“As soon as I walked into the room – BANG! – It’s just God.”
UK Sep 09
For the last hour I have been sitting on my sofa, sipping a soft drink and wiping away the tears that continue to dampen my cheeks. What started as another job on my to-do list has become a quiet little praise session between my heart and God as the sun set outside my window. I wasn’t led in worship by music, I wasn’t inspired by God’s word… what has moved me to love today are the thousands of words written by praying people from around the world in the last year.
I’m sure I bore the regular readers among you with my claim that I truly have the best job in the whole 24-7 movement… but it’s true. I am the person on the other end of the phone/email/resource/website who gently nags you to tell me all God’s done through your time of 24-7 Prayer. The reports I get often take my breath away. From the small but profound to the large and almost unbelievable – God hasn’t been lazy in 2009!
In many of the 827 places where people have prayed night and day in the last 12 months, the same victories have been celebrated and similar lessons have been learned. Despite our diversity, our many cultures and nationalities, there are clear themes that have emerged worldwide in what our Father has been doing.
People keep coming to Jesus…
“…A friend of mine came by. She has just finished the Alpha Course at our church but she didn't decide to accept Jesus. She heard us talking and said to me that she didn't sign for the Prayer Room because one hour was too much. I just invited her to have a look at the room. After ten minutes she walked out and signed herself up for an hour. The next day, she accepted Jesus.”
Albania, Feb 09
“We are very encouraged by 24-7 Prayer. We did it as an experiment knowing that prayer is not a strength of our church… The day we prepared the room and introduced 24-7, one young guy came and gave his life to the Lord… [The] guy who was saved is 19. He is one of [the] "Rolegamers", a popular youth movement in Russia. He came last winter, but did not become a Christian then. Sunday he came to our church meeting and I invited him to look at our Prayer Room. [The] Holy Spirit touched him, and I led him in prayer to Christ.”
Russia Jun 09
These are just two from so many reports I have received. I could fill a dozen Blog posts with how God’s presence and the place of prayer have impacted lives. But it hasn’t just been new believers who’ve felt a change. Prayer as a key to discipleship has been particularly felt in one non-stop Prayer Room that’s entering it’s second year in the Philippines…
“God changed my character (my inner character) the more I prayed the more I changed. The more I pray the more I see my heart was being corrupted by the devil. The more I pray the more I get convicted by God’s word about holiness, righteousness and justice. As whole I see myself as a patient under heart surgery. Soon ready to be used for God’s kingdom in full cooperation with the Holy Spirit. So far so good! I’m in good hands under a good and perfect surgeon – Jesus Christ.”
Philippines Feb 09
This passionate Church plan to continue praying 24-7 until Jesus returns! We have so much to learn from their perseverance.
As I was reading through excerpts of my correspondence, I began to try and sift them into categories. Salvation and Discipleship were tidy headers but one messy, growing list became known simply as ‘God Made His Presence Felt’. I guess God wasn’t thinking of my filing…
“It wasn't until the first tear fell onto the card that I realized what had just happened. God had broken into my hiding place. I laughed a little then as I realized what had happened (one of those really attractive snotty-sobby laughs… and then in that simple moment I just sat with my Daddy and I let myself cry. That moment was SO profound to me. It sounds nothing I know but at the same time it MEANT everything.”
UK Feb 09
“The power of prayer has truly been shown in the Lord’s response to Paula’s illness. Ayr and Glasgow Royal hospitals gave confirmation of a cancerous tumour prior to her operation. Through the activation and constant chain of prayer, nearly 3 weeks later, following her 10-hour operation – there is NO CANCER OR TUMOUR, the mass being fibrous scar tissue. This has amazed the surgeon in charge of Paula’s case, an expert in his field. I am humbled beyond belief at the enormity of what has and is happening.”
Scotland Jun 09
As believers from Albania, Angola, Dominica, Iceland, Jamaica, Kyrgyzstan, Sierra Leone, Turkey and Togo joined the Church in over 100 nations, 2009 was drenched in prayer. My hope and prayer for myself and for all others is encapsulated by these final few sentences…
“It has changed my life and I pray and hope to remain this way. God is good.”
Jamaica Apr 09