...some more 24-1 Pics

11-12pm

...actually I think the Togwells continued this slot praying (11-12pm) :) and at 12pm we all crammed into the prayer room together to share stories of our experiences with God over the past 24 hours. It was great to hear and see (as I looked on the floor) God speaking through us as a body and feeling a fuller picture of our father as I listened to each of our voices around the room. Some had hard, but good experiences and there were many writings and prayers for justice and for the poor and forgotten. I'm conscious as I write that its difficult for 'one' to sum it all up just from my perspective so heres a few words Phil put in his blog...

'Wonderful, as always, to pray and eat and talk with so many friends again, and to be a part of the next few steps that our community is taking together. We gathered at the end to swap stories/reflections... most of us felt that God had spoken, encouraged us, inspired us. And most felt that we were growing well together too. To wrap-up this phase of our prayers, we took a deep breath... thank you for your breath, Holy Spirit, for in-spiring us and con-spiring with us... make us contagious as we 'breath out' from tomorrow onwards.'


We then marched through the 'corridor of shoes' (for there were many), and enjoyed a plough-mans' meal together, continuing to share, bless and pray for each other. Thanks to all who brought food, watched over kids in trees and washing up! :)
And thanks for praying!



J0N

10 - 11am

An hour really isn't much time at all!
I think I spent most of the time having to release God to be himeslf: that is, having to apologise to God for treating him (*still*) as if he is there for my convenience and to do what I want (not so much a conscious thought but its a deep undercurrent in my thinking that I need to address time and time again). The thing is even though I struggle to feel God's presence I'm strangely even more amazed by his astonishing love. I spent the rest of the time reading the floor and praying for the tree labels.

9-10am

Good to slow down, to listen, to talk to Father... to breathe more slowly, even for a little while. Megan drew a picture of a person with tongues of fire on their head, and a little later we pumped the bellows - breath of God, fan these glowing embers, fan them into flames.

We dropped mustard seeds into the candle and watched them settle into the hot wax - Father, take the mustard seeds of our lives, the small things of the Kingdom of God in us, and make them grow.

To be honest, it hasn't been an *easy* hour. I find myself frustrated, reading some of the tags still hanging on the tree from our previous 24-1s... unanswered prayers. I find myself asking 'why?' and 'when?' and 'will it ever be?', and I hear no reply. When God says "wait", how long does that mean? Having been encouraged to wait until the "fruit is ripe", I am still so tempted to try and pluck it from the tree. God, please help me... (phil)

God loves us all, remember that! hello Jesus and God, please get us a house. these are two of the things i did while here, plus that person that my dad told you about! although i don't think i added that 'remember that!' bit, but that doesn't matter. (megan)

8-9am

Started this session feeling very weak and shallow in God's presence. What I am doing here...? Until I realised again that this faith, this place, this community is made for people like me - helpless, constantly failing to live up to what I say I believe, double-minded, selfish, full of words but "missing in actions", and needing others. Spent some time playing the drum and praying in tongues, encouraging God's spirit to flow through me, to bypass my own self-obsessed thought processes and let God's voice interrupt. It was wonderful.

Ian

7-8am

So many prayers and inspiring thoughts written on the floor. Early morning sunshine (at last!) lighting the room. I felt so peaceful in the presence of God. So loved. God's love for us is amazing. Unfathomable. Incomprehensible. And he *fills* us with his love, enabling us to love others. Thank you Lord Jesus.

David.

