Hope Prayer Room Reflections

A Big Thanks to everyone who supported the Hope 2008 24/10 Prayer Room.

More than 200 people from 18 church congregations took slots in the prayer room. Together we sustained 220 hours of prayer over 10 days.

"There is a real sense of the presence of God." Prayer Room user.

"I feel much clearer in my head in the prayer room." Prayer Room visitor.

Excitingly, many passersby left prayer requests on the church railings, that could then be taken into the prayer room and offered to God in prayer.

"Many thanks for setting up the 24/10 at St Peter's, and for leaving it so clean and tidy.

I was very conscious of the Lord's presence the times I spent there, and St Peter's felt it a privilege to host it."

Rev Fred Woods, vicar of St Peter's Church congregation.

If you'd like to be involved in future Hope 2008 events in Colchester check http://www.hopeforcolchester.blogspot.com

Or leave a comment.

love Richard

News from the Hope 2008 prayer room

The prayer room has now been the site of 4 days of prayer room, with seven church congregations taking slots.

Visitors have commented on the sense of peace in the prayer room. But Magic, a visitor from Poland, also commented on the life he saw.

Passers by have taken the chance to hang prayers on the church railings. (These prayers are then brought inside and prayed).

Free slots in the prayer room are still avaiable at 7pm, 9pm and 11pm today. Also midnight - 1am, and 2am - 5am Wednesday morning. Also Saturday 12noon - 8pm.

Please sign up for slots in the prayer room, St Peter's Church, North Hill.

Also please consider asking your church leader to support the Global Day of Prayer on Sunday 11 May. The Hope 2008 Colchester organisers are asking church congregations to say the Prayer for the World together at 11am on Sunday.

For more info visit wwwglobaldayofprayer.com It's an awesome prayer! And amazing to be part of a prayer being said across the world.

If you intend to join with this global prayer, please let marie@colchesterprayernet.co.uk know.

Richard

Boundaries

Here's a great bit of wisdom from Marie....

"I learned something in the Easter holidays that may also be an encouragement to you in this busy season.

Grace and I visited an owl sanctuary.

We discovered there used to be 14,000 owls before the second World War. At that time fields were fairly small.

During the war the government became worried about feeding the people. They encouraged farmers to remove the hedgerows, creating bigger fields, and to plough to the edge of the field rather than leaving the edges alone.

Of course, this meant there was nowhere for some animals and birds to shelter and find food, and so their population rapidly declined.

Until that point I had always thought of setting boundaries as an issue of my health, spiritual, physical etc. That day I realised it's about people who live on the edge of society and who rely on what they find there.

If I plough to the edge there is nothing left for them."

Hope 2008 24/10 Prayer Room update

The prayer room will be running from 8pm 1 May - 8pm 10 May at St Peter's Church, North Hill, Colchester.

So far 16 different church congregations have committed to taking prayer slots in the prayer room, covering about 8 days of continuous prayer!!

If you'd like your church to be involved please contact Richard Smith via mail@colchesterboilerroom.org.uk

The prayer room will be open to visitors 7am - 8pm Friday 2 May - Saturday 10 May.

One minute of prayer for Zimbabwe each day

Hello Boiler Room friends,

There is a state of emergency and dispair in Zimbabwe currently. However, there also seems to be an opportunity of movement towards change as well as potential violence.

Please would you join me in praying for Zimbabwe for a minute a day at this time? This could be added to our Daily Prayer, if you pray that.

Further info on Zimbabwe and the one minute prayer are below.

with appreciation of your time and prayers,love Richard

Dear World,

I am a 16 year old person living in Zimbabwe. I think the time has come for a more direct appeal, and so I am writing to you, the world.

Maybe, just maybe, there might be someone out there who can help us...It's tough here now.

The inflation rate is so high that if you don't change money within 6 hours you could get half the amount of foreign currency that you would have originally received.

We're starving now; people die around us. In the last year alone at least ten people associated personally with my family have died despite the fact that they were only middle-aged. Other people don't make it to middle age. They don't even make it past childhood.Our once-proud nation is on it's knees. We flee or die. This beautiful, bountiful once-rich land has become a living hell. We have dealt with it until now; we have made a plan. That was the Zimbabwean motto: 'MAKE A PLAN'.

