2021
Prayer Blog – 4 October
Brendan’s announcement on Sunday about a second Curatorship at St Marks in Athlone starting February 2022 (4 months’ time!), sent shockwaves through our community – what a reason to pray! One of the things he mentioned was when you do a series on change, guess what?!!
We played the song ‘King of Kings’ by Hillsong – right up front, no matter what, we can still praise our God, for who He is, for what He has done, & what He is still going to do. He is working out His purposes, He is building His Church, & as we are learning in the current series, we all have gifts & we all have our part to play.
Good, bad, or ugly, God can use all things & situations for the good of those that love Him …… we’ve got to keep looking at Him, praise Him, confess our sins to Him, be dependent on Him, read His Word (which will stand forever), do things His way, pray to Him, continue to walk by faith in Him, & ……. find our joy in Him …… CS Lewis was ‘surprised by joy’ & wrote a book with that title. Nicky Gumbel wrote that joy ‘is not a fleeting emotion, but a deep way of being – a state of mind that is available to everybody. It is not found in things, but in a Person.’
We prayed for Brendan, his family, the staff, the leadership team, for the new pastorate members, for our Church, the Parish, the Bishops, & for others in authority.
We prayed for healing, forgiveness, for new life in the Spirit, new wineskins for new wine, that He would order the footsteps of the righteous, for guidance by the Spirit, for liberty & strength, that He would bring unity, for where there is unity the Lord commands the blessing.
God’s Word cuts through to bone & marrow meet – it reveals the heart & plans of man. Is 55:11 – His Word will accomplish that which it was sent out for. We prayed for a humility, an openness, a listening & a hearing of what God is saying – that we wouldn’t just look inward at the problems, but outward at the world. That the unsaved would come in, that we could reach out & have spiritual impact.
We thanked the Lord for our current venue & for how well it was working & continued to pray for the new venue & the finances that are still required. We prayed for the various ministries of the Church, that there would be deep & meaningful connection within the homegroups & huddles.
Psalm 84:10 ‘Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere’ …. Thank You Lord for your Peace, Your Presence, Your Plans, Your Power …….
Lead us Lord….! 😊
2021
Prayer Blog – 27 September
Another amazing prayer meeting!!
Started off with the song “Goodness of God” – WOW, take a listen …. I love You Lord, Your mercy never fails me …. All my life you have been faithful … I love Your voice … You have led me through the fire …. Known You as a Father, ….as a Friend … lived in the goodness of God ….
Such a privilege to be in His presence which was so powerful, with other believers, of one mind, in unity.
Led into a time of praise & thanksgiving – For who He is, His love that is so deep & so wide, heaven & earth are filled with His glory! His miracles, healings, every small thing, so much to be thankful for, for His choice of choosing us & inviting us as humans to work with Him in His creative work that He is doing around us … open our eyes Lord to see, our ears to hear & our hearts to perceive ….. Let us share Your Words that are living & active …..
We prayed for an outpouring of His life, the River of Life, into our communities, the city, the country, for the hungry & the thirsty, for His pure life, new refreshing in a sea of toxicity ….
There was a picture of water coming down a mountain – that even huge boulders moved & started to roll away ….
We prayed against all sorts of restrictions, barriers, blockages, impurities, wrong mindsets, sin, unbelief, lack of vision, lack of faith …. The goodness of God leads to repentance … confession ….. give us clean hearts & hands Lord, that we might be conduits of Your Holy Spirit … that You may rule in the midst of our enemies …. Even like Goliath fell at the sword of David. We ask Lord for your gifts, for faith for healing …..,
There was a picture of a massive ‘earth-moving caterpillar / bulldozer’ on its side – compare with the picture earlier of the boulders being moved, that nothing is impossible with God. We can give Him any & every situation …like Corrie Ten Boom used to pray “Lord Jesus, won’t You please just hold this for me!”
We prayed for the pastorate meeting that was taking place right after the prayer meeting – for God’s direction, discernment, clarity, courage, graciousness ….
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom ….. no restrictions, flow … like the Spirit flowed in Wellington during the revival that started with the Dutch Reform Church…..
Its not time to get disillusioned with our faith, but to be discontent with our level of faith! There was a picture of gold being refined … like we are being refined, so that our levels of faith may increase …. Being made into a beautiful mirror of gold that reflects & shines His light & glory.
Acts 10:1-4 – Cornelius, a God-fearing & devout man who gave generously to those in need & prayed to God regularly, had a vision where the angel said “Your prayers & gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God”.
Ps 77:1, 7-8 – The Psalmist crying out to God & wondering where God is & if His love has vanished … sometimes (often!?), we feel like this ….. for encouragement you may want to think of or play the song ‘The Eye of the Storm’ by Ryan Stevenson … he sings …’Your love surrounds me, in the eye of the storm’ – so true!
The word ‘banner’ came up a number of times. Song of Songs 6:4 ‘… as majestic as an army with banners’. ‘His banner over me is love’ (Song of Songs 2:4), Reminder of the song “We wanna see, we wanna see Jesus lifted up .. a banner that flies across the sky …’
There was also a picture of God birthing something new, a Midwife was there, but there seemed to be complications ….. a breaching maybe … not sure ….. we know that the devil often tries to take out something as it’s born or whilst very young (many stories in the Bible of this), …..we’re asking God to show us more ….. please let us know of any words, scriptures or pictures you may get as you are praying!
