Gotta keep praying!

"It is a common temptation of Satan to make us give up the reading of the Word and prayer when our enjoyment is gone; as if it were of no use to read the Scriptures when we do not enjoy them, and as if it were no use to pray when we have no spirit of prayer. The less we read the Word of God, the less we desire to read it, and the less we pray, the less we desire to pray." -George Muller

Moveable boiler room

First off; thanks to all who came out to pray last Thursday night, for the walkers and worshipers.
Our prayer walk coincided with Scottish pipers serenading the shoppers, we prayed, we declared and we moved against the flow. Always the way!
Some of us had just seen the appliqué picture of the river flowing from the temple in May St's Sanctuary Cafe [No Quasimodo jokes please!]- check out Ezekiel 47, so we flowed out with the Spirit.
Prayer that flowed:
for the city,
for warfare (bagpipe -a weapon of war) in the Spirit,
against the sins of invasion
for the people
against the darkness, the satanic web that tries to cover and deceive people into consumerism etc
against the ### shop in Smithfield, near where the old city gates were
repentance for the sexual sin that is prevalent in the church
for the media
for the people who are attracted to The Front Page (underage ) and the Kremlin (gay) bars
for Christians to infiltrate there and be salt and light
for true intimacy
contact with the gay community...
We then came across two couples, one female, one male at the front of the Kremlin, the male couple were J... and his friend who were both very young and high/drunk. They asked us to walk with them and then disappeared across the road for J...'s friend to retrieve his school blazer and bag from another bar (Mint). J...'s friend's parting words as he staggered across the road through the traffic were "I'm the next generation of Belfast you know!" Some of us wept as we prayed for him...
Walking towards the front of St. Anne's we met a woman at Writers Square who said "Can I borrow a phone? I can't find my husband!" We obliged, Chrissie shared Jesus with her as the rest of us prayed. Prayer for missing husbands.
As we walked down Donegal St towards North St. we were met by some well dressed gentlemen of the masonic persuasion so felt led to go pray outside their haunt in Rosemary St, and for the clairvoyant who frequents the rooms above Fresh Garbage.

It would be great to see you all at May St next week. Please tell your friends. We might not be walking but that should become a regular occurrence in future; there's lots we haven't let the soles of our feet touch and claim yet.

Next Thursday can we make it a worship and prayer night?
So calling all musicians, and worshippers
let us worship Him in Spirit and in truth.
Bring an instrument, and your voice, and a song to share -1Cor 14:26.

Last Wednesday night we went awanderin'

What a night!
Lurgan was amazing!
Worship was amazing!
People shared their passion -for prayer, -for mission -but most of all for Jesus.
What did we want the night to be? -
David Hines kicked off prophetically with 2 Tim1:6 -We have a spiritual heritage here in Ireland but we need to fan into flame what God has put into us. Nigel wanted new friends and Rachael wanted to see things stirred up.
We prayed for the people in the towns below:
Portadown - Pete etc - God is stirring people up to pray for Portadown. Prayer ->Service -> Mission. Awesome God!
Ballynahinch - Heather - Churches working together through the Edge. Different churches - weekends of prayer...Prayer and Presence.
Kilkeel - Chris - Jim's youth drop in centre. People called to pray for the town, and prayer walks round the town. (80-90 people have become Christians this year in K!)
Methodists - Judith (I remembered!) - Irish Methodists are embarking on a year of prayer 36 groups to cover the 52 weeks, starting this week in Bray. Gillian - a picture of Ireland with lots of candles lit all over it.
Lurgan - Rick -desire to pray for the town and to bless the community, their prayer room has just closed and are looking for somewhere? What next? Something more?
Margaret Clarke - Global Day of Prayer - Secretary of State has not granted Stormont grounds for 2006 yet. GDP African team coming to Ulster Temple 18th Nov 10am. Come and join.
Phil Togwell (24/7Prayer UK base leader) shared that at the end of a week of prayer at his church his daughter (3) moved through the crowd and kissed everyone - but God was there and she was passing on thank you kisses from the Father. He continued saying that 24/7 is a movement, nothing has happened by design it is God doing this and we are only joining in with what He is doing. Join in with this God thing...

Q: What do you want to do?

More Upcoming Events

Pray4Belfast
NOVEMBER 3rd 8pm ULSTER TEMPLE, RAVENHILL ROAD, BELFAST
Check the Pray4belfast blog

If My People
Prayer event Sat 12th November 8pm
Spires Conference Centre
Wellington St
Belfast
Check out: Crown Jesus

Did I mention Lurgan 2Nov?

