Mary Of Bethany
Every time I have done a 24-7 prayer week, it’s been a special time. There is something about pressing in to spend time with God that blesses your life… especially when you are part of a group or community that is setting aside time to do this together. I would encourage anyone who has never experienced it to give it a go!
Our prayer week consisted of corporate prayer and worship times from 8 – 12 each morning (when we would normally have lectures) and then 10-12/1ish every night. In between these times we were divided into groups of 4 to take 2 hour shifts in the prayer room through the day and night. My shift was from 4-6 am every day, which meant I had practically no sleep the whole week!! It was amazing how much strength you got from prayer though - at the start of the week I was falling asleep in my sessions but by the end I was staying up all night to watch the sunrise!!
My first couple of prayer slots were fairly low-key. I was expectant but felt God really impress on me just to wait on Him and spend time with Him, rather than coming into this with a whole heap of preconceptions or even worse a shopping list. Of course there were things on my heart that I was concerned about and needed to present to Him during prayer, but I felt that this week was going to be about more than just what I wanted, and that it was going to be important to lay aside all of that and spend time seeking His face. The next day we had a talk on being like Mary of Bethany... you know the old story about the sisters Jesus visits, Mary and Martha. Martha is busy in the kitchen while Mary sits at Jesus' feet... Martha complains about having to do all the work herself and asks Jesus to tell her sister to help. Jesus' reply however, is this "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." Luke 10 v 41-42 This spoke to me so much, because it really helped to clarify what I had been chewing over, that God's first request of us is to spend time with Him. That is what He loves above and beyond anything else that we might do or achieve... He desires worshippers rather than worship. I was indeed worried and upset about many things, but I knew that my priority was to spend time with my Father, drawing close to Him in intimacy, and that everything else would follow on from that.
"Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about... you will recieve power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1 v 4&8
Our prayer week consisted of corporate prayer and worship times from 8 – 12 each morning (when we would normally have lectures) and then 10-12/1ish every night. In between these times we were divided into groups of 4 to take 2 hour shifts in the prayer room through the day and night. My shift was from 4-6 am every day, which meant I had practically no sleep the whole week!! It was amazing how much strength you got from prayer though - at the start of the week I was falling asleep in my sessions but by the end I was staying up all night to watch the sunrise!!
My first couple of prayer slots were fairly low-key. I was expectant but felt God really impress on me just to wait on Him and spend time with Him, rather than coming into this with a whole heap of preconceptions or even worse a shopping list. Of course there were things on my heart that I was concerned about and needed to present to Him during prayer, but I felt that this week was going to be about more than just what I wanted, and that it was going to be important to lay aside all of that and spend time seeking His face. The next day we had a talk on being like Mary of Bethany... you know the old story about the sisters Jesus visits, Mary and Martha. Martha is busy in the kitchen while Mary sits at Jesus' feet... Martha complains about having to do all the work herself and asks Jesus to tell her sister to help. Jesus' reply however, is this "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." Luke 10 v 41-42 This spoke to me so much, because it really helped to clarify what I had been chewing over, that God's first request of us is to spend time with Him. That is what He loves above and beyond anything else that we might do or achieve... He desires worshippers rather than worship. I was indeed worried and upset about many things, but I knew that my priority was to spend time with my Father, drawing close to Him in intimacy, and that everything else would follow on from that.
"Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about... you will recieve power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1 v 4&8
posted by Susie at
12:57 AM
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