Skip to main content

Fortyfold Gratitude

Image
By
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
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Circuit Talents Challenge

By
"For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money ..." Matthew 25:14-30 Why don't you take up the Circuit Talents Challenge by taking a £5 note and making it grow for the Circuit? More details ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The wind among the trees

By
I sat among the trees once. And a wind was blowing. Quite a strong wind; I could hear it in the trees –   rushing, rushing. A lovely sound, soothing to my ears. I stopped what I was writing and began to listen. I remembered that Jesus said that the Holy Spirit was like   the wind. You could hear it; see its effect. But you couldn’t see the wind itself. You couldn’t see   where it was coming from, nor going to. And I wondered, “Are you showing me something about your Spirit, Lord?” So I sat, and I listened, and I watched. They were big, old trees where I sat. Tall they were, in an ancient wood, well-branched,  shapely. Beech, grey bark against the clear blue of the sky. And leaves: they were leaves that knew the wind;   leaves that let the wind know them. They looked, like beach leaves look in a wind: full of life –   and with a certain beauty all their own. I watched the great crowns of those great trees. I watched the branches sway and the ...
Post a Comment
Read more

For such times as these! - A good news story from Windhill!

By
For such times as these! (Esther 14:14) On June 1st James Stannet (from e:merge , a Christian Youth organisation) began his youth work for Christchurch LEP in Windhill. He says, "Well! June has been a really busy but very productive month. On Wednesday, in the park, numbers are climbing week by week, now averaging 25. Good partnerships have been made with local organisations. this has been a blessing: enabling us to deliver varied sport activities and build good relationships.' 'The Hope Revolution, youth event, based at Christchurch LEP was a massive hit. A BIG Thank you is expressed to the Church for the support, encouragement and prayers. 200 people attended the Fun Day. Despite the rainy weather, 100 young people took part in local projects: two house clear-ups, school garden project (Windhill Primary) and running the Fun Day. 10 Christian Organisations working together resulting in several families requesting Christian children's activities.' ...
Post a Comment
Read more