groups is Gladys and myself—the one we know best! Here we are this morning in the vestry of our Cilfowyr Chapel. We have relocated here temporarily while some much-needed maintenance work is being done inside the main chapel. We love this little place because it is filled with old books and artifacts from the very early days of the chapel's beginnings in the late 18th century.

As we continue to pray with the multitudes worldwide from the place assigned for us, we encourage you to join us all as frequently as you're able. Our purpose is clear as we are reminded once again by Paul's letter in 1 Timothy 2:3-4, "This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."

By His grace, together with you,

Dick & Gladys

Dear Praying Friends and praying Saints,

Nine years ago I first wrote about this story of King David's escape from Jerusalem when Absalom tried to supplant his father as king. It has come to mind again lately, and then I received an email referring to it, so felt prompted to share it now as it seems more pertenent to the times we're living in. God's word is a lamp unto our feet.

Among the several dark moments of David's life, this may have been one of the darkest. But the pain and anguish for himself and his faithful followers point towards future events and a coming glory that is as staggering as it is profound.

In 2 Samuel 15, verse 23 says, "And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people crossed over. The king himself also crossed over the Brook Kidron..." And in verse 30 we read, "So David went up by the Ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went up; and he had his head covered and went barefoot. And all the people who were with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went up."

David flees not only for his own safety but also to preserve the lives of all that remain in Jerusalem at the time. Rather than fighting to defend his rightful place, he humbly accepts his defeat and leaves. He seems to recognize the strength of human connivance and politicking and turns the other way.

One thousand years later a remarkably similar story takes place in John 18:1-2. "When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered. And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples."

Jesus too recognized that the very human religious "powers that be" had it in for Him, and humbly conceded what was a temporary "defeat" at Calvary. And in so doing He established the glorious and eternal Kingdom towards which David and his kingdom had pointed.

He also shed his tears over this same city. We read in Luke 13:34, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!" And again in Luke 19:41-42, "Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, 'If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.'"

I think what has most deeply affected me in these portions is something that applies to the situation in Christendom today. The organization and procedures of much of the church have tended to limit the active participation of the Holy Spirit in its operations for "practical reasons." These might include keeping to schedules and timing, not wanting to discomfort people by taking too much of their time, etc., etc. 

But over the years these very institutional considerations have produced another "Kidron Brook" over which the Holy Spirit has been obliged to sorrowfully cross, not unlike David or Jesus in their times. One result is that a great many of the traditional churches have shrunk in numbers, and many have closed altogether. There are many others that become evident as we pray and think about this.

To bring this a little closer to home, I know there are parallels in our own lives as well. Each of us in our personal organization of our time and activities have to make practical choices. Are we making time for the Holy Spirit in prayer and in the study of God's word? Are we being sensitive and obedient to His leadings? Or are we unknowingly allowing "Kidron Brooks" to form in our own lives?

I just want to put this out there to encourage us in keeping our "houses" in order. I also want to encourage you to pray that there would be a massive reversal of this trend - that any and all "Kidron Brooks" would be replaced by Rivers of Living Water! And also pray that in our times we would see more and more of God's direct intervention in the lives of men and nations around the globe. The River is rising, and so is the need.

May the Lord bless you with the fullness of the Holy Spirit, and discernment and perseverance for the exciting race that lies before us!

Dick & Gladys

Dear Friends and Prayer Partners:

We returned from our travels to visit family in the USA four weeks ago, and somehow the days have filled up and flown by. Perhaps it is just part of our getting older, but it appears to be happening in the world around us too. There are so many things going on, surely we are living in unprecedented times.

The field above our chapel has a fast-growing new crop coming up, already taller than the fence by the lane. During all these years it has been wheat or barley, oats or rapeseed. But this corn is a total change and adds a lush green radiance to the surroundings. It seems to speak of other changes as well.

One of those changes is that our pastor of more than twenty years will be retiring at the end of the year, though he will still take the monthly services most of the year. This is a bit unsettling for our small congregation and we trust the Lord will use this for his purposes. We know He has a plan so we just try to be faithful to what we were called to do here, and expect the harvest just like the farmer awaits his incoming crop.

We have also found ourselves in the middle of a string of some very "out of the blue" visitors who've been led to come and pray for Wales. These folks from the U.S. were with us briefly last week and had been directed very clearly to come and intercede for specific needs and follow God's guidance day by day. They got in touch through a "chance" encounter with a mutual friend and had a very full and fruitful two days here. For example, when we took them to visit and pray here at the very old chapel in Mwnt we asked some ladies to please take our picture. They turned out to be Christians too and were encouraged and blessed by our brief encounter!

