While talking with Daryl (dohzman) whose church at Canton is hosting the Revival Conference, he expressed again his desire to have a prayer team [i][b]there[/i][/b] for the week before the confernece itself.
He believes other local Christians will join SI members who go early for this task.
I would urge any who have this ministry in their heart, or who feel they should consider it, to seek the Lord for a definite answer, so their arrangements from their place of employment, home and accommodation in Canton can be established. This will bless Daryl immensely, too. :-D
For the rest of us, I want to offer you a picture from a couple of hymns.
[i]Tune: Rimington[/i]
To Him shall endless prayer be made,
And praises throng to crown His head;
[u]His Name like sweet perfume shall rise
With every morning sacrifice.
People and realms of every tongue
Dwell on His love with sweetest song[/u];
And infant voices shall proclaim
Their early blessings on His Name.
Blessings abound wherever He reigns;
The prisoner leaps to lose his chains;
The weary find eternal rest,
And all the sons of want are blessed.
Where He displays His healing power,
Death and the curse are known no more:
In Him the tribes of Adam boast
More blessings than their father lost.
[i]Tune: St Clement[/i]
[b]We thank Thee that Thy church, unsleeping,
While earth rolls onward into light,
Through all the world her watch is keeping,
And rests not now by day or night.
As o’er each continent and island
The dawn leads on another day,
The voice of prayer is never silent,
Nor dies the strain of praise away.
The sun that bids us rest is waking
Our brethren ’neath the western sky,
And hour by hour fresh lips are making
Thy wondrous doings heard on high.[/b]
[color=003399]What I wonder, is whether we could agree [b]6 am as a time in each hour zone[/b] to pray for a few minutes - not alone - but linking with three others?
It may be more practical to divide the circumference of the earth into 4 or 6, but I think the attempt should be made to cover them.
Ideally, also, the prayer should be in mother tongues - not only English - but any common language spoken between the believers.
I am particularly aware there may be readers here whose spoken English would not be adequate for a prayer meeting. I remember the first time I realised how devoid of spiritual language is the French I learned at school! The [i]very[/i] topic I would be most interested in sharing and discussing was beyond my vocabulary.
Let's make a realistic allowance for this in our arrangements for praying. This includes simply allowing each other to pray in their most comfortable language. There is great strength in the fellowship of it, even if the detail is not understood by other-language speakers.
Four is a good number for a prayer cell, as there is liberty for one or two to be indisposed by circumstances, and there still be two to pray.[/color]
The hope, in the past, of being able to pray together with other members of SI has been mooted many times. I remember Greg was investigating options a long time ago.
Last year, I found [url=www.skype.com]www.skype.com[/url], which did work on a dial-up and allowed up to [u]five[/u] people to talk by high quality voice convo together and text instant messenger simultaneously.
On downloading the most recent version, I find it offers up to [u]nine[/u] this facility, including videocam-readiness if you have a camera in your system.
The one caution I add to the above suggestion, is the very obvious - that not knowing each other face to face, it would be wise to spend some time getting to know a little about those with whom you would like to pray - or who would like to pray with you.
There are many who read on SI or download sermons, who do not feel inclined or confident to post in the forums. I would not wish to discourage [i][b]any[/i][/b] who wish to get involved in praying.
Also, there are those who are happy to write to each other, but would be most uncomfortable entering into voice conversation of any kind.
Skype does offer something between, in that it IS possible to write one's prayer (I've done this before and God answers just the same.) and the speaking not-by-phone, is less intrusive than giving your home phone number to a stranger.
Like other 'messengers', skype works on username and email address. You may wish to create an email address specially for skype. If so, remember to open the account regularly to keep it 'live'.
Please, therefore, if you have never posted - as I have never formally introduced myself here :-o - begin by using one of the facilities open on SI to communicate something about yourself first.
There is the Introduction forum, Private Messaging and email to those who have posted an address in their Profiles.
I remember how anxious I was when I first began posting on the internet, so if you are nervous about communicating with strangers, I advise you to stick closely to whatever the Lord gives you.
You [i]will know[/i] if the Lord is leading you to pray with a certain person, and this will be confirmed (to an extent) by that person having the same witness from the Spirit to pray with you.
I do believe it is important to look for at least three or more others, though, (not just one), as this brings many strengths to your agreement on what to pray for, and opens you up to being stirred by how the Holy Spirit leads the others - as well as opening them up to the Spirit's leading of yourself.
Who knows how big and stong a mustard tree may grow from these seeds?
Let's go gently with each other, and see what can be arranged.
I believe there is a certain flow in the Spirit, as water runs downhill - which will confirm this attempt to girdle the earth with our prayers.
[color=003399]And, I am open to those who would pray [i]not[/i] at 6 am, so as to cover an hour in the day which would otherwise be left uncovered.[/color]
I think this is as close as we need to get, to a prayer wall. As the hours are taken up, perhaps we could post them on the conference map?
[i]Tune: Austria[/i]
Glorious things of thee are spoken,
Zion, city of our God!
He, whose Word cannot be broken,
Formed thee for His own abode.
On the Rock of Ages founded,
What can shake thy sure repose?
With salvation’s walls surrounded,
Thou may’st smile at all thy foes.
See! the streams of living waters,
Springing from eternal love;
Well supply thy sons and daughters,
And all fear of want remove:
Who can faint while such a river
Ever flows their thirst t’assuage?
Grace, which like the Lord, the Giver,
Never fails from age to age.
Round each habitation hovering,
See the cloud and fire appear!
For a glory and a cov’ring
Showing that the Lord is near.
Blest inhabitants of Zion,
Washed in the Redeemer’s blood!
[b]Jesus, whom their souls rely on,
Makes them kings and priests to God[/b].
![[image]](https://www.sermonindex.net/images/revivalconference_prayer.jpg){kind=link}
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