And the formula for instant church growth is ...

Prayer. Nothing like keeping it simple huh?

Today I experienced for myself what unified, dedicated, agonising prayer can achieve in a church family.

We have a church family which usually averages 105 on any given Sunday. Ha! Not today! This morning we had around 150 people come to share in worship and fellowship.

Let me explain that we aren't resourced for 150 people on a Sunday morning. The space we currently use for church is an old bowling club, it's not large and we have 126 seats, which fit in the room rather snuggly. On top of that we have the current prayer tent set up in the corner of the room. So this morning, it's fair to say ... we were overcapacity, people had to sit on the floor. What an awesome problem to have! What really blew me away was the atmosphere. The place was buzzing, it was a hive of activity. There was joyful enthusiasm as we worshipped, it was loud. It was almost as though the corps family had experienced a revival and had a new lease on life. It was lively, enthusiastic. It permeated Christ's life in all its fullness.

Tonight, we had an evening service. It was a Praise and Prayer night to celebrate our week of 24/7. Usually, our evening services avergae 15 people. Tonight we had 45. SO MANY ages were represented, from a 6 month old baby to adults in their late 70's. People have tasted and seen that God is good, and have a desire for MORE!

I'm not sharing our numbers to boast about how many people we got to church today ... that's not the point, the exact number is irrelevant. Whats is relevant is the significance a week of 24/7 prayer had in our church community, and the growth we saw as a result. The growth goes deeper than numerical growth though. Corporately there was growth in unity and faith. We have seen some significant growth in the individual lives of our people.
One friend told me about her desire to now make prayer in solitude a priority in her personal life at home after having experienced it in the prayer room.
Anothers faith increased all the more as God gave her a new insight into what it meant to 'love your neighbour'. She felt strongly to start loving her physical neighbours, those who live beside her. When the opportunity came to invite her neighbour to join her in the prayer room, the offer was accepted ... she was able to pray for her neighbour, and her neighbour came to church this morning.
A new song was written by some of the youth in our corps as they spent an entire night in the prayer room.
A teenage boy prayed in church for the first time this evening with boldness and courage.
Where some were hesitant at first to sign up for time in the prayer room, as the week progressed they signed up again and again because with each hour spent with God, their hunger for him increased.
Tears have flowed, hearts have softened, hurts have healed, pains forgotten.
Forgiveness and Freedom, sought and found, Grace, hope, mercy and love abounds.

I gotta be straight up and say that today was Childrens day, and our theme this morning was "Ice-Cream Sunday". Part of that meant that some of the time at church today was making Ice-Cream Sundays and eating ... BUT I don't think that is what caused the growth in numbers ... if it was, we wouldn't have seen such increase at night church. Ice-Cream wasn't the attracting factor ... there was a greater force at play. The power of prayer.

Today I've witnessed some of the fruit of a week of 24/7 prayer. I'm excited to dig deeper and experiment with how we can make prayer even more of a focus in our church family. People are hungry and enthusiastic for more, it's exciting.

Just want to sign off this 24/7 prayer series with a few (ok a few more than a few) quotes on prayer:

"Charles Finney was also convinced that if the
church would just meet the basic conditions for Revival - deep

repentance and heartfelt, 'agonizing' prayer for the outpouring of God's
Spirit, then Revival would ALWAYS result."

"When God intends great mercy for His people, the first thing He does is to set them a-praying."

Matthew Henry

"Shall I give you yet another reason why you should pray? I have preached my very heart out. I could not say any more than I have said. Will not your prayers accomplish that which my preaching fails to do? Is it not likely that the Church has been putting forth its preaching hand but not its praying hand? Oh dear friends! Let us agonise in prayer.”

C. H. Spurgeon

“You must pray with all your might. That does not mean saying your prayers, or sitting gazing about in church or chapel with eyes wide open while someone else says them for you. It means fervent, effectual, untiring wrestling with God...This kind of prayer be sure the devil and the world and your own indolent, unbelieving nature will oppose. They will pour water on this flame.”