It was no coincidence that just two days before this visit, I got a message from some English friends who had just returned from a time in America where they received a strategic direction for prayer between both nations. We hope to meet up with them soon to pray together and seek the Lord as to how they can follow through with this. There are lots of activities going on across the UK—prayer networks operating, summer evangelistic outreaches going on, and more we don't know about yet—all flowing together from the Lord's master plan.

It is our joy and privilege to discover each new activity and connection with admiration at His workings among us, not unlike finding a tiny flower or fruit that we've never seen before. Also last week we heard from a dear old Gospel Outreach friend of 50 years that she was in Israel and had met a sister from Hong Kong who God had called to come and set up a prayer house in London. Hours later she got in touch and asked if we could we meet with her on the weekend. We weren't able to coordinate it, but when we spoke briefly, she told us she recognized us from photos on our web page and that we had actually prayed for her two years ago for the Lord to confirm His direction for her in a prayer mission! It seems that this divinely orchestrated networking is happening around the nations and the pace is picking up. It brings to mind the first verse of Psalm 133, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!"

Just one more example is a meeting that we had in New York, once again through an old G.O. friend, with his friends who have created a musical drama based on the Welsh and Asbury Revivals. Their goal is to bring this to Wales and the UK next year to encourage the Body of Christ both corporately and individually to spend time in God's presence and be empowered for the work to which they have been called. Each and every one of us has an important part to play.

When we met, they asked us to do a spontaneous interview on the street so I thought we'd share it with you here at this link. We hope it encourages you as it encourages and reminds us of what we're up to here. As Paul exhorts in 2 Timothy:6-7, "Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

Together with you in His hands,

Dick & Gladys

Dear Friends and prayers,

It's hard to believe that Gladys and I have been in the USA for three weeks now, and it has been a fuller than full and wonderful time with family and friends. We landed in New York City on June 1st., and then Monday flew with our daughter Grace to Savannah, Georgia, where we met our youngest son Richard and his wife Emily and our first grandchild Sylvie Grace. We settled into our rambling 5-bedroom house at the beach on nearby Tybee Island, and then the following day we were joined by our middle son Michael and his wife Lauren who drove from Louisiana.

We were together for 5 days and it was a celebration of Sylvie Grace's 1st birthday, Gladys's 70th birthday, Grace's umpteenth birthday, and our 46th wedding anniversary all rolled into one. None of the dates were exact but shortly before and after our time together. What made it most special for us all was that it was the first time that our two daughters-in-law actually met face-to-face rather than an online group call, and it was precious to see. Add to the mix everyone's fascination with baby Sylvie and watching her adorable antics, we were all pretty much overhelmed by so much love and jollity. And of course I can't fail to mention the super-abundance of great home-made food by all and snacks and goodies from many places.

After our special time with our kids, Gladys and I took a week off for some extra beach time to ourselves in Florida, we jetted back to New York.An overnight train-trip to Noank, Connecticut, to visit my older sister Nora, her husband Bill, who are just between their 83rd birthdays and 60th wedding anniversary! Their daughter Meredith (with her very busy 11-year-old twins (absence explained!) lives just around the corner, and it was so nice to catch up. The very short but sweet visit was the icing on the cake.

We have just been in the sweet flow of God's tender goodness, and are extremely thankful for such an opportunity. There are so many stories left out of divine encounters along the way, but they will have to wait till heaven!

God bless you and your loved ones, and may His fullness surround, uplift, and empower you always,

Dick & Gladys

Dear Praying Friends:

Going through some old photos recently, Gladys showed my this picture of our cat, Misty, sound asleep with her head on the New King James Bible. One of our kids had made a line of strawberry candies along her body just for fun, and to see what she would do when she woke up. As I looked at the picture the words from Psalm 119:103 came to mind, "How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" And of course Psalm 34:8 was right behind with, "Oh,taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!"

It isn't always easy to trust in the Lord, but He enables us to do so and His blessing follows closely. Yesterday marked 19 years ago that we arrived in Wales trusting in the Lord, and we have been constantly amazed at how He has taken care of us all this time. We rejoice in the testimonies of His grace and goodness, not only in our own lives and experience but in countless others who also savor the sweetness and solid foundation of His word.

Two weeks ago we went with friends to a night of worship and prayer for the town and area around Lampeter, about 20 miles to the north of us. There was a powerful spirit of intercession interspersed throughout times of extended worship, and there was a sense that some territory was being reclaimed in this place that has traditionally been hard towards the Gospel.

