Several years ago, while on a mission trip in Australia, someone prayed the Irish Blessing over me. A new thing happened to me that day. I was undone with a love and compassion for Ireland. In that moment it was as if God had shared with me a little of his heart for a nation in the world, and I simply fell in love with this place.

I had been given an assignment from Heaven and I prayed regularly for Ireland, especially for the first four years.

I even had the privilege to pray with a group of people for nine months on a weekly basis for revival in Ireland. God gave me specific dreams and insights of blessing that He was going to release there that I would proclaim regularly. And then, I felt the assignment lift. Not one specific day, really, I just remember looking back and realizing that I didn’t feel the tug anymore.

Then in 2016 I made a few new Irish friends and the tug returned. There was a whole new passion to actually go to this land that I loved. The logical thoughts of leaving my family to fend for themselves for two weeks didn’t seem so monumental anymore. The Lord was opening up the door for me to go and actually pour out, in person, all that I had prayed for those four years onto this precious island. I had a supernatural confidence that, just like Joshua, every place I set my foot, God was going to give me what I asked for. I was able to go and just returned mid-January of this year.

As I look back on my time in Ireland and ponder all of the places I went and all of the people I had the privilege to love and encourage, I am awed at the beautiful thread of “firsts” that God had me be a part of there: blessing dear friends on their first day as husband and wife, being a part of the first gathering for BSSM and Iris Alumni, being one of the first groups of Protestant women invited to prophesy up front at a Catholic church meeting, blessing the first “official” meeting of a church intercessors group, being the firsts guest of the year speaking at our incredible host church, and then the first Bethel staff person to be invited to speak at another wonderful church that evening.

It was my absolute privilege to partner with the Father as we walked this beautiful nation together and release what I heard him speaking. We prayed for wells of grace to be reopened, for the powerful women of that nation to rise up and take their place next to the men and lead, and we encouraged the believers there to purpose to see themselves and each other through the eyes of the spirit and love fiercely. (2 Corinthians 5:16-17)

And now . . .
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields
and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
(Traditional Gaelic Blessing)

By Jill Talbot