I’ve been following the National House of Prayer blog in Ottawa. Some of the practises are not biblical, sincere yes; commited and disciplined yes, but some behaviors not scripturally required such as prayer walks, territorial prayers, flying flags, igniting the prayer life of teenagers who will then start fires on their high school campuses and youth ministries all across the nation, schools of intercession, strategic prayer assignments etc. I completely agree we are to pray for our leaders, privately and with our congregations.

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 1 Timothy 2: 1-2

Extra-biblical behavior:

‘Binding the strong man’ is not something one needs to have to keep doing time and again in each new prayer or ministry situation – nor is it something one should do – as it misunderstands and even contradicts the power and truth and authority of the cross and the true gospel. The strong man is already bound (in this sense), and the spoils are there already for the taking by the church if they will but believe.

Now, while Jesus did mention about the importance to get right with God, warning people could be reinvaded by even more demons if not (the swept clean house parable), this is nonetheless a totally differant concept of reclaiming ‘ground’ than we have previously mentioned.

As to ‘redeeming the land’, the physical territories, apart from being unbiblical and a diversion of time, effort and other resources from the true gospel and its ministry, why did Jesus or the apostles not mention it once, let alone do it? Instead they focussed on the kingdom coming one new disciple by one new disciple. In terms of the furthering of the kingdom of God, it is done by adding people into the kingdom one by one, not by staking out the physical land for Christ or claiming anything in the heavenlies other than our place and authority in Christ.

Dennis Gruending at Pulpit and Politics looks at the National Day of Prayer and the narrowing of it’s parameters.

As we filed out of the room following the speech one MP said to me quietly, “I’m waiting for the day when our speaker is a corporate polluter who stands up and repents for his sin.” The breakfast’s message in recent years has tended to fit within a religious tradition that focuses upon an individualistic view of faith. The event has done less to reflect the more communal thrust that has that has been central to both the social gospel and social Catholicism, to name just two Christian movements.

…Members of Parliament, including Bill Blaikie, Karen Redman and others have lamented that for many people the very word religion conjures the image of social and moral conservatism. That is only one side of the religious frame and in future the National Prayer Breakfast could play an important role in balancing the picture.