At one point as I was praying while gazing out a window, my attention was drawn to this car. It was a very classy BMW parked in a not-so-classy neighborhood, and written in clean cursive font was, "My life... My rules..." What an impact that had on me! Here we were crying out for the people of this place to come to know the blessedness of trusting in God's authority and goodness, and the exact opposite was a stark contrast indeed.

It's wonderful to see how prayer is being stirred up in so many areas. In mid-April Gladys and I were invited to a prayer retreat in England with a small international group. And then just last Sunday evening there was a multi-church gathering to pray for Cardigan and our local area here. After a time of worship, we were given information about particular areas of needs, and then we divided up into small groups and prayed for them. Then in our groups we asked to Lord to show us other needs of the community, and share and pray for those as well. We covered a lot of ground, and it was refreshing to have such varied sources of input. This was the second of what will be monthly gatherings, and are a very welcome and positive contribution towards our shared goal of reaching our area with the Good News of the Gospel.

As we look at the world around us, it seems things are quickly growing more unstable by the day. There are heart-breaking situations in so many fronts—I don't need elaborate here. And it seems like people are looking harder for answers to life's challenges than previously. The pandemic was just the beginning.

We were thrilled two days ago to read an article by Pete Grieg titled, "Something wonderful seems to be stirring..."
He cites many things going on around the globe that point to God's intervention. Here are a few bright spots from just this past weekend.
"In Hackney, East London hundreds of young people from three local churches stay up all night to pray and seek God...
In Trafalgar Square thousands gather to hear the gospel. Many healed and saved...
St Aldates, Oxford where George Whitfield gave his life to Christ, is overflowing. So many young people give their lives to Christ they lose count..."

We'd like to encourage you to be encouraged by reading the whole article at this link.

Looking forward with you to trusting him more, day by day, breath by breath, and blink by blink,

Dick & Gladys

Dear Friends and Intercessors:

This NASA photo of the April 8th total solar eclipse paints an extraordinary picture of an extraordinary event. It won't be repeated in such entirety for another 250 years or so it and drew sightseers from around the world. The 4 minutes and 25 seconds of the blocking of the sun's direct rays along its northeasterly path across North America was made much of as a "once in a lifetime" opportunity.

There have been countless eclipses over the centuries and they all capture human attention where they have been observed, but there was one in particular that changed everything forever. When Jesus was crucified Matthew 27:45 says, "Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land." When He said, "It is finished" and gave up the ghost—the price was paid in full for the sins of all mankind. That was really just the beginning.

Having just come through the Easter season, the scenes are fresh in the mind. The culmination of God's majestic plan of salvation has once again been made clear. It started off with Jesus at the last supper with his disciples, known as Maunday Thursday. Maunday, coming from the word commandment, referred to when Jesus instructed his disciples the 'new commandment" to love one another as He has loved them, that the world might know that He came into the world to bring salvation to lost souls.

Pilate's wife had an ominous dream about Jesus and expressed her concern to Pilate about his innocence. You can see that detail in this amazing scene, painted by Antonio Ciseri in 1871. John 19:5 explains, "Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, 'Behold the Man!'" His declaration had a far greater significance than he could possibly have known. The events of that day began the fulfillment of God's words in Genesis 1:3, "Let there be light."

When Jesus gave up His spirit, the whole of the universe took on new shades of glory, and a new dimension of light was birthed. Those hours of darkness were setting the stage for much more than the payment in full for our sin. Through His resurrection, He became the living proof of eternal life to all those who believe. As it says in Colossians 1:13-14, "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins."

The floodgates of God's mercy have been opened wide, and whosoever will may now come to Him freely. The desire of all nations—God's living temple—is established! The Body of Christ lives in His Kingdom today, and He lives in and through us to reach others with His gifts of love and salvation.

Romans 8:26 elaborates further, "...the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans." And then follows vs.29, "And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God."

In the completeness of God's plan for us, He says in John 8:12, "Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, 'I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.'" And we are instructed in 1 John 1:7, "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."

As the darkness increases in the world around us, people are seeking the light. We are seeing the fulfillment of Amos 8:11. "'Behold, the days are coming,' says the Lord God, 'That I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.'" We have been entrusted with the words of light and life for such a time as this.

May these words in Colossians 3:14-16 encourage us all "But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another..."

God bless you and your nearest and dearest, and those who don't even know they're looking for you yet,

Dick & Gladys