General William Booth

"The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray."

Samuel Chadwick

"When the glory of the Father
Is the goal of every prayer:
When before the throne in heaven
Our High Priest presents it there;
When the Spirit prompts the asking,
When the waiting heart believes:
The we know of each petition
Everyone who asks receives"

Author unknown,

"This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
 Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from the evil one."

Jesus

Thanks for sharing the prayer journey ... long may it continue.

Itsy Bitsy SamMe.



Catherine Booth on Prevailing Prayer

Catherine Booth (Co-Founder of The Salvation Army) on Prevailing Prayer:

"I FEAR there are comparatively few Christians who know what prevailing prayer is, because they do not comply with the conditions on which alone it can be offered. I regard these conditions as threefold:

1st. Living and abiding union with Jesus. "If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." (John xv. 7.)

2nd. Systematic obedience to the teaching of the word and of the Spirit. "Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight." (I John iii 21, 22.)

3rd. Unwavering faith in the veracity and faithfulness of God. "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering; for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord." (James i. 6, 7.)

Of course there are many other passages of similar bearing and of equal weight, but I regard these three as clearly setting forth the conditions of prevailing prayer, constituting, as it were, the three steps of successful approach to the mercy seat. They are like three links of a golden chain connecting our souls with God, and if one be missing or defective, the power to prevail in prayer is lost. Does not this explain the reason why there is so much ineffectual prayer in our day? Christians get hold of a promise, and try to work themselves up to faith for its fulfilment, but, alas! One of the conditions is wanting, one of the links is broken; their own hearts condemn them; "then have they (no) confidence toward God, and whatsoever they ask they receive (not) of Him, because they keep (not) His commandments, and do (not) those things that are pleasing in His sight." How can a man approach God in confidence, when he is living in the daily practice of something for which his own heart condemns him? Impossible! As soon might Satan offer effectual prayer. Before that man can truly approach to God, he must "cleanse his hands,' 'purify his heart," and "put away his iniquity."

No matter what our creed or opinion, God has made it a law of our spiritual being, that without submission and obedience there can be no confidence. Faith in Jesus is God's expedient for bringing us back to obedience, and not for saving us in disobedience. And all the way through the New Testament He refuses to accept any other proof of discipleship than that of obedience. No less than six times in the 14th and 15th chapters of John is this criterion insisted on. "Faith without works (obedience) is dead," and therefore has no power to take hold of God, or to appropriate His promises. I am satisfied that this is the "missing link" in the experience of multitudes of professors; and in vain do they cry "Lord, Lord, while they do not the things that He says." In vain do they try to assure their hearts before Him, while they love not in deed, but only in word and in tongue. I am afraid' there is much Antinomianism abroad, which makes Christ the minister of sin, and which is always crying, "Faith! faith! only believe!" while consecration and obedience, as indispensable accompaniments of faith, are entirely lost sight of. "How can ye believe," said our Lord to some in His day, "while ye receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?" And we may say to some in our day--how can ye believe who prefer self-indulgence, wealth, or worldly conformity, to Christ and His cross, and the extension of His kingdom? Is it not still true that "if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him," and that "the friendship of the world is enmity towards God?" Saving faith in the sinner, and prevailing faith in the believer are alike impossible without full consecration to known duty. If any one disputes this, let him try to exercise faith in any given promise or for any given blessing, while he is refusing obedience to the claims of God, or withholding part of the price which God requires, and he will find, whatever may be his preconceived notions on the subject, that it is simply impossible. Herein is the solution of the question so often asked--How is it that there are so few answers to prayer? David affirmed it when he said, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." Neither will God hear and answer us, call we ever so loudly, and ever so long, if we willingly consent to any known unrighteousness. How fares it with your prayers, dear reader? Do you know that God hears you by the answers He vouchsafes? If not may not this be the reason for the miscarriage? God is unchanged and unchangeable, the promise faileth not. "All things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." God must be true; and if your experience contradicts the sure word of promise, you may be certain that it is your experience which is at fault. Examine yourself. Repent, and do your first works. He is faithful and just to forgive the sins of His people, and to cleanse them from all unrighteousness. And then bring all the tithes of a whole-hearted, loving, and believing service into His store-house, and prove Him therewith, and see if He will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out such a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

Enough said.
SamMe.