Directions to Emmanuel CF Lurgan

It is on Wednesday 2nd November.8pm
Come down the motorway to the Lurgan roundabout and when you come up the slip way take the first exit on the left - should be sign posted for Lurgan. You will go past the Texaco garage and just keep going straight on that road till you come up into the town. (you will go over train tracks and eventually you should see the big church on your right). Come up through the town a little bit and you will see the Youth Information Point - YMCA quite modern building and it is there you need to take left down Castle lane. Just drive down there about 500 yards and you will see a big car park on your right and shops such as Tecso and Lidl - come into the park and drive up to the top and you will see our church sign - Emmanuel Christian Fellowship.

24/7 meetings

Hi guys
The meeting is on 2nd November in Emmanel church, Lurgan at 8.00pm.

For Southerner's interested in coming I am sure we could give you a roof over your heads but if unable to attend and want an update then let me know. While we are on the subject, I am aware that we know little of what may be going on in the South of Ireland so if you hear of anything let us know.

Generally, it will be a time to connect and hear from others what is going on with an opportunity to pray together and seek God's face. Feel free to forward the invite on to anyone you think it could apply to or who would be interested in coming.


The second thing to mention is the beginning of a series of "watch-nights". We are planning to have two nights of prayer for our nation before Christmas. We will see how it goes before deciding whether or not to make it a more permanent feature. The first is on Friday, 18th of November, beginning about 8.00pm and running through the night. The second on 16th of December. We are trying to ensure that we follow "Mannafest" and never collide, and would like the "watch-night" to be seen as a place for people all over the nation to come to. In the new year we would like it to then participate in a day of street-reach on the Saturday's.

Aware that plans are already in place to start something of a more permanent nature in Belfast, we have decided to go west of the Bann into the heartlands of Ulster. What better place than the "Land of the Young Warriors" Tir Na Hog? For those of you who don't know, Dungannon is the home town of the Irish kings, The O'Neill's. Tir Na Hog, was the O'Neills' anointing seat. Following that history lesson - it is decided that Dungannon Youth For Christ will be the location for Young warriors to rise up for the King of Kings!

The idea is to separate the rooms into designated areas. We will have a space for worship, space for multisensory prayer, space for creative prayer and for those who like a holy huddle - a space will be provided for them too! I'm sure there will be a space for coffee too.

It would be great if this captures people's attention and takes off to become a more regular rythmn of prayer but we feel that we must start somewhere - and to begin with it is important to pull together resources.

I'm asking now for people interested in coming along to help in the preparations of the evening. We plan to meet on Tuesday 18th October at 7.30pm. I will ensure we finish before 9.45pm for those travelling! Just what is it we are looking for?
Worship leaders comfortable in the spontaneous and planned worship
Creative and Artistic people (LOTS OF THEM).
Designers for publicity and the means to produce it,
Passionate intercessors
People with money who will gladly share it with us.
People interested in 24-7.
Resources
And anything else you can think of.

If you feel you would like to get involved or believe you could help in some way (or if you can think of someone who would be interested please let them know). Venue:Dungannon Youth For Christ.

M1, Junction 15.
Take third exit to Dungannon
Through 3 sets of traffic lights until you come to a mini-roundabout
Go straight ahead as if going up hill to town centre.
Take first left, pass Vehicle cleaning centre
Take right into car park and another right up to Iceland.
YFC is upstairs on the left of Iceland.

Let me know if you can come (either by posting a comment below or emailing Mark [address below my picture above]),

Blessings,

Garreth.

