October 2004

Thank you for praying

It has been an active term so far in the corporate prayer realm. Practically as soon as the summer holidays were over (or so it seemed), Prayer for London was upon us and week by week, we have been praying for a whole raft of Beacon Alpha Suppers culminating for us in the London Alpha Supper in the marquee on Clapham Common on Saturday 25 September together with a whole range of other Beacon Prayer Meetings as well (not to mention all the other suppers and prayer meetings going on around the country over the past few weeks).

My sense is that all this combination of activity leading into this autumn’s Alpha courses now starting is having a growing impact year on year. There is such an increasing momentum of Alpha and prayer related activity especially in the Beacon context that I do believe the impact of it all has grown enormously. I also know that, before we can in any way claim lasting success, it will be necessary for us to re-double our efforts probably again and again with a major commitment to perseverance.

It is in that context that I see the regular (and growing) attendance at the weekly prayer meetings here as so critical in the life of our church. Given how committed people are and how full everyone’s diary is I find it amazing and humbling each time I see people arriving on Tuesday mornings and Thursday evenings and, of course, I am enormously grateful at a personal level because prayer meetings without people are pretty dire! But I also believe that there is a far more significant source of lasting/eternal gratitude which will only be fully revealed in the age to come and I do hope that those involved realise that because “history belongs to the intercessors” they are playing an active role in shaping the future of this nation by participating in the prayer meetings here and, of course, in other places all around the country.

Let’s resolve not only to keep it up but to intensify our efforts and watch what the fantastic God we all serve and love will do in the days ahead.

JAJ
30 September 2004