Prayer at Newhills
Prayer – Newhills Church 2011
Time for Prayer (Wednesdays [fortnightly] at 7pm)
This is a fortnightly commitment to pray for the congregation, to bring the needs, concerns and people of the congregation and community to God. It is a time to reflect upon God’s Word as we systematically journey through the Psalms, and a time to meet in quietness and humility in the presence of God to listen for His voice.
24/7 Prayer
This has become a periodic commitment to pray fervently, passionately, and in a focussed way for particular issues, or before significant events in the church’s life, to soak the matter in prayer, and to call upon God to reveal His truth and display His power. Taking place primarily in the church’s Prayer Room, individuals choose to take an hour or more to pray, to reflect, to listen, to discern the Spirit of God. Sometimes comments are written down; sometimes pieces of scripture become more vivid. Although it is individuals who pray, there is a wonderful corporate experience of united prayer, seeking the mind of God and waiting upon Him.
Use of Prayer Room
The Prayer Room was set up following the re-siting of the Church Office. Originally a temporary feature for a 24/7 prayer time linked with a national call to prayer, the room has now become a permanent and wonderful place for peace, quietness and hope. Sometimes meetings are held there. Sometimes families will sit in its shelter prior to a funeral. Sometimes individuals will seek its solace and comfort following a busy, difficult day, or after a meeting at the church. It is always there and always available whenever the church is being used.
Prayer Ministry
To understand the power of prayer is to unleash an incredible influence within a world of chaos, sorrow, hurt, pain, confusion, sickness, ugliness, anger and sin. We all become victims in a broken world, weighed down with guilt, responsibility, overwhelming sadness and helplessness, and into such situations God offers His touch of healing, transformation and life.
By creating a culture of prayerfulness, a belief in the power of prayer, of God’s wonderful desire to be known and loved in response to His overflowing grace and compassion, allows for anyone to feel safe in asking to be prayed for, to be listened to, to be supported – without criticism or judgment – but with a belief that God hears all our prayers, and that when we open ourselves to His presence, He can do remarkable things.
My hope is to see a community of believers rediscover the incredible power of prayer, the staggering love of the Father, the complete provision of the Son and the abiding presence of the Spirit – leading not only to a people immersed in faith and convinced of God’s goodness and greatness, but compelled by His love to offer it unashamedly to those around to whom He sends us, whether into our home communities, our work communities, our friendship communities, or whatever community of influence and significance we are part of.
Visionary Prayer
This “picture” was given to me last week by a member of our congregation which has encouraged my own focus:
Prayer Monday 20th June 2011 just after Hugh’s sermon on the 19th on prayer.
For the people of Newhills church
I saw a picture of the church (Newhills) with the doors wide open and there was a golden liquid pouring out through them. At first I thought it was like cooking oil because it was that consistency. As it poured down the path onto the road it started to flow down the hill towards Bucksburn and Newhills. It was just on the road at first but then as it gathered momentum it spread out over the fields, until everywhere was covered in this golden liquid.
Then as I looked at the road heading towards Kingswells, I saw the oil like a wave, high at the front moving with power and force like a Tsunami.
Behind the church the oil was gathering in puddles in the car park and gardens.
When I asked the Lord what it all meant, I understood the ‘cooking oil’ to be the oil of the Holy Spirit. The Lord was saying that as the people of Newhills gathered together to pray in the Sanctuary