But now we can't make a plan. We're too tired, too broken, too bankrupt. We can't afford life, and life does not cost much, not really. We cannot afford to eat, we cannot afford to drink, and we cannot afford to make mistakes, because if we do we die. We don't have the capital to support ourselves, and those few who do, have to deal with the horror of watching their friends and family fall into absolute poverty as they cannot afford to help them.We're waiting desperately for a great hand to pick us up out of the dirt because at the moment we are outnumbered by Fate herself, and so we close our eyes and pray. We have fought for too long, and have been brought to breaking point. We simply stand, heads down, and bear it. Our spirit has gone; we are defeated. After a valiant struggle of over fifteen years, we have been broken.

There is no will left, no spirit. Like a horse that has been beaten until it cannot fight anymore; we are the same, and, like that horse, we stand dusty, scarred and alone, with dried blood on our sides and lash marks along our flanks. Our ribs too stand out; our hide is also dull.
Our eyes are glazed, our throats are parched, and our knees struggle to support us so that we stand with splayed legs to bear the brunt of the next beating, too dejected even to whimper...

This is my plea. The thought of picking ourselves up again is sickening; one can only take so many blows before oblivion is reached, and we are teetering on the rim of the bottomless void. One more push will be the end of us all...There must be someone out there who can do something. There must be someone out there who cares! We are a destroyed nation, and the world sits back and watches, pretending they cannot hear our cries. I appeal to you all...HELP US!

(From a 16 year Zimbabwean.)

IN VIEW OF THE CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS IN ZIMBABWE WE ARE ORGANISING A DAILY ONE MINUTE PRAYER TIME AT 8 A.M. OR 1 P.M. OR 8.00 P.M. AT ANY ONE OF THESE TIMES, PLEASE STOP WHATEVER YOU ARE DOING AND SPEND THAT ONE MINUTE PRAYING FOR GOD TO INTERVENE IN THE AFFAIRS OF OUR COUNTRY.

SOMEONE SAID IF CHRISTIANS REALLY UNDERSTOOD THE FULL EXTENT OF THE POWER WE HAVE AVAILABLE THROUGH PRAYER, WE MIGHT BE SPEECHLESS.

THANK YOU, ZIMBABWE 24-hour Solidarity Vigil

Ordinary people going extraordinary places

Last weekend, I visited Shropshire - land of rolling hills, wind and rain... and... snow! I joined other believers for a training conference for voluntary work with a Chiristian company either overseas or in UK.

These other people were really encouraging. I'm more and more convinced God chooses people who seem ordinary or clearly not naturally qualified for the job. The Bible is full of them... Moses, Abraham, Gideon, David, Peter. I believe this means God will choose you some day...

God has chosen me to go to Africa in September this year. I wake every day saying thanks to God for this opportunity. I'm mixed with feelings of humility, joy, peace yet also thougts of, "Why me?" "What will happen to me there?" and "What will I do when I'm there?" I just wanna seek God my Father and do what he says.

I need your prayers and so do many other volunteers sharing the gospel. Ordinary people who go out every Friday night as a Street Pastor and those who tirelessly prepare food for the Soup Run every single evening. Those are just two examples of many... I really hope you listen carefully to what God would say to you about sharing the greatest story in the world.

Much love and thanks
Michael

Please get in touch if you would like to know more about my work in Africa by the email on this website or phone - (01206) 523923

24-7 Podcasts available for to inspire prayer and reflection

Check this link http://www.24-7prayer.com/spaces

I think these podcasts inspire Godly reflection and prayer...

what do you think?

love Richard

Great Clacton Prayer Room

Anne Scott, prayer room creator extraordinaire invites us to the;

Great Clacton Methodist Church Prayer Room

Day of prayer
Share time with God and with others.

5th April 2008 7.30 am – 10.30 pm

Hope 2008 24/10 Prayer Room

Many people across the church are coming to together with the dream of seeing many people reached by the love of Jesus Christ. This is Hope 2008. We believe prayer is crucial to enable us to be guided by God, and to see fruit for His kingdom. You and your congregation can be part of a special prayer time to fuel Hope 2008 in Colchester, and inspire our work together for His kingdom.

The vision is for a 24 hour Prayer Room runnning continuously for 10 days at St Peters Church, North Hill 1 – 10 May 2008, in the run up to the Global Day of Prayer 2008 on May 11.

This vision involves more continuous prayer than has been seen before in Colchester. It is pioneering but possible, if we work together. We need 19 church congregations to each commit to filling a 12 hour block of one hour slots.

