Rise Up Edmonton: Calling Forth the Army

When we first issued the call for the Rise Up gathering, we shared a prophetic word in which the Lord said He was about to release a double anointing of intercession in the nation at this time: the Anna anointing and the Hannah anointing. The Anna anointing represents the faithful intercessors and gatekeepers of the land, both in this generation and the generations past. We felt as the Lord called us to Montreal, a city founded in 1642 as a missionary outpost to the First Nations, He was calling us to stir up those ancient anointings of intercession and lay hold of the our godly inheritance in our nation.

Now as we come to Edmonton in a few weeks time, we believe God wants to release a Hannah anointing of intercession. In the Old Testament, Hannah’s intercession brought forth Samuel, who represented a shift to a new paradigm: a prophetic voice with the authority of the Lord to decree. The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground (I Samuel 3:19). I believe God is longing to see a corporate Samuel revealed: an army of believers following one Commander and Chief, the Lord Jesus.

I believe this is the army prophesied about in Joel 2.

Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was of old nor ever will be in ages to come...

Before them fire devours, behind them a flame blazes.
They charge like warriors; they scale walls like soldiers.
They all march in line, not swerving from their course.
They do not jostle each other; each marches straight ahead.
They plunge through defenses without breaking ranks.
They rush upon the city; they run along the wall.
They climb into the houses; like thieves they enter through the windows.

Before them the earth shakes, the sky trembles, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine. The LORD thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty are those who obey his command.

I believe Joel's army is not one specific age or people group but is the generation of all those who are alive for such a time as this. It is an army of every colour and tribe and nation and age: fathers and mothers, Gen X, Millenials, children and babes who walk together in a unity born by hearing and obeying one voice: the Commander and Chief, the Lord Jesus Christ.

I believe I saw a foretaste, a first fruits of this army at the Montreal Rise Up gathering. Many times I just wept in amazement. No one person was leading the gathering. Sometimes the Holy Spirit would move upon one of the musicians or worship leaders; then He would lead through the dance team or one of the intercessors. At one point, all the mothers with babies in their arms came together and positioned themselves before the stage as a prophetic picture and suddenly a wave of the anointing of God fell so powerfully.

Leadership wasn't a position or a title; it was a function being determined by the Holy Spirit and whom He chose to use at any particular time. Everyone seemed able and willing to discern the flow of the Holy Spirit so without hesitation they moved as one body with the Lord, fulfilling the desire of His heart. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever experienced.

In Montreal we pulled from the ancient wells of anointing. In Edmonton, I believe God will birth a new “Samuel” anointing for the army. Like Samuel, this army will hear the voice of the Lord calling to them in a new way. And they will declare only what they have heard the Lord speaking so that not one of their words will fall to the ground. They shall “decree a thing and it shall be established” (Job 22:28).

The call to come to Edmonton is for everyone; all whose hearts resonate with this “new sound” of the army coming forth in the nation at this time. Whether or not you are able to come to Edmonton physically, I want to encourage you to stand in the spirit and press in with all your might for the full measure of this transition to the new army that God is raising up in the nation today. The Prayer Shield has released new prayer directives that can be found on the prayer watch calendar for Edmonton. I encourage you to sign up for the prayer watch that the nation will be blanketed in prayer leading up to and during the Gathering. And please submit any words/dreams/visions/impressions that the Lord has given you to listen@theshield.ca.

I look forward to being with many of you very soon and to taking this next step in the great adventure we are on as the Lord molds the church in Canada into a resting place for His glory.

All my love

David