It was Wednesday, November 2. The phone rang, and as I went to pick it up, I saw the name of my good friend John Halvorson. The moment I saw his name, a clear word went through my mind, “John is going on another prayer walk.”

If you have read previous Langstaff Letters, you will have known that John is an unusual and extraordinary man. He has prayer-walked across America 4 times. He has prayer-walked across Europe and part of Asia from Portugal to China. He has been to pray at the equator, the North Pole, and the South Pole. I wondered where God would send him this time.

We got talking; he shared the new vision for him and his wife Sandy, who has been with him on all the prayer walks. They were feeling led by the Lord to travel around the world by ship.

I asked John to write down all this so that I could include it in a Langstaff Letter and encourage people to be praying for them. Here is John’s report.

Around the World by Sea!
December 2022

First, I want to say how much Sandy and I appreciate the Kairos Letters that Alan so faithfully publishes. We thank the Lord for you and for the focus the Kairos Letters give us as we pray for America. We respect your apostolic leadership; we are praying for you, and we appreciate you greatly! Over the years, Alan and Dorothy have shared much wisdom with us as we have been led by the Lord into prophetic acts of obedience, and now we want you to know about a new prophetic venture the Lord is calling us into. God’s desire is for the entire planet to be filled with the “knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea,” and God has just called Sandy and me to travel around the world by water to proclaim this very thing.

As I relay the sequence of events leading up to this unique mandate, please remember that we each receive spiritual ‘downloads’ in ways distinctive to our calling.

God can speak to us in many forms, and His thoughts are often very different from ours. When you receive a spiritual revelation that is quite foreign to your own way of thinking, it can be a telltale sign that you are hearing the voice of the Lord. Here’s my latest story of receiving a prayer assignment from God.

Having lately completed my fourth walk across America, entreating God for a Great Awakening, I felt due for a time of relaxation. So, in October, Sandy and I found a much-discounted cruise beginning in Quebec City, Canada, which followed the Saint Lawrence Seaway to the Atlantic Ocean and then down the east coast of America, ending in Florida.

Sandy was born in Canada and was eager to pray for Canadian provinces she had not yet visited. She was also excited to continue to pray for revival in America as we cruised the length of the eastern seaboard and visited historic sites where our nation had its beginnings. She felt that we were placing a spiritual seal of completion over the prayer that had been accomplished during our last two prayer walks across the nation.

In addition, as I often receive prophetic revelation as we travel, she was fully expecting that I would hear from the Lord on this voyage, possibly getting my next prayer assignment, which she felt could be for Israel. Just recently, we realized that after every major prophetic venture, we have found ourselves visiting Israel to pray, proclaiming that the eyes of the Jewish people will open to their Messiah. Also, knowing that the salvation of Israel is very near to God’s heart and is a key component that will take place during these end times, taking another prayer trip to Israel seemed a natural to her.

Truthfully, my hope was simple enough as I only wanted to rest. Therefore, shortly after boarding the ship, I was taken off guard to hear the Lord say, “I am again sending you to the ends of the earth.” I was puzzled by this message. God has spoken this to me and has sent me to the “ends of the earth” multiple times. As I have followed His prompting, I have taken the ‘Appeal to Heaven’ flag to the equator, the North Pole, the South Pole, and numerous far-flung points, and have made decrees proclaiming the Lord’s sovereignty over His Earth.

Over time, I’ve come to realize that I’ve been a witness to the fact that the Gospel has already reached these ends of the earth places, and according to Matthew 24:14 this is a significant marker that we are in the end times. I have also felt this signifies that the ‘Times of the Gentiles’ are drawing to a close, according to Romans 11:26 and it is time to proclaim an outpouring of the Holy Spirit over Israel.

Enroute to the South Pole, at the very tip of Argentina on the straits of Magellan, I viewed a large cross commemorating the landing of European Christians many years ago. The Gospel has already been there!

I was asked to conduct a Christian worship service on a Russian nuclear ice breaker in the ice surrounding the North Pole and saw evidence of past Christian missionaries in the Franz Joseph Islands, the northernmost land on the globe. The Gospel has been there!

In Papua New Guinea, near the equator, where the inhabitants were cannibals a few short years ago, I heard Christian music coming from a tin shed, saw Christian crosses marking their cemeteries, and heard an indigenous beach preacher vigorously share the Gospel. The Gospel has arrived there as well!

What other “ends of the earth” places could God have in mind? Was I to continue to be His witness that the Gospel has already been preached to the four corners of the world, and it is time for Israel’s eyes to open to her Messiah?