Musings from a homesick traveler

As I approached Dresden on the coach all along the autobahn were fields and forest. The fields were used variously – some had wheat, some maize, some sunflowers and some were silage crops.
What was blatantly obvious was that these fields were in various states of harvesting. The maize was nearing maturity, so was maybe a week or two away from harvest. The sunflowers were tall but all had brown heads instead of bright shining yellow ones; their heads were now exhibited the guilty droop, awaiting the harvester’s sickle as a condemned man awaits the executioner’s axe. Some fields of sunflowers had already fallen to the harvester. The harvesters had been to the wheat fields and nothing remained but for the gleanings only the crows could find.
The forests were of pine but growing straight and tall rushing, as only pine trees can, to the light. They seemed tall enough for the fellers axe but they all looked incredibly thin. Tall and slim as lanky teenagers, but more than that, elongated like sufferers of Marfan’s Syndrome: bones stretched rack-like to breaking point and organs weakened internally by poor connective tissue.
The fields are a reminder of the words Jesus used…”the harvest is plentiful”
JN 4:34 "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35 Do you not say, `Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying `One sows and another reaps' is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor."
(or Mat9:37, Rev14:15, Joel3:13). The harvest is proceeding and yet there is more work to be done. The fields are white let us get to them and bring in the harvest of souls God desires of us.
I sensed that the trees were not ready, growing yes but not maturing, not filling out.
ISA 10:33 See, the Lord, the LORD Almighty, will lop off the boughs with great power. The lofty trees will be felled, the tall ones will be brought low.
Eze17:24 All the trees of the field will know that I the LORD bring down the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. " `I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it.' "
I sense that we are to be the tree God desires and not grow tall too fast but grow in God’s timing and in His grace and in the way He wants us to grow. Almost like a carefully tended bonsai or ornamental hedge, but most like a good vine that is carefully tended by the vinedresser and is grafted in to the true and living vine.
JN 15:5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
Let us build slowly and steadily in His timing. Your Kingdom come Lord.

24/7 gathering Lurgan

Guys and girls
We had talked about getting together the 24/7 family here in ireland, we have got a date and decided that Lurgan is a pretty central point for most of us
we are going to go with a 24/7 gathering on November 2ND 8pm @ EMMANUEL Christian Fellowship LURGAN, the Methodists will be fired up after Autumn Soul, so that should be good, the rest of us will have to catch up on them!
The night will be about worship, stories and the chance to connect people
It would be good to know roughly how many we have going, so feedback to us when you get the chance.

Cheers

adrian

Launch

Hi
Thanks to all who came to the first meeting of those who have a heart to see a Boiler Room in Belfast. Angie even baked a Birth Day Cake!
We are going to continue to meet initially weekly at 730pm on Thursdays in May St church, upstairs in the prayer room starting on the 15th Sept.
There will be prayer, worship and other opportunities to be creative.
Thanks again for all your prayers.
Mark

What is God building in Belfast? 

Meeting at May St. Church 7pm Sept 8th 

“Prayer without action is just religion in hiding.” (Pete Greig - Red Moon Rising)

Hi
I just wanted to say thanks for your patience. We all have had time to think and listen to God over the summer and it may be good to get together and pray and hear how God has been speaking to each of us about a future Boiler Room in Belfast.
Some of us had an opportunity to visit the London City Boiler room at the end of June and join with other people who were thinking about, or already in the process of starting Boiler Rooms. That was quite an experience.
One thought that I would like to share from that day was about "Incarnation" that Andy freeman shared with us- Boiler Rooms are incarnational they do not just pray for our community but are in the community. How can we be Jesus in our city? How can we share Jesus in our city? How can we establish a community that is:
A Prayerful community- with a daily prayer rhythm
A Creative community- artistic expression
A Hospitable community- eg The Rule of Benedict says 'treat people as you would Christ'.
A Missional community- outreach and evangelism
A Learning community- discipleship, and
A Merciful community- loving mercy and walking humbly with our God.
If you have any questions about Boiler Rooms please don't hesitate to ask, I'm certainly not an expert, but will attempt an answer. Or first look at http://www.boiler-rooms.com/cm/ . Hopefully Nigel Smith who has been working in the West London Boiler Room will be there when we meet and will be able to fill in the gaps.

We are hoping to meet at:
May St Church Belfast (behind the City Hall in direction of Waterfront Hall)
Thursday 8th September
7pm for coffee starting 730pm.
Entry by door at rear of church. There is a car park beside the church which is accessed from the road at the rear of the church.
If anyone cannot make this meeting could we meet together over coffee sometime to hear where you are coming from, I don't want to exclude anyone. If you know someone else who has a heart for Belfast and this vision of a Boiler room please pass this on to them.
Please let me know who is coming so I know how many sticky buns to get!

We're just back from Summer Madness, where they had this amazing 24/5 prayer room. There was a rota of worship people (this picture is of a group of Psalm Drummers...Wow!) The prayers were mighty and the art work was so prolific that it poured out into the main venue too. Awesome! 

Movilla Abbey Newtownards. A ruin of a 12th century replacement of a 6th century monastic training centre where Columba started his training. (Its just round the corner from where I live!) 

Notes from 22 April 2005 (CFC had invited Brian Heasley and Phil Togwell over to speak at Helix)

Hi
24/7 meeting at CFC:
Phil Togwell- discribed 24/7 as mission minded prayer, and as a group of people seeing the vision at a corporate level rather than at a leadership level- they see the body that is 24/7 as 'companions of the heart'..
He asked us "what do you want?"
Church has tried to be united for unity's sake. But let's pray together and do mision together and seek the presence of God.
24/7 is a cycle of prayer and mission.

