Turning Our Hearts Towards Home: A National Call to Consecration and Preparation (July 20-August 10)

In just over 3 weeks, hundreds of leaders from over 80 different communities in Canada will meet in Quebec for the Embracing the Dream Gathering. 
 
As we have been praying for this gathering, many have been sensing a heavy sobering presence of God and a growing conviction that we must not come into this time with our hearts or the ground unprepared before us. 
 
To our amazement we recently discovered that the day we arrive in Quebec for the gathering, August 10th, happens to be the 9th of Av this year.  The 9th of Av one of the most mournful days in the Jewish calendar, when twice in the history (586BC and 70 AD) the temple was destroyed.  Exactly 3 weeks before this date, the 17th of Tammuz (July 20th), commemorates the time when the sacrifices ceased in the temple prior to its destruction.  Traditionally these three weeks are days of mourning the loss of the living presence of God dwelling among the Jewish people. 
 
The cry of our hearts for this gathering resonates so much with their cry – to see a permanent dwelling place of the manifested glory of God.  We know that for that to happen God must sovereignly grant us greater revelation and manifestation of the unity that Jesus prayed for in John 17 so that we, as living stones, can be fashioned by the Master Builder into this eternal Holy Temple, the glory-filled body of Christ.  (Ephesians 2:21, John 17:21, 1 Peter 2:5 )
 
Therefore as we have prayed, it seemed right to us and the Holy Spirit that all those whose hearts resonate with this longing would dedicate the three weeks from the 17th of Tammuz to the 9th of Av (Sunday July 20th to Sunday August 10th) as a time of fasting, consecration and intense seeking of the Lord.  We want to ask God to increase the longing and desperation in our hearts for His glory and for the prayer of Jesus of John 17 to be brought to fulfillment.
 
We are living in days of great spiritual acceleration and we believe the Embracing the Dream gathering represents a pivotal point in our journey, the beginning of a new phase.  We sense the Lord has new revelation, wisdom, and understandings that He longs to impart to us for this new season.  We know that the key to our journey has always been in our corporate obedience to the Lord’s voice and this time is no different.  The level to which God’s purposes will be fulfilled in August is not dependant only on the leaders who will gather but on the collective obedience of every member of the Body whom the Lord is calling to press in with Him at this time.  So as many as the Lord calls should fast as He leads and follow the example of Daniel by setting our hearts and minds to gain heavenly understanding (Daniel 10:12). 
 
Whatever the Lord speaks to you– whether by scripture, impression, vision, dream – please share it with us by sending an email to kingdom@watchmen.org   During the next three weeks we will also send out any exhortations or revelations as the Lord releases them. 
 
Let us commit to empty ourselves of our own so that we might be filled more and more with the wisdom, revelation and understanding that comes from heaven.  Let us together turn our hearts towards home that we might be consumed afresh with the dream of God’s heart.

The Counsel
Watchmen for the Nations