Something Bigger ...

There's something amazing about being a part of something bigger than yourself. Each time I've been in the prayer room this week I've felt quite emotional as I've taken up the prayer baton and then passed it on when my time was up. I think the best way to explain it is a feeling of solidarity and unity. There is a new found respect between people, barriers have been broken down,  it's unspoken but we are aware there has been a shift. We share a common purpose, we're all in it for the same reason, and together we will reap the benefits.

So far this week of 24-7 prayer has drawn our church family together in a way that exceeds my expectations. There's a physical, emotional, intellectual, social and spiritual unity going down. It's quite spectacular. It's also connected us to our wider church and Army family on an international scale. We aren't doing this alone. As we pray, we unite with Salvationists in Norway, Iceland & The Faeroe's Territory, who are also praying 24-7. Today Big Spring,Tx in the USA Southern Territory join in on the prayer. We are a part of something bigger. And praying in unity, it will change the world!

This morning between the hours of 8am-9am we joined in The Salvation Army's worldwide prayer meeting. Every Thursday morning, people all around the world are praying ... I've heard it describes as "a Mexican prayer wave that travels the globe." It's such a privilege to be a part of something bigger than ourselves as we pray for the Army's current vision: One Army, One Mission, One Message. 

So far this week, I've been encouraged to hear about people sharing an intimate time with their Creator. One person has said "I didn't want to leave, are there still times available so I can sign up again." another has said "It was way better than I expected"

At the moment, as we journey through a building project, having had this experience of 24-7 prayer people are now requesting a space dedicated to prayer. A prayer room set up in the new building that we don't have to pack down. A place of refuge, restoration and strength from our busy lives. Why wouldn't we if this has deepened, challenged and encouraged the spiritual lives of our family?

I can't help but think of the possibilities ... Imagine the spiritual foundation we would set, if the week our new building opens, we engage in another week of 24-7 prayer. Oh, If our new dedicated prayer room was available during the week for anyone who accesses our building to seek God, and come before him in prayer. I imagine how amazing it would be, if we had 40 people from our church family who committed to being in the prayer room and praying during a 9-5 work day, 5 days a week while we serve the community. WOWZAS! The dream excites me.

To be part of something bigger than ourselves encourages and inspires, it establishes unity and gives an incredible sense of solidarity. God is so good, he's faithful and promises to hear and answer from heaven when we humble ourselves and pray. It's not to late to jump on board.

SamME

The journey continues

Day 3 of our 24-7 prayer journey has been and gone, and people continue to pray, from there homes into the wee hours of the morning. Powerful!

 As I spent time in the prayer tent today, a number of things caught my eye, that I thought were worth sharing and may just help and encourage your own prayer time with Jesus, where ever you may be.

Praise ...

Prayers of His people

People gathered in prayer.

“Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.” Matthew 18:20

 Written in the prayer room journal, the lyrics to a song which you can listen to here.

And perhaps the most impacting prayer for me in the prayer room yet ... the prayer of a child in the prayer journal.

(To read more about the simplicity of childhood prayer and our call to be child like, have a read of yesterdays post.)

If you are interested in finding out more about 24/7 prayer - the movement, check out the official website.

For information on The Salvation Army's global call to 24-7 prayer check this out.

Tomorrow morning, we join in a global prayer meeting and pray for the vision of The Salvation Army - One Army, One Mission, One Message. You can find out more details about the worldwide prayer meeting from the Generals website.

It's a bit itsy bitsy today, but hopefully you'll be able to find something here that will aid your own personal prayer time with Jesus.

Much love, SamMe