At intercession, Pastor Alvin and Pat led us in prayer for an upcoming event called “Toronto Police Service Prayer Walk.” Below are some of the details:
- On April 11, 2024, in a historic partnership between church and law enforcement, all 16 divisions of the Toronto Police Service will each be going on a prayer walk with members of the faith community.
- This was made possible by Pastor Wendell Gibbs of the Canadian Black Clergies & Allies, both of which organized this prayer walk, and Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw, who got all 16 divisions to participate in it.
- More importantly, however, this prayer walk was made possible by God and His amazing favor in this area.
- When addressing the Toronto Police Services Board Meeting on March 18, Chief Demkiv said that “We have previously seen the power of prayer walks in communities impacted by gun violence, including how they can help build trust and restore a sense of safety and security. At the end of February, I joined faith leaders, residents, and Service members for a prayer walk in the Driftwood community and will participate in a city-wide multi-faith prayer walk on April 11. You will see more Service-wide prayer walks across the city, where Unit Commanders and Neighborhood Officers will join faith leaders and go into their communities together.”
- In the midst of violence, horror, fear, and grief, God used a simple thing like praying while walking to bring about healing in communities and a partnership with the police. That is amazing.
Pastor Alvin & Pat also shared a video from CityNews on the Toronto Police Service Prayer Walk.
Check it out: https://toronto.citynews.ca/video/2024/04/11/faith-leaders-and-police-hold-prayer-walk/
I’d like to highlight some things that stuck out to me:
- The acknowledgement of the Power of Prayer
- It is one thing for us as Christians to acknowledge the power of prayer in church and Christian circles but it’s another thing when the media and the world acknowledges the power of prayer.
- The acknowledgement of the power of prayer naturally opens up the conversation for how to pray, when to pray, where to pray, what to pray for, who to pray to, and whose name we pray in. It sparks a curiosity for the supernatural.
- The mention of His Name
- As I watched the video I heard the mention of God’s name, I heard the name Lord in a prayer, and I saw a poster with “LORD” on it. This may seem normal in the Church setting and common language among Christians, but in a world where “faith” can be a hot topic and censorship is heavily used in media, this is a huge step towards giving God glory.
- The world may be getting darker and darker but the mention of His name may be getting louder and louder.
The Scriptures say:
It is written: “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’”
Romans 14:11 (NIV)
… that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:10-11 (NIV)
I don’t know how many people would have seen this on television or social media but the fact that the world is acknowledging the power of prayer and getting closer and closer to speaking the name of Jesus is something to marvel at.
Genesis 11:6 (NLT) says
“Look!” he said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them!”
God knew the power of unity and speaking the same language. I wonder what it would look like to be united as one body, speaking the same language of Jesus, and setting out to do the will of God.
Prayer may be the key to seeing this happen!
A wise man (Eric Wee) once told me that the power of prayer is not in the words we say but in who we pray to. God is responsible for the results. We are responsible for obedience.
My prayer is that we would never take for granted the privilege and power of prayer. May we be a people who give God the glory in all that we do. May we continue to listen well and obey quickly to what the Lord is asking of us. May we put our trust in the name of Jesus and pray for those who don’t know His name. Let us remember whose name we pray in. We ask this all in Jesus’ powerful name, Amen!