What will the prayer room be like?

The prayer room will be available for all types of prayer to Jesus. So, a group may come and pray during one hour slot, or people may want to come on their own. People may want to pray in silence, or play music.

There will also be creative prayer activities in the prayer room.

The prayer room can be a place of mission, too. It will be open to the public during the day, so that any interested people can come in and find out about prayer and about Jesus.

Each person who is booked into a slot will have the responsibility for looking after the prayer room. People who are in the prayer room at night should find another person to accompany them so they are not alone at night. There will be prayer room supervisors on call at all times.

How can you be involved?

You can contact Richard Smith on richard@colchesterboilerroom.org.uk to check which slots are available. The slots will run 12 midnight – 12 noon, or 12 noon – 12 midnight.

Richard Smith, Colchester Boiler Room Community
Hope 2008 is supported in Colchester by
Seeking God's Blessing for Colchester, Colchester Prayernet,and church congregations.

Encouraging news from Turkey

Here's some encouraging news from the hosting church in Turkey, who we worked with to do a 24-7 Prayer Room.

"We can see a new zeal for the Lord and a new desire to pray.

The biggest thing happened to a couple who thought they have to go back home to work and earn money. One of them just found work last week in the International School as a teacher. She can start in September. Also housing and schooling for their kids is free. That is a miracle. It popped up in one day. They are so happy. Also we, since he serves us as finance man.

Alfa courses is also going well. Easter was also a good Sunday. We had a big celebration and cooked dinner for 200 people. Praise the Lord."

Amazing times in Turkey

Colin, Jean, Katy and I had an amazing trip to Turkey. Thanks so much to all of you who prayed and encouraged us. God provided all we needed, and answered all our prayers for the week.

Here's the entrance to the daytime prayer room (we had two prayer rooms making up this 24/7 prayer week). "Hos geldiniz" is "you are welcome" in Turkish. A key prayer for us during the week was "Hos Geldiniz, Isa" or "You are welcome, Jesus."
Preparing the sunny patio where we could offer hospitality at the entrance to the prayer room.
The team on the "crown of Smyrna", a strategic hill and castle in the middle of the city.
The night time prayer room, in a central church building. It was a peaceful and inspiring place. And the site of the most amazing musical worship on the last night with young people.
I hope to share more stories with you in person. But particularly special things spring to mind now;

• prophecies received, confirming those received over many years, about Holy Spirit fire coming in this place and then spreading across Turkey,
• many stories of the Holy Spirit miraculously touching people, including a Muslim woman healed by Jesus in a dream then waking to find she is healed,
• I experienced an overwelming filling of the Holy Spirit whilst being prayer for in the prayer room
• we sang the Hallelujah chorus at the ampitheatre at Ephesus together with a Japanese tour group!
• many people now want to see more 24/7 prayer in Turkey

Thanks and glory to God.

love Richard

News from Turkey

Dear friends,

Thanks so much for all your encouragement and prayers. We have really felt supported in our trip, and we are seeing answers to your prayers.

We have been welcomed very well by many friends here. The two (!) prayer rooms are now running. And many of the slots are booked up.

One is a basement boiler room, with a well in the back room. Living water is a theme in this room and people coming in can draw a Scripture verse in English and Turkish from the well. There is also a graffiti wall, art activities, a hoş geldiniz (welcome) patio, and a chance to wash one another's hands.

The other (night time) prayer room is in a new church building. The top floors offer a view of the crown of Izmir. There is music making, and areas for thanks and prayer for Turkey.

In both prayer rooms there are many prayer requests gathered from the church here.

Give thanks for;

The provision of the venues
The church congregations working together here, including a church leaders meeting in the prayer room on Wednesday
Good team working amongst the Colchester team
Good response and interest in the prayer rooms
A policeman visiting the prayer room, and encouraging us, saying he's "here to protect you"
Holy Spirit visions and words of prophecy that are already starting to flow

Please pray for;

Holy Spirit inspiration and guidance for all in the prayer rooms
Ongoing unity, especially between two hosting congregations
Good balance of work rest and pray for the Colchester team
God to continue to take care of the logistics
The exciting sessions planned with children and young people on Friday and Saturday
Surprise(d) visitors called by the Holy Spirit to the prayer room!


love Richard and Katy

24/3 Prayer Room at St Stephens

Here's a message from Chris,

The 24/3 prayer room will be at St Stephens Church, Canterbury Road, Colchester.