5-7am

I entered the room and was met by the rain and tropical sounds of birds (like a monsoon) a white light was beginning to hint its way in. Then after a long pause of listening to the sound of the rain, out of nowhere it seemed, music from the i-pod began to play.
I must admit, having put the white paper on the floor myself yesterday, one of my first thoughts were... how did the paper on the floor get so rugged? but then I remembered that there has been mention of alot of dancing!
I knelt before the cross someone had drawn and tried to give everything to God. I then started to write names of our imediate community. I began to pray about reaching out to others and started drawing around my left hand as a sign of reaching out. As I was drawing backwards from the start I hit upon someone elses previous drawing which had two hands, ''We are His hands'. I took this as encouragement to keep going, this time tracing around my right arm which was harder to do but this became a symbolic act for me I really wanted to get into practice of reaching out. As I did this I came across more and more prayers written about reaching the lost and caring for the poor. It was great to feel like I was praying amongst other peoples prayers before me. I got to a point where I felt I should switch arms again and unknowingly my new drawing then met a right arm drawing I had made and the two arms clasped hands perfectly.
As I continued to pray the light from outside began to shine in full morning light.
I am so greatful for what God is doing in us!
Thankyou everyone for praying!!

J0N

4 - 5am

A touch of heaven, the rain falling and the birds singing and peace. Gods love is for us is so evident in this world, he surrounds us with reminders of that, as I heard the rain falling harder and harder I felt his love penetrating all things, not leaving one stone unturned. God's gentle whispers come in those moments of peace, his love for us goes so deep its hard to believe. Teach me to seek you in all things and to hear that love and then to respond to it.

Dewi

2 - 4am

As soon as I stepped into the room, God welcomed me with his arms wide open...tired and bewildered though I was, I knew that I wouldn't want to leave when my time was up...so many inspiring prayers...they are more open, searing, honest, beautiful, challenging than ever before...a community that can hear God's call for justice, to love others the way He loves us, to pray and stand with those who are being persecuted in His name, to speak up for those who have no voice, to challenge slavery, to face up to our own struggles, but at the same time, thanking God that he is Holy, Almighty, our Dad, friend, saviour, lover - our Hope and Faith forevermore...couldn't stop scampering from one side of the room to the other, over flowing with things I wanted to share with Jesus, things I wanted to scribble and draw, with Jesus inspiring me all the while...turned off the music to listen to the dawn chorus of birds bringing in a new day...what a symbol of hope that God has blessed us with everyday - that darkness will always give itself up to the light of day - just as Jesus banishes the dark wherever he is present...what an amazing creator God is! Thinking as well about heaven and our REAL home - thank you God for your incredible promises to us...

Thank you everyone who has prayed and will pray! Thank you, Jesus for this community. Amen!

RoSi*

1 -2am

GOd is good! He knows my heart is to meet with Him and He organises me so I can be aware of His presence and blessing. I am reminded that heaven is my home and I choose the path that Jesus has trodden before me and the world doesn't understand it but JESUS does, I love Him!
I forget sometimes that I live by faith and that this unfeelingness of emotion or lack of physical reaction is no indicator of how I am with God, He loves me and He is at hand, the more I move towards faith the freer i become in my relationship with my Dad, I trust Him, He holds my hand evennow. This life is His, good.

Found a star in the sole of my sock, my dreams tread with me as I walk on the winding path and passages. I'm unsure of the direction or consequences of the journey but i know i'm ok and I was born for such a time as this...

Praise Him! Honour praise and glory are Yours now and forever!

Jo

11.00pm - 1.00am

not really sure I can put any coherent thoughts down! Am just amazed again at the awesomeness of God, and humbled. I find it hard to really believe what I know sometimes. I am loved, but I don't feel loveable, am accepted but don't feel I deserve it. Want to live a simple, genuine faith, but spend too much time complicating things, thinking about myself when I should be praying for others, feeling like a fraud. I know this - I love Jesus - I don't even feel worthy to say that much of the time, but I do, I love Jesus. It really is all about Jesus, pure and simple. What a friend we have in Him! Really touched reading in Pete Greigs book, God on Mute, about the guy who wrote that hymn and the story behind it, a hymn borne of experience of raw pain alongside knowledge of eternal hope, and trust in a God who really does care, fact.

