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Fortyfold Gratitude

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A ‘big 0’ birthday demands a celebration, and on April 5th at Baildon, we reached a 40th anniversary. Since 1976 we’ve had a weekly prayer meeting, running continuously, and we want to thank and praise the Lord for keeping us going.
Initially, we met every eight days, to give everyone with other commitments a chance to come, but that didn’t suit the regulars, so we soon fixed on Mondays.  A format developed: share concerns; look at a Bible text; and then free prayer.  Meetings last just one hour, and we don’t stop early if a silence develops (silence can be full and deep).  During this time, we have worked through the Bible, considering every mention of prayer we could find, including requests made to Jesus while on earth.  We now have a little booklet listing all those Bible references. 
Numbers started quite well but then dropped off, for many reasons, and eventually we got down to three.  But we resolved to continue however few and persevered, even if only one of us was able to come!  Recently, numbers have grown a bit and we may have as many as ten.  And recently a Tuesday morning meeting was set up for those who don’t like evenings, and two young mums have also started to meet weekly, after they have dropped their children off at school.  Occasionally there are Saturday morning meetings for the building plans: few have come, but they are held.
For those who have prayed at these meetings, blessings have flowed richly.  We have felt assured that our prayers are always heard, and have seen them answered in many ways.  And we ourselves have felt blessed beyond words by the Spirit’s continuing presence.  We cannot urge you strongly enough, whoever you are, to meet with others to praise and pray, persistently and thankfully, as indeed  is God’s will for us all. (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18).

Roy LS, Baildon

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