A prophetic download had begun, and I would receive further revelation a day or two later. As the ship entered the Atlantic Ocean, traveling at a snail’s pace because of whale migration, the Rhema word of the Lord came to me again, this time from John 15:7, “Because you abide in Me and My words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it will be done for you.” I then realized God was giving me the authority to pray another faith venture into reality, provided I prayed according to His will.

I have often experienced the outworking of this scriptural principle, as the Lord has burdened me with an “exploit” that He wants me to accomplish and then gives me a “spirit of prayer” to bring it to birth. When I received this verse, I knew He was about to task me with a new mission, and my spirit rose. It seemed the Lord was giving me His authority to travel, and He was sending me again to the ‘ends of the earth.’ What clarification would He give next? I was listening!

Some days later, Sandy and I arrived in Boston. Walking the ship’s outer deck just before landing, these words bypassed my mind and came straight out of my mouth, “One if by land and two if by sea.” Although it was a famous Revolutionary war signal, God took it out of context and shot it into my heart as a ‘Rhema word’. “One if by land.” Immediately, my mind raced to a faith venture God had called me to in 1987. My family and I were to travel around the world by land. I had received a vision of circumnavigating the Earth multiple times like an astronaut. The vision was vivid enough to leave me feeling slightly dizzy. That very day, not knowing anything about the vision I’d just had, Pastor Alan phoned to say that he thought God wanted me to travel all the way around the world. What a confirmation that was!

That trip was a massive stretch of faith. We did not have a single dollar a week before departure. Yet, by the grace of God, enough funds came in to get our family of five from Minnesota to England, then by land across Europe, Russia, Mongolia, China, and home again six months later. It was a life-changing adventure. At the time, I believed that the Lord was giving us a ‘world vision,’ and I had no idea that it was actually a precursor to prayer walking those very lands from 2008-2010. Our God is amazing!

I thought, “Lord, you’ve just said, ‘One if by land, two if by sea.’ I’ve already gone around the world by land. Are You asking me to go around again, to end of the earth places, and this time by sea? How would I do that, Lord?”

As I was having this conversation with the Lord, a fellow passenger approached and asked if I had cruised much. “A little,” I replied. At that, he related how he and his wife had cruised twice around the world.

Astonished, I stopped him and said, “What did you just say?”

He repeated, “My wife and I have cruised around the world twice. It took us about three and a half months. The money came from a church project I worked on as an architect.” God had provided the cost of this man’s travel around the world by water, and totally unbidden, he had told me about it! The Lord had my attention.

In the meantime, Sandy struck up a friendship with his wife. She had just written a children’s book scheduled to be read by astronauts on the International Space Station. All the necessary arrangements to get the book into space had been made (including a chemical check to ensure the ink wouldn’t explode in the zero-gravity atmosphere!) Her book was called ‘Ticket to Space’ and she would make multiple trips around the globe. I was reminded again of the dizzying vision I had in 1987 of circling the Earth like an astronaut. The Lord had just used this couple to confirm that God was giving me the ‘Ticket’ or authority to again circumnavigate the Earth, and this time by water.

Intrigued, I searched for global cruises and discovered a ship heading west across the Atlantic Ocean from Southampton, England, departing on January 3, 2023. It goes totally around the world, through the Panama and Suez canals, and stops in many ports and “end of the earth” islands before returning to Southampton from the east on April 13, 2023.

Amazingly, this trip takes 99 days, a significant number for me! In 2018 I prayer-walked America along Route 66 from beginning to end with a Divine mandate of flipping the perverse effects of ’66’, the number of ‘man,’ into ’99’, the number of ‘Covenant with God.’ This was a 99-day cruise, and my spirit leaped! Could the Lord be initiating a 99-day period of prophetic prayer to flip the effects of the number 66 across the entire globe? Was He indicating a time of sustained prayer for a worldwide harvest of souls, culminating in the salvation of Israel?

Though substantial, the price of the 99-day cruise was considerably less than other world cruises. In addition, just about the same amount had come into our bank account during the last prayer walk of America. Much of the price had already been provided!

Just then, a spirit of prayer came upon me, and according to John 15:7, I petitioned God to permit me to take that 99-day voyage, embarking from Southampton on January 3, 2023. As is often the case, once hearing from the Lord, I went into an “Is that you, God?” phase. Not only did God confirm my steps, but He also showed me the link with Israel. An Elder at my home church once said, “Notice what you’re noticing,” which I find to be good advice when seeking direction from the Lord. Accordingly, I try to tune my spiritual ears to hear His voice in any surprising way He wants to speak.