Emma

9-11pm

Good prayer slot, I felt the overall result was positive, I started with some worship, trying to get in tune with God, the environment was very condusive for this purpose and I would say I felt very much connected to God. I managed to unravel some thoughts that had been going through my mind lately and felt like I had communicated where I am personally with God, which obviously God knows but through doing this have felt very encouraged and supported. I was not actually looking for anything in particular, no words or anything, and it was not as though I was asking for anything from God, I think I was just really looking to spend some much needed time with our father, at points I did try to do some praying for other people, and the only prayer that I could whole heartedly pray was 'Father, let your will be done in our lives.' I've been feeling this prayer running through our community for some time and personally know that God is slowly bending me to take up more of an obedient posture and really searching for 'his will', to be honest I think it is the attitude or process of searching for God's will that is more important than the actual specific thing God may want us to do, I believe God is really trying to just get me into a workable position, a true disciple who is ready to take on greater things, I'm not there yet but felt good from the prayer session.

Gell

8-9pm

So good to look at the globe and thank God for all the countries we have had the privilege of visiting---to think and pray for all our friends from around the world to remember how many are persecuted for their faith and to never to take for granted the freedom we have to pray and worship in this country and to use that freedom to it's maximum whatever that may mean.
Pat.

Not wood, Matting or wool supported our feet but a carpet of prayers,prayers which surrounded the globe illuminating this room with all worries, woes and struggles enveloped by the invisible, unspoken cries beyond words uniting with the Father in a desire to see all things reclaimed and redeemed for His glory. "As the waters cover the sea" These are the prayers from the saints in Romford.

Dave.

6 - 8pm

very peaceful and relaxing although i did do a bit of a dance!!!i prayed about china and the church there and for unity of the church worldwide, and then i prayed for adventures and for us to never be limited by our dreams and to think big, outside of our own situation, looking at pictures of the world and seeing how vast it is for inspiration. very glad i did it, good to spend time with the Lord!!!

Catherine

5-6pm

Wonderful to be in a prayer room again, so geared up for Esme to pray with us too. At 18 months old she prays with crayons, spinning around to our worship, saying 'Bibe-oh' (Bible) and munching her way through half a loaf of bread! We read the story of Noah (although Esme was more fascinated by the picture of Abel lying dead on the opposite page!), prayed that she'd be filled with the Holy Spirit (and the unborn baby too), prayed that she'd know God in an earthy and natural way without some of the struggles of church 'stuff' that some of us have known.

Despite all our weakness and distractions, God loves to meet with us in these special places...

Thanks, Lord, for your gracious generosity.

Ian (with Helen, Esme and Pea)

4-5pm

What a privilege it is to be part of this community - committed to following Jesus, prayer, loving the lost, shared meals and shared lives. What an impact we can have! We carry the love and presence and fragrance of Jesus with us everywhere we go. Lord we humble ourselves. Our lives are yours.

David

3-4pm

Chance to just "be" with God was great. Took me a while to empty my mind of all the stuff that crowds in. "Dancers who dance upon injustice" & the story of David dancing for joy in front of God spoke to me. Thanks for the space to be quiet before God.

Claire

1pm-3pm

Having this space was a real blessing. I remembered the world, and that the life we have is good!! Sometimes it just takes a bit of time to remember that. Also had a bit of a dance for all the good God has promised us and for all the hardtimes that we will endure TOGETHER. It never seems so hard when we're together. Thanks Ros and Jon for providing the space and atmosphere. Love Sue.

24-1 PRAYER 07

At 12 am we gathered in our living room to begin our second 24-1 hour prayer!

White paper covered the floor and in the centre Ros wrote, 'This is Holy Ground'.

We spent some time meditating on God and then Ros read from a childrens Bible the story of Moses and the burning bush. We sang together, 'This is the place, where dreams are found, where vision comes, called... Holy Ground'.

Our voices rose and we continued to sing together with our own songs.

Thomas and Oscar wrote inspiring words as we prayed.

Ros read from her book of First Hymns, 'Those Green Hills Far Away', which depicts the crucifixion of Jesus. Rob said how, having sung that hymn as a child for years the words really came together and took on real meaning this time when they were read out.

We broke bread and shared the wine and raised our voices once more to welcome God into the room to have His way with us over the next 23 hours!

Come Lord Jesus!

J0N