The prayers of the believers in Regina, Saskatchewan, have been lifted for more than a decade.
One pastor has been praying for 14 years that God would bring unity to the churches. He believes God told him that when “the churches come together in one room, something new will happen.”
Others attended Franklin Graham’s Festival in Toronto in 2014, and have been praying ever since that God would bring that same spirit of revival to their city.
As an overflow crowd of more than 1,050 gathered to launch the upcoming Regina Look Up Celebration with Will Graham on Friday night, November 14, it became clear that the prayers were being answered and now is the time for a movement of God in Saskatchewan’s capital city.
Church Unity for God’s Glory
Nico Deschner, lead pastor at Celebration Church in Regina, is one of three pastors helping to lead the entire Celebration process. He’s been ministering in the city for ten years and has had a front row seat to watch as the churches have come together in unity and mission.
He shared that the city’s churches were once very united, but over time that unity disappeared. Just a couple years ago, the tide began to turn. They now have 50 to 60 pastors that gather to fellowship, pray and worship together.
“I believe that the world needs to see the church operate differently than putting walls up and bridges between each other,” said Pastor Deschner. “The world desperately needs to see that we are not against each other, but we are actually for Jesus.”
Look Up to Heaven
Along with worship and prayer, the launch event at Living Hope Alliance Church featured a message from Will Graham based on the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 in Luke 9.
He shared that the disciples couldn’t see how five loaves and two fish could feed the multitude. The problem, according to Graham, was that the disciples were looking down at what was in their hands, rather than up to their heavenly Father.
“We look down at our own hands, and we are limited in what we can do. But when we look to God, when we put our focus on Him, it changes everything,” said Graham.
“What did Jesus do? He took the loaves and fish and He looked up toward Heaven. He knew where the answer was. He knew where the power was; where the authority was. It was in heaven.”
Graham continued, “In the weeks and the months to come, I want to encourage you to be looking up, looking toward heaven—for God’s provision, God’s help, God’s answers to all these things… And, my friends, He’ll deliver. God never, ever disappoints. He may not answer everything that we want. He may do it in a different way. But He never disappoints.”
And what can the believers of Regina expect in the coming months, as the Look Up Celebration comes to fruition? Spiritual warfare in the heavenly realm, and chains being broken in Jesus’ name.
“That’s what God can do. He sets the captives free. There are a lot of people here that are captive in sin, in Satan’s power. And we’re going to battle against that in the weeks and months to come. We want to see the captives go free,” said Graham.
“They can be doctors, husbands, wives, children, grandparents, businessmen, government officials, teachers—but they’re captive in sin. We have an opportunity to see them go free. In the months to come, it’s going to be a holy battle. Satan is going to do everything to bring disruption and disunity to this city. I want to encourage you that God’s timing is now. God wants to do something in Regina.”
Pray for Regina, Saskatchewan
Yes, God is at work in Regina. Each of the more than 1,000 people at the launch event, including Pastor Deschner, can sense it.
“What’s going on here right now, I believe it’s the Lord’s doing… One of the things we feel in prayer is that God is doing something significant here, and He’s bringing even different ministries together, but it’s the Lord’s doing and we cannot take credit,” said Pastor Deschner.
“We cannot put our name on it. We cannot put it on our church. It needs to be about the Lord and we have to humble ourselves. It’s the Lord doing it and we’re just somehow participating in this. That’s amazing.”
The best way to support this outreach is in the spiritual realm, praying alongside the many believers in Regina.
“Pray that the good work that God started, that He will bring it to completion,” said Pastor Deschner. “I believe God is starting something all around our nation.”
Graham echoed that sentiment in his final words to the amassed crowd at the launch event, sharing, “What lies ahead is a tough road, but greater is He than the one that’s in this world. I’m going to pray for you. Pray for me. Let’s be praying that God will do something supernatural in this city that resonates so loud that everybody in this country has to pay attention to what God is doing in Regina.”
Give To Where Most Needed
