The community meal
Wednesday 13 March 2019
Wednesday 13 March 2019
In February we drew together some very helpful pointers from our initial learning and from the 24-7 training in January. If you've not read it, read it now!!
The leaders have worked out the pattern for the community we would like to experiment with next.
We remain clear that the house of prayer is not the building or the prayer room but the community of praying people who are maintaining a rhythm of prayer that the Holy Spirit dwells in. We believe the house of prayer is built as we pray together.
Our primary passion remains to seek the presence of God. We promote both individual and corporate prayer, both emerging from our encounter with Him. We believe we are called to encourage the Body of Christ in Southampton to pray together and to encourage rhythms of prayer in all settings, from households and house meetings to churches and christian organisations.
We are going to gather for a community meal fortnightly. This will be a shared meal, and a time of worship and prayer. The purpose of this community meal is to maintain a corporate rhythm of prayer out of which the life of the house of prayer will flow.
The meal is for everyone involved in SoHOP, whether from the beginning or recently. It is a place of connection and keeping our vision and calling alive. We understand that for some it will not be possible to attend every fortnight - that is ok, everyone is welcome, no matter how often they come.
However, in addition to this open invitation, we want to identify a core community who are able to commit to come to the community meal every fortnight. We see this core community as making an agreement together that we will continue to seek God for his will to be done concerning SoHOP and we will continue to build it in prayer. Our commitment will keep the rhythm alive for SoHOP.
So it is decision time. Who is able to commit to the core community?
What Jill Weber had to say about being alert to spiritual attack is particularly important and timely for us, given the number of difficulties and challenges people in our community are experiencing, or have experienced since the turn of the New Year. We need to stick together, and make a particular matter of upholding each other before God, bearing in mind that Jesus our ultimate intercessor, and complete High priest, is doing the same.
So this week we paired up randomly, to pray for each other each day. This simple rhythm will help us stand our ground and will help us keep connected during the week.
For those who couldn't be there, we will assign pairs via email.
Maybe its just life or maybe there are more struggles we are encountering because the spiritual forces are opposing the house of prayer. In the light of this we reminded our selves about the daily practice of putting on the armour of God. In Ephesians Paul tells us to put on the armour of God and emphasises it is about STANDING OUR GROUND. In this season of establishing the house of prayer we need to set our faces to stand our ground.
The armour is not something made by ourselves, but by God. We encouraged the use of our imaginations, and asking God what the armour he has made for us specifically looks like. Dwell on it daily and use it.
For example, when facing temptation lift up the shield of faith - the promise here is that ALL the flaming arrows of the evil one will be extinguished.
During March we are praying for the nation. There is a national day of prayer called for on the 29th March.
We believe we are at a crucial moment in history where the destiny of our nation can be affected. We are not praying politically but praying for God’s will to be done and the destiny that He has for us to be released into the conjecture and uncertainty.
In Ephesians Paul speaks of "this unfolding plan" (Eph 1:5, Passion Translation) - the unveiling of the Father's secret desires and the hidden mystery of his long range plan. He says it will reign supreme through every period of time until the fulfilment of the ages reaches its climax, when God makes all things NEW, in all of heaven and earth through Jesus Christ. This is our perspective at this time!!!
This is about the eagle perspective - rising above the worries and asking God for his perspective.
We encourage prayer for God's will to be done, and prayers of blessing for all politicians. We are also particularly praying for the people and government of Southampton at this time.
We shared the latest news on becoming associated officially with 24-7. The conversation will continue over this year and we hope to be commissioned at the global gathering in Belfast in October.