"If you have time please could you publicise the prayer room as we would really welcome anyone and everyone.

The prayer room starts at 9pm on Maundy Thursday (20thMarch) and runs till Easter Sunday 10pm (23rd March). During the days the prayer room will follow the different days of easter.

The theme for the prayer room is praying for the spiritual Health of our nation.

People can contact me, Chris Liddamore, to book a slot or phone on 01206 560822 or
0775 236 9612."

A vision for Prayer Rooms as part of Hope 2008

A vision for Prayer Rooms as part of Hope 2008

Church congregations have been working together to run 24-7 Prayer Rooms in Colchester area since 2000. These Prayer Rooms continue to be a place of inspiration, refreshment and encounter.

Colchester Boiler Room Community would like to co-ordinate a 24-10 Prayer Room at a town centre location 1 – 10 May 2008, in the run up to the Global Day of Prayer 2008.

The vision is that this prayer room wil run continuously night and day, and that different congregations can take 12 one hour slots, keeping the prayer room running. The prayer room will be open during the day, so that any interested people can come in and find out about prayer to Jesus.

By running this Prayer Room together we can encourage; prayer for Hope 2008, church congregations working together, inspiration for fresh actions during Hope 2008, and a place of mission.

24-7 Prayer Rooms could also be part of Hope 2008 action in your local community. Colchester Boiler Room Community would like to serve you by helping you to run a 24-7 prayer room in your area.

How can you be involved?

Come to the Hope 2008 meeting at St Botolph's Church, Colchester at 7.45pm Monday 10 March.

Help us find an accessible venue for the 24-10 Prayer Room.

Ask your congregation to commit to taking responsibility for a 12 hour slot in the prayer room, and come and pray in the Rrayer Room yourself.

Plan a 24-7 Prayer Room as part of your action for Hope 2008. All you need is a venue available for a whole week, and willingness to pray and act.

More stories from the Highwoods prayer room

Thanks to Gillian for this report of comments on the Highwoods prayer room in January;

‘I felt the prayer room had a peaceful atmosphere and I felt very much at home there.’

‘I felt a new commitment to the people on Highwoods generally.’

‘'Break through' was a major theme that cropped up again and again’

‘It was good to know that there was an hour where you weren't going to be distracted. It was peaceful but very stimulating.’

‘Sometimes I didn't know what to pray but there was always something there to help’

‘I really enjoyed the opportunity to be involved and to pray for different needs. ‘

‘ It was as if He was showing me that time spent with Him is always good, which I should of course know but which sometimes gets a bit lost. Anyway, trying to clarify this I would just say that it felt as if offering prayer in that room for 48 hours was pleasing to Him.’

Also several people have told me about how they found peace in the prayer room and could sense God’s presence there.

This is from an e-mail from Jamie sent yesterday about the Youth café on Friday.

‘The most amazing thing for me is that last night we put Luke's friend, Lee on the hot seat at the end. A tradition to put adult helpers, particularly new ones, on the spot to keep them on their toes. We request questions from the young people - the person on the hot spot can choose not to answer. First question he gets is: "So when did you become a Christian?".. to which he responded " Last Sunday!". When we quizzed him about it afterwards, he said he became a Christian during the prayer room session that he and Luke were doing overnight on Sat night / Sunday morning. SO HALELUJAH TO THAT!’

Wounded for Jesus

Julian of Norwich wrote of three "wounds" she came to desire in 1373.

"...by the grace of God and the teaching of the Holy Church I conceived a mighty desire to receive three wounds in my life: that is to say the wound of very contrition, the wound of kind compassion, and the wound of steadfast longing toward God."

What "wounds" would you desire to carry for Jesus?

24-7 Prayer Trip to Turkey

Date

Depart Friday 7 March – Return Monday 17 March.
Prayer Room runs Sunday 9 March – Sunday 16 March 2008.

Place

Turkey has a strong Muslim culture. Although freedom of religious practice is in the constitution, the practice of Islam is strongly culturally enforced. Turkish believers suffer persecution from their families and community. The secret police persecutes church activity.
The language is Turkish. Some English is sometimes spoken by educated young people.

The Mission

We have been invited by a church congregation to help them set up and run a 24-7 prayer room. They will also try and invite involvement from other church congregation.
The prayer room will be aimed at Turkish speakers.
The theme for the prayer room has yet to be agreed. However, there are recurrent prophecies about the fire of the Holy Spirit sweeping through Turkey. It should also be a place of meeting with Jesus. We will also pray for strength and grace to endure the persecution.