Blessings!
Kevin
2021
Prayer Blog – 20 September
There’s been a definite theme over the last few weeks about waiting on the Lord, & as we do so, He will give us the strength, & an innermost joy, that we need so desperately – (Is 40: 28-31, Song – ‘Strength will rise’).
PRAISE POINTS: Help us Lord to turn every blessing back into praise to glorify your name!
- The first service at the new venue at the Sea Scout base was fantastic & nearly full – Brendan preached up a storm for the start of the new series (Dependant on the Spirit) – if you want some tips on pancakes, take a listen (link on website)!
- It was really good to see people in person again & have some ‘proper’ fellowship & chats!!😊
- A number of people who have been sick have been making great recoveries & fantastic progress. We are keen to get some short testimonies onto various media platforms which will be really encouraging!
- The building site coming on in leaps & bounds, huge difference from last week – the demolition & bulk earthworks contract should all be completed by 23rd Sept! Ready for the piling thereafter!
- Joy is in You – there’s still a picture on the side wall at the building site of animals in the Ark – one of which a monkey looking through a porthole with a huge smile on his face – totally dependent on the God, & smiling all the way, making the most of the journey! Let’s give Him thanks & praise!
PRAYER WALK: We split up went for a prayer walk around the site – mostly levelled & looking great – what a difference from last week’s swimming pool!
SONG: Came back & sang ‘Come Holy Spirit – Uthando’
PRAYER POINTS:
- Flow, Living water, flow through us. We need your presence, power & our gifts to work in us.
- Prayed for the Parish Leaders
- We prayed especially for the leadership, for their protection, wisdom, provision & discernment.
- Knit & weave us together Lord, even as the foundations are being compacted & prepared.
- John 15:1-10 – Thank you that You Abide in us, help us to abide in you – the word Abide or remain appears eleven times in these ten verses – need this for bearing fruit. Compare with the theme about waiting on the Lord & strength & joy will arise as we do – these too are fruit & evidence that we can see in each other.
- Roger had a picture on Sunday about a snowy scene that was coming into spring – we are going into a new season – the snow is beginning to melt – water beginning to flow, brings with it new life … also washes away that which is not of Him.
- We are hungry & humble before You, without You we can do nothing, we are dependent on You Lord – Lead & guide us as we journey on & do life together.
- FROG acronym – Fully Reliant on God!
There are times for each season – just as the building is coming along, sometimes feels slow, so are we being built, as living stones …. You’re the Builder Lord …. from glory to glory ….
You’re the God of the impossible…
We ask for a Spirit & gifts of wisdom, discernment, your anointing breaks the yoke.
Hope is in You…
Protection is in You – Ps 91
Let’s go out & serve The Lord, in His strength, with His joy, in His timing, with His Love!😊
2021
Prayer Blog – 6 September – Giving Thanks!
To give thanks & the concept of thankfulness appears around 150 times in the Bible! It’s such an important principle & I love the description that giving thanks is like an antidote ……. to so many ailments & issues – will let your imagination run! Let us remember to ‘give thanks’!
In Ps 107 ‘give thanks’ appears 5 times. So in the prayer meeting after an update from Angie & a song “Let the Redeemed” by Josh Baldwin (I encourage you to listen to the words), we give thanks, for many of the things that He has done for us. Some of specifics for being so thankful, were for Brendan, our inspiring, wise & valiant leader, whose birthday was on Monday (!😊), the team around him & the living stones that form part of our community, the building (or rather rubble!) that is making such fantastic progress, the finances that are coming in & the many items on our list which have been answered!
Ps 107 also talks about that we, the redeemed, should be telling our story – in so many ways the Life Centre is bellowing out part of God’s story, the CHS story, of His envisioning, leading, guiding, providing, protecting, faithfulness & love. Let us not grow weary in doing good … (Gal 6:9), let us remember that ‘the joy of the Lord is our strength’ (Neh 8:10), & I think of that song ‘Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord, as we wait upon the Lord’.
Big items for continued prayer are: Venue, finances, health & provision for our community, wisdom for so many decisions, strength for the fight, unity, our leaders – all the way to provincially & nationally, for the nations – especially those at war, & for the light & love of our glorious God to shine through us to redeem the those who are lost.
Come & join us in prayer at the cottage in 16 Chelsea Crescent, 6pm on Mondays!
Kevin
2021
Prayer Blog – 30 Aug
“Rejoice always, PRAY continually, give thanks in all circumstances ….. (1 Thes 5:16-18)
Thank You Lord that in You we can REJOICE, we PRAISE your Holy Name! We THANK YOU for all that You have done, are doing, & will yet do! There are so many answered prayers & for these we thank You!
ETERNAL LIFE: This was the main theme coming through, & what we must never forget is the ultimate purpose of the Life Centre – bringing eternal life to those around us, through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s about sharing this & an outward focus.
LIVING STONES: ‘’… you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy proesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ’ – (1 Peter 2:5).
There was prayer for the team & requests & various needs in our community & beyond. A big one is the right venue – please direct us Lord & make a way for an amazing interim venue!
Come & join us for praises, prayer & minstry on Monday night in the Chelsea Street cottage at 6pm!😊