PRAYING ALL WEEK LONG

PRAYING ALL WEEK LONG
 
We’ve got the craziest idea.  As crazy as it is, we are convinced it is God’s idea.  (The Bible is full of big, crazy ideas God came up with).
 
The idea is to have a full week of non-stop prayer.  That’s right - a full week in which someone, or some group of people, would be praying at the church at any given hour, day or night.  A week in which we would pass the baton of prayer from  Bethel    member to Bethel member for 168 hours in a row, asking God to release the power of the Holy Spirit.
 
Where did this crazy idea come from?  It started with me last summer.  I was reading the book Dirty Glory by Pete Grieg and learned about the 24-7 prayer movement that is sweeping the globe.  Churches in every nation are dedicating weeks at a time to prayer, sometimes with stunning stories of life-change to tell at week’s end.
 
I shared the idea with our Prayer Planning Team, and they too came to believe the Spirit is leading us to take the plunge. Then we learned that the Archbishop of Canterbury is calling Christians worldwide to a period of 24-7 prayer starting May 10 (Ascension Day) and ending ten days later on Pentecost Sunday.  We decided to start our prayer week on May 10 to align with this worldwide movement.
 
“Thy Kingdom come” and “Come Holy Spirit” will be the central prayers for the week.  This twin theme will guide us as we pray for one another, Bethel’s future, the church plant, our nation, and much more.
 
I believe God will be very pleased by this communal outpouring of love for Him.  I also think that He has surprises for us that we will only discover after the week is over.
 
This idea may excite you.  On the other hand, you may be a little dazed.  (I did mention that this is a crazy idea.)  If you are in the latter camp, you may be asking yourself, “How could I possibly pray for a full hour?”  I encourage you to join this adventure in prayer.  I predict every hour you spend in prayer will speed by and that it will lead you to a new discovery of the power of prayer.
 
Stay tuned for more details. –Pastor Tom   

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