Blog:
Sails up…

Posted by Chris Mason
on 6th March 2016

This week, as we come before God in our week of prayer, we do so with a sense of expectation.  

God has spoken on many occasions in times of prayer and worship over the past five years at The Oak and has led us into new seasons by His word.  Prophetic pictures of ‘Refuge’, ‘Planting a seed’, ‘Isaiah 61’, ‘Gilded frames’ - sometimes a whole series of confirming words and encouragements before we start new things.  The picture we have in our minds as we start this week is one of a ship out at sea.  We work hard to put up the sail but then wait for the Holy Spirit to blow us in the direction He would have us go.

Corrie Ten Boom, a Nazi concentration camp survivor who discovered prayer to be everything she needed, said "Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?”  Will God be the one who we allow to lead us or will we get him out like a spare tyre in an emergency.

So many times we start weeks like this with a general sense of where God is leading us with a load of blank space in the middle.  Really, to be honest, we have a schedule and other than that… its ‘sails up’ - where do you want to lead us God?

Romans 8:26
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.

Colossians 4:2
2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Philippians 4:6
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Will you join us in praying at one or more of the gatherings happening each day or in your home, workplace or wherever?  
Will you seek him for wisdom this week, for direction and ways forward?
Will you share what He says with each other and with us in our gatherings?

We are praying this is a week of incredible encounters with Jesus as we put up the sail and feel the wind of His spirit leading us.  We are praying we catch something of God’s heart.

Mother Teresa
“May God break my heart so completely that the whole world falls in.” 

We are also praying God breaks our heart for those who need.  For those we are encountering through our social action projects and those we serve weekly in our Treehouse (kids work) and youth work sessions.  Our Special Offering begins this coming Sunday with an opportunity to join with all those at The Oak as we ask God for £16,000 to invest in developing our social action projects and in our Treehouse.  

Here is a link to the prayer schedule for the week and here is a link to the hour by hour slots for the Friday evening.

 

Share this blog: