Healing the Land

We Native Americans are a spiritual people. The ideas of a spiritual realm and living in spiritual harmony are not stretches for us to see and understand.

Whether we are born-again evangelical Christians or not, young or old, come from reservations or are scattered across the U.S. landscape, we understand worship, prayer, and the spiritual discipline of fasting.

Our ancestors have always been a people who fasted and prayed for answers, for direction, for a good harvest, or just to survive another day. Searching the spiritual realm is a way of life for Native peoples.

These are strategic Kingdom themes that dominate our prayers: 

Redemption. A slow but steady re-evangelization of our remaining Native American people, estimated at up to four million, is underway. Some scholars estimate that the population of the 500 Native nations was as great as 12 million at the time of Christopher Columbus. We are now one of the least-reached peoples on the earth. But that is changing, as the Holy Spirit is awakening the Church and is moving and empowering fresh presentations of the gospel in answer to continuing prayer.

Worship. Authentic heart-worship is being restored and released as Native Americans experience redemption in Christ Jesus. Our passion for God our Creator Father is being restored and is spilling forth in many creative ways.

Restoration of Honor. The concept of honor is very important to Native Americans. We often pray that honor will be restored to us and to all people. We pray for reconciliation. We pray through the pain of being overlooked and rejected for so long.

Healing the Land. Native Americans consider the earth to be sacred, a sustaining gift from our Creator. The cultures of most tribes reflect a lifestyle that cherishes this gift. We seek to live in harmony with God’s creation. Therefore, we pray often for the land– that the defilement and shame upon the land will be lifted. Our ears and our eyes are quick to respond to calls to heal the land.

Native American followers of Christ readily participate in movements encompassing spiritual mapping, repentance and reconciliation, warfare prayer that closes the doors on the demonic influences of the past. Native American Christians carry deep knowledge and grace to discern. Let us pray that the Lord Jesus Christ will preserve and heal the earth.

Dr. Negiel Bigpond (Euchee/Creek) is a fourth generation pastor. He and Dr. Jay Swallow (Southern Cheyenne/Sioux) founded the Two Rivers Native American Training Center in Mounds, Oklahoma. They have ministered on Native reservations and in Native communities for decades and serve as apostolic fathers in the faith to many Native American pastors and believers. For more info visit http://www.two-rivers.com.