KNOCKBREDA METHODIST - PRAYER WEEK - APRIL 2011
As we set up the Prayer Room this year we stepped out in faith to do the full 24hrs from Saturday 8am to Sunday 8am and each hour was covered. Every day through the week the room was open from 10am-1pm and 7pm- 9pm all the slots were taken up and all those involved expressed great blessing. We had more visitors than any of our previous Prayer Rooms and interestingly from other Christian dominations. It was lovely to set time aside to sit in Gods presence and draw near to Him.
On Tuesday evening Keith Mitchell (Mitch) from Crown Jesus Ministries spoke on the Lords Prayer, Andy Oakes led the Worship. Wednesday a Healing service was led by Rev. Colin Duncan and the Prayer Ministry team. A Prayer walk was organised around the area on Thursday night. We ended the week with a day of Fasting and Prayer.
Ethna Taylor
Reflections on Prayer Week.
I have been asked to record a few reflections on the prayer room provided during the recent prayer week and I am pleased to do so. In the past I have expressed some reservations on my participation in formal prayer groups mainly because I have found it difficult to fully concentrate on the prayer content when amongst a number of other people. I have preferred to pray in an atmosphere of quietness and often solitude, and I hope reverence. The prayer room provided an ideal opportunity to pray in these conditions. We all live busy lives, whether in work or retired, with the demands of house and garden, shopping, entertainment and sports etc., impinging on our available time, but it is important for us to pay proper attention to our Lord’s exhortation to “Be still and know that I am God” Our prayer room was a haven for peaceful contemplation and prayer, and I, for one, was grateful for the thoughtful preparation of the room by our devoted team, which allowed one, not only to read the thoughts and feelings of other participants, but also to contribute in our own individual way.
Helen Barry
As I sit and reflect on Prayer week my mind moves to the Prayer room, then on to an area of my work.
In my professional role I meet and spend time with children who have experienced trauma and loss. For children who cannot verbalize their experience and can only demonstrate their upset by their challenging behaviours, play therapy is offered. This is an opportunity for children through the medium of play to understand their difficult/overpowering emotions and create new pathways to healing.
The role of the worker is to create a safety silence, a oneness with the child. The child is introduced to the therapy as “Special Time” a time that is devoted to him/her.
In thinking about prayer week again my focus is on the prayer room created with love and dedication. Is this “Special Time” for us? Time where we can leave our burdens, where we can experience the Holy Spirit, where we can be revived/renewed, where we can simply “be” brought before our Heavenly Father open to His touch.
What a special gift.
Prayer week at Knockbreda commenced on 9th April in beautiful weather. Outside the sun brought out the glory of God’s creation in the flowers, shrubs and trees.
In contrast the prayer room was dark, lit only by local lighting illuminating the theme, open bible and supporting posters in each of the private prayer cubicles.
As we spent time quietly reading and contemplating each biblical theme we gradually became aware of the vastness of God’s amazing love and forgiveness. We also began to understand the significance of the Lord’s Prayer where it says “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive others their trespasses against us”. We were also reminded of our duty to pray for our persecuted brother and sister Christians in other continents. Finally as we arrived at the last cubicle we were invited to open our hearts to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and to receive and know God’s amazing love and forgiveness and become sons and daughters in His Kingdom.
As we left the room we understood we could now pray with sincerity “Our Father in Heaven”
All who entered with heaviness in their hearts left knowing what Jesus meant when He said in Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”
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