Harry Smith- we are in a painful process, birthing something (Is66 6:7 "Before she goes into labor, she gives birth; before the pains come upon her, she delivers a son. ISA 66:8 Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children.ISA 66:9 Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?" says the LORD. "Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery?" says your God.

So what's the cost? Cost is high but grace is enough. But what about the giants -we don't need to be giants to face giants

Brian Heasley- There is a difference between a prayer room and a Boiler room. A place of prayer and love.

I (Mark)think the question we need to ask (that wasn't asked on Friday) is
· "are you/we [am I] ready to pay the price?"

It would seem that those keen to see a Boiler room in Belfast should get together, a lot of those there today were people who had done or were doing 24/7 events; although Gareth from Dungannon is well on his way to seeing a Boiler room there.

2 things of note from the later Helix session in CFC. Brian Heasley said:
· 'God is looking for donkeys to carry Jesus into our cities'. and
· that he was 'called to Ibiza to plant a missional community'
David Hines said he didn't want to do a Boiler room in Belfast for the sake of doing a Boiler room. He is right we need to be involved in this for the sake of the Kingdom, not because it is the next great idea to come along, but because we know that we know that God has said it.
1. Has God said it?
2. Has God said it to you?

Are we to be part of establishing a missional community in Belfast that will not just take the Gospel to Belfast but to Ireland, Europe and from the outer most parts of the world back to Jerusalem?
Patrick thought that when he had reached all of Ireland (which he considered the outer most part of the world) that Christ would return. However, in the interveening time people groups have developed who have not heard the Gospel in the areas where once the Gospel was known and now need to be re-reached so that we will see Christ return in our generation.
Patrick reached all of Ireland as did Wesley in the 18th century, but succeeding works have not significantly reached the catholic community of Ireland...Come on! Lets see that happen.

Its church Jim but not as we know it...yes Boiler Rooms are not churches, but what are they if they are not? Is it not that they are church in the true sense of the word; a group of people in community that are seeking to fulfill the Great commission of Jesus, to go make disciples of all nations.

Fathers...I was not exactly the oldest person at the Helix conference at CFC but I did sense that God was saying that we, who are older, are to be parents, fathers and mothers to this emerging generation.

The cross is in the field

Living Well are planning an outreach on the 12th July this year and will be using May St church as a prayer base.
Last year at the Tara Festival a group of us were inspired to erect a 'cross in the field' after listening to Godfrey Birthills version of the James Montgomery song 'Lift up your heads' (words below).This year when Godfrey was in the Ulster Temple he sang that song and Priscilla Reid commented on the significance of the 'field' in our culture. On 12th July 2004 a group of people gathered at the Passionate Cafe to lift up Jesus in praise, in prayer and share Him through acts of service and evangelism. That venue is gone so this year we are taking the cross to the field!

We desire to release praise over the city, to show the relevance of the Gospel and to show real life! We will be driving a lorry ahead of the 12th day parade and with a cross attached to the front of it. Paul and Beulah Shields will be leading praise from the back of the lorry and a bunch of others will be walking along side giving out bottles of water with a message to the crowds.
When we near the field we will detach the cross from the lorry and carry it into the field (hopefully to be confirmed).
Our base will be May St church, where we will have breakfast and pray.
Please, please pray for us.



Lift Up Your Heads (Alleluia)
Lift up your heads , you gates of brass!
You bars of iron yield!
And let the King of glory pass;
The cross is in the field.

Alelluia....Alelluia...Alelluia.... Alelluia.........
Alelluia....Alelluia...Alelluia.... Alelluia.........

You armies of the living God
Stand in your Captains might
Go where no hallowed feet have trod
Arise My warrior bride!

O fear not, faint not, halt not now;
Don't quit, like men be strong,
To Christ shall every nation bow,
And sing with you this song.

Uplifted are the gates of brass
The bars of iron yield
Behold the King of glory pass
The cross has won the field!

James Montgomery 1771-1854 (Moravian Hymn book)
Godfrey Birtill (Music) & Adaptation
2003 © Whitefield Music Admin Copycare.

New Celtic Cross
Art is an important aspect of expressive prayer. Email prayer art to me and I will attempt to post it or even post it to your own blog and I could put a link to it. Thanks 

Hi

I'm hoping to use this to advertise future prayer events in Belfast City centre. I hope it is of help. You can contact me with prayer info by email to the address on our picture. Mark