Prayer Points

For God to guide the planning and running of the prayer room by the Holy Spirit.
Presence of the Holy Spirit in the prayer room.
Financial provision for all team members.
Good preparation for the visiting team, and for the church in Turkey prior to the prayer room.
Good communication and working together.
Protection and perseverance for seekers and believers in the face of persecution.

Colchester Boiler Room Feast Reports

"I was chuffed to welcome 88 people to the Colchester Boiler RoomCommunity Feast, as part of the 24-7 UK Tour.

The had been alot of preparation. In fact it felt like we were organisinga wedding feast! But the God provided and worked through the preparation. About 20 people worked together to make the Feast happen. I'm sure thisis preparation for future service and community time together.

BIG thanks to Phil, Lucie and Charlotte for coming to encourage us...andshifting tables and helping decorating and serving!To me, 2 days later, it feels like the Feast was the beginning ofsomething, not the final event...

If you'd like to be part of the nextchapter of 24-7 Prayer with Colchester Boiler Room Community then please leave a comment below... " love Richard.

Here's Jason's experience of the evening....

"Welcomed with an orange, apple and tropical juice taste bud explosion; the guests and volunteers to the UK 24-7 Tour Colchester Boiler Room Feast wasted no time with introductions. People from various groups around Colchester and further afield mingled in the main hall and lobby after receiving a goodie bag, created by a boiler room member. What was in the bag will be revealed later...

Drumming was the primal medium to announce the feast with words swiftly followed by the Boiler Room duo of Richard and Katy Smith. Much to the delight of hungry faces food followed and table conversations lit up the Church at St Botolph's with a 24- 7 film shortly after the entree.

With some musical chairs, companions were shifted after both the main course and the dessert giving people the opportunity to chat to other organisations represented at the various tables.
The tables were represented by such organisations as: Street Pastors, New Neighbours and Highwoods Youth Cafe.

24- 7 provided the viewing for the next 45 minutes with short films and an awe inspiring talk from Phil T of 24 - 7 UK. Mustard seeds (in reference to the Parable) and bells (played by Chris) were used as contemplation devices with sounds seeming to come from the ethereal realms of heaven itself.

A lively prayer time and a noisy 'lively up your soul' time preceded the meditative bell. You see, inside the goodie bags were kazoos, whistles, and other noise makers. The idea was to wake up to the Holy Spirit to be in the presence of the Lord.

At about 10 o'clock the feast finished and clear up time went on, and on and on but it was all worthwhile.

Special thanks for the evening have to go to the cooks, especially Sue and the Decorating team headed by Michael. The whole evening wouldn't have taken place had it not been for the Richard and Katie combination whose constant eye for detail and people direction was fab.

Of course without the foundation of our faith, Jesus, none of the guests would be united under one roof. Thank you Jesus!"

Highwoods Prayer Room news

The Highwoods Prayer room was a special place to be.

The creation and running of the prayer room was a real team effort between Highwoods Methodist Church, St Lukes and Colchester Boiler Room Community. Special thanks to Helen, Gillian and Daphne.

As soon as we'd set up the prayer room there was a sense of God's presence in the room.

Young people from the Highwoods Youth Cafe really responded to the activities in the prayer room on Friday night.

And I was encouraged to meet some new friends who were praying and hanging out from the small hours til dawn on Saturday night.

I also felt God will continue to pour out His Spirit and build His kingdom in Highwoods, because people there are willing to listen and submit to Him.

Richard

Reflections in a desert place

I have just been away the Sinai region of Egypt.

There's alot of desert there. It was a daunting environment to drive through...so arid and bleak.

I've also been reading, as you do on holiday. I've been really loving a book called The Journey by Alister McGrath. It's a real and wise book about the Christian journey, and the different places and seasons you encounter on the journey. Here's a prayer in the book from Anselm of Canterbury, Archbishop of Canterbury in 1093;

I thirst for you, I hunger for you, I desire you, I sigh for you, I covet you:

I am like an orphan deprived of the presence of a very loving Father,

who, weeping and wailing, does not cease to cling to the dear face with all his whole heart....

All this I hold with unwaivering faith,

and weep over the hardship of exile,

hoping in the sole consolation of your coming,

ardently longing for the glorious contemplation of your face.

Richard