It was very good to be together again – there was much chat over dinner!

This was our first meeting back after the summer holiday (although we had one community meal in August, when we were joined by Jill Weber from 24-7).

There was a wonderful sense of God's presence with us as we prayed. We discerned much for the time ahead. Very encouraging - thank you Jesus!

Pause

Pause – we began with a pause moment (as mentioned in Pete Grieg's new book - P.R.A.Y). 

We were asking God what is on his heart for SoHOP this term and also thinking about what is on our heart for SoHOP this term. When we shared what we had discerned, it was very encouraging to hear the themes coming through.

Father, what is on your heart for SoHOP this term?

• more than you can imagine!

• going deeper

• more intentional prayer, focused on the city - encouraging us to ask bigger

• the pilot light is lit (this was an encouragement we had before the summer), but now we are going to be seeing the rest of the boiler come to life. This means churches getting more active and SoHOP will be more in the minds of churches.

• more worship and prayer together; deep intercession, including prayer for the nation

• the joy of Lord will be your strength. God is going to show us more of what he is doing, but it’s not to become burdensome. He wants us to give it back to him

• there is a stepping out to do – we are going to be praying in different parts of the city.

• golden key – given to one of us. It’s for SoHOP. What is it about? Key to the city. Nowhere we can’t go, nowhere we can’t unlock.

• like a bird taking flight – I saw a slow motion bird taking flight: it jumps off the ledge, dips down a bit, but then it is soaring up and away.

• finding God in the gaps- the God opportunities that he gives. Looking for God in the not so obvious places. Be active in listening. Whilst hosting on Saturdays there will be more personal breakthroughs, more encounters. Be prepared. Listen.

• ACTION

• it’s not about numbers of people involved. He’s called us to be watchmen. We are just to be obedient.

• a chain, big and strong. God is going to be building stronger links with churches.

•  Jesus washing feet. He wants to serve people and the community.

• going deeper – then we are going wider too. i.e. more people involved

• we are taking root

• mobilising the church, drawing people to us, because He trusts us; being present with us; move on His plans for Southampton.

And what is on my heart?

• Day by day, oh, dear Lord, three things I pray:

  • To see thee more clearly

  • Love thee more dearly

  • Follow thee more nearly

New theme – thankfulness

This term we start with the theme of thankfulness. The leaders discerned this before the summer. 

Tonight we read Luke 17:11-19. The healing of the lepers – only one went back to Jesus to say thank you. These are points that came out in our reflections together.

We need to say thank you for what God has done – and he’s done a lot!!

The practice of thanks is important to Jesus. It’s a spiritual principle – thanks advances the Kingdom. It lifts us. It builds faith, as we take note of what he has done. It is easy to focus on 1 or 2 negative issues in our lives, but there are so many other things that so outweigh the negative things. It is like in Exodus – such short memories of the wonderful ways God had saved them and been with them. They’d had so many blessings!

The way the leper came back was loud/demonstrative, throwing himself at Jesus feet. Obvious. Lets’ be loud in our thanks.

He came back. Coming to the prayer room is us coming back to Jesus and pressing in. 

He thanked for something specific. We should be asking and thanking and praising for specific things. 

We are in a season, like harvest, where we are gathering in what God has done and offering to Him our thanks.

Testimony from Roshni – friend visited in June. Very thankful for the blessing she received in SoHOP (spoke about it on the phone yesterday!!)

Prayer walk updates

We gave some feedback from our 2 prayer walks in Weston and our 2 prayer walks round the Flower Roads. We will probably set more prayer walk times. It seems to be the season for this. From our discussions we note the following: 

• We don’t expect everyone to do everything! When some of us go on a prayer walk we represent the whole community. 

• Our involvement may be a catalyst for what needs to happen or what is already happening. God will use us to release something.

• Word about the sun rising in Weston and setting in the west. This is like a signal for us at SoHOP, showing us how to follow God’s lead and focus. For now the Holy Spirit is focusing us on the east. This is an encouragement to follow up with the churches in the Weston area.

• It is an example of deeper and wider – as we hold and act on the words we get (going deeper), the Lord will act on them and more people will be blessed and praying (going wider).