prayer...

yesturday evening andy, jack, ben and hannah piled in. loaded with sleeping bags, air mattresses and suitcases we welcomed them into their new home for the week. (a few others will take part in bits a pieces throughout the week too)

sat around the table, while i paced up and down excitedly, we went through some of the practical stuff and shared our hearts, our aspirations and thoughts on the week to come. we were encouraged by a verse in the days Moravian reading from Isaiah 30:21 "And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your earsshall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."...amazing... Praying to finish, we then hurried to get as much sleep as possible, before getting up at 6am this morning....

sleep didn't happen that much. i felt like a kid restless for Christmas Day or my birthday. excitement, thoughts, mini prayers all rushed through my head at once, disabling any ability to turn off so I could sleep. i woke before my alarm surprisingly refreshed and plonked my way down the stairs.

Today, we reflect on the first practise in the Boiler Room Rule outlined by 24/7....Prayer.

I introduced the framework of the boiler room, the two purposes, the three principles worked out in six practises. Today and tomorrow we will focus on the purpose of being true to Christ, which primarily is worked out in a lifestyle or prayer; a rhythm of regular devoted times to prayer, which are symptoms of a prayerful way of life.

During the week we'll be getting up at 6am to pray in the mornings, each of us facilitating the days devotions. We'll also pray and discuss and eat together most days in the evening, and come together for prayer before going to bed...

Andy took the devotions of the day. He felt it would be right to continue reading from what he'd been reading of the bible recently. Funnily enough, the next part in Matthew recalls Jesus saying this: (from the Message - which i used to diss quite a bit, but i actually quite like it now!)

"Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.
"The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply."

The mysterious link between our theme for the day and Andy's chosen devotion was awesome. We then each took a phrase from 'the Lord's prayer' and spent some time praying about them, about the day, for each other and for those we know.

Thanks Andy!

A great start to day, and to the week.