For example, in 2007, God spoke to me through a series of whiskey billboards in Barcelona. As I’ve never been one to drink hard liquor, this was very foreign to my thinking! The signs were for Johnny Walker whiskey, and the slogan said, “Johnny Walker, keep on walking.” Johnny Walker was my nickname from previous walks across America. As I looked at those billboards, I wept, sensing that God was speaking and that He had more walking for me to do. In 2008, after much prayer, I launched the 6,000-mile prayer walk from Portugal through Europe and Central Asia, arriving at the border of Kazakhstan and China in 2010. What was the prophetic significance of this two-year walk? God wants His world back and is about to invade lands that have been historically hostile to His presence.

Since 2007, I have often heard or seen the words “Johnny Walker” shortly before being sent out by the Lord, and it seems to be His’ code name’ for me.

Back on the cruise, walking past an outdoor bar that was buzzing with conversation, two distinct words jumped out at me, “Johnny Walker.” Someone was talking about whiskey, but God used it to speak right to my heart.

“OK, God, you are calling my name, and You have a new adventure in mind,” I thought. “I know this is You, and I’m ready to obey.”

On another port of call, strolling along one of Portland, Maine’s many historic streets, I passed a woman calling out to her family in a foreign language. I smiled broadly at her, and she thought I was responding to her words. “Oh!” She said, “Do you understand Hebrew?”

“You’re speaking Hebrew?!” I replied, “No, I don’t understand your language, but God has been talking to me about praying for the people of Israel and the fact that you’re speaking Hebrew has put an exclamation mark behind His words!”

After the cruise was over, I shared this new faith venture with friends who reside in Jerusalem, eager to hear their thoughts on it. They sent an encouraging email in response: “Something was awakened in the Spirit for me when I realized the root purpose of your going again to the ends of the Earth! I understand the vision God has given you now….to SEE that His gospel has gone to the ends of the Earth…even to the furthest islands, “the set time has come” for the gospel to come to them. The Jews are not yet gathered as they should be in the land. Thousands have not yet made Aliyah. This is part of the calling. They will be saved in the nations as they come home. At the same time, they will be saved in the land of Israel. Can these dry bones live? I have been getting that scripture all morning!”

After receiving all of this confirmation from the Lord, Sandy and I decided to step out in faith and purchase the tickets for the 99-day trip, which we did on October 31, precisely four years from the beginning of our walk of Route 66. It was Halloween day, the very day to ‘reverse the curse.’ The Lord is directing us to make Scriptural declarations as we island-hop the globe as a witness that the Gospel has been to the ends of the Earth and the furthest shores. It is now time for Israel’s eyes to be opened to her Messiah and it is time for a Global return to covenant with our Creator God. It is time for the Divine turnaround of the number ’66’ into the number ’99’ across the entire world!

What significance does this trip have as we continue to pray for the reverse of the demonic agenda that is unfolding over America? The ship docks in only one US port, Fort Lauderdale, on Friday, January 13. What a perfect day to pray that the curse over our land be reversed! While the devil capitalizes on the superstition that many of us feel about Friday the 13th, it is actually a significant number of victory and turnaround to the Hebrew mindset.

One example is in the book of Esther, when the Jews enemy Haman, called for the death of all the Jews on the 13th of Adar. The plot was discovered, and a decree was issued, bringing a mighty turnaround for the Jews on that very day. Esther 9:1 says, “On the 13th day of Adar, the very day that the enemies of the Jews had planned to massacre them, it was turned to the contrary and the Jews had rule over those who hated them.”

Pray with us on Friday, January 13, for God’s turnaround for America to unfold as dramatically as it did for the Jews in Esther’s day! We proclaim the defeat of all enemy plans for America and for God’s agenda to unfold for every heart and every home in our land. The devil couldn’t have Heaven, and we agree with God’s word that he can’t have the Earth either! We decree the word of the Lord that “the whole earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea”! 

We live in momentous times, and the Lord Jesus Christ is soon returning.

Rather than being just a 99-day pleasure cruise, the prayer assignment attached is actually a very heavy one, so Sandy and I covet your prayers as we travel. Although we won’t send daily updates from the ship, we will try to send updates from each port of call.

So that you can follow our progress and pray over the globe with us during the trip, which encompasses the first quarter of 2023, there will be maps of our itinerary on our new website when it becomes live next year, which is: http://www.PastorJohnHalvorsen.com

Thanks so much for your love and support as we head out on this new mission of obedience, carrying a heart of revival for America, Israel, the ‘ends of the earth’ and the ‘islands of the sea!’

Pastor John and Sandy Halvorsen

CLOSING THOUGHT

I encourage you to join with John and Sandy during this 99-day trip on 4 different ships around the world. I surmise that the next prayer trip John and Sandy will go on will be to Israel. Having been a witness to the ends of the Earth, they are to go to Jerusalem and Israel. They leave on this trip around the world on Tuesday, January 3, and finish in London on Thursday, April 13.

May God bless them as they go!