“Wow!”
“We were really moved by our prayer time last night.”
Those are the opening words of two of the emails I’ve received today about last night’s “TELL GOD YOUR REQUESTS FOR 2015” prayer event. As members quietly moved among the twelve prayer stations at their own pace it was obvious God was touching hearts. While words are inadequate to describe what took place, allow me to try anyway. Here are some of the highlights I witnessed or experienced that touched me:
*Yellow sticky notes stuck on walls. In one room members prayed for people they know who are struggling with some form of addiction or besetting sin. Then they wrote the person’s first name on a sticky note and attached it to a wall. The same thing happened in another room where we prayed for lost people we know and care about. In another room it was the names of backslidden Christians and in a fourth room it was the names of family members living in rebellion against God and perhaps their family. You can see some of those sticky note lined walls in the photographs below. Seeing those sticky notes and realizing the burden that so many members carry for others was moving.
*Tears! It was not unusual to see tears in people’s eyes as they prayed. They were encountering God and not afraid for their emotions to be touched. One man cried while praying for lost coworkers.
*Listening as different persons told me about their experience and what God was doing in their lives. One said it was the best prayer event we’ve ever had. Another shared with me how God healed them of anger toward a sibling. Still another explained that his understanding of God had grown as he read the Bible verses displayed in our lobbies and hallways describing the attributes of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and then prayed about the truths expressed in those verses. He had never seen in one place such a full description of God. Members enjoyed the freedom of moving at their own pace and going to the prayer stations of their own choosing. They appreciated the written guidance and helps provided at each prayer station because it made praying easier. One person was surprised when they learned that the 90 minutes was over. He was ready to go to another station when his friend mentioned it was 6:30 pm – the time the event was scheduled to end.
*I was also blessed to talk with one child about her salvation and desire to be baptized. I prayed with one person who has a terminal illness and another who recently learned he has prostate cancer. Our Pastors prayed with people about pregnancies, job searches, and other needs.
It was a powerful evening of prayer, worship, and Christian fellowship.
I’d love to hear from more of you who attended. What did God do in your life last night? What did the evening mean to you? What would you say to someone who had never attended one of these prayer events?
Pastor Steve Hogg
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