24/3 "Powerhouse" Prayer Room

THURSDAY 17 UNTIL SUNDAY 20 JANUARY

Open daily from 8am until midnight (concluding Sunday 7pm)

for personal prayer, private reflection and corporate intercession

Corporate prayer sessions ~ Friday and Saturday, 7.00 to 8.00pm

PRAYER WARRIORS MOST WELCOME!

Exceeding Expectations

At 7pm tonight, we took over the baton of 'non-stop' prayer. Twenty-one prayer warriors gathered for the opening corporate session in our "Powerhouse" Prayer Room at Inala Chapel.

The power of God's awesome Presence was certainly very real and the heart-felt, believing petitions were filled with desire to seek God's grace and empowerment through our commitment to prayer over the next couple of days.

Two folk prayed praising God for the "privilege of prayer" acknowledging that with this privilege comes responsibility. A corporate Amen was echo to the prayer, "Lord, make us responsible in the faithfulness of our prayer commitments".

Everyone left the "Powerhouse" boldly claiming God's promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14 (MSG) ~

"If my God-defined people, respond by humbling themselves, praying, seeking my presence, and turning their backs on their wicked lives, I'll be there ready for you: I'll listen from heaven, forgive their sins, and restore their land to health. From now on I'm alert day and night to the prayers offered at this place."

TODAY'S PRAYER FOCUS
Lyle Ruthven ~ living and studying in Papua New Guinea (where his parents are serving)

A Common Dialect

Colossians 1:3 (MSG) ~ "Our prayers for you are always spilling over into thanksgivings. We can't quit thanking God our Father and Jesus our Messiah for you!"

Over the past couple of days I have sat and enjoyed listening to my wife conversing with her childhood friend in their Hokkien dialect. It has been a huge benefit to experience the delight of renewed friendships and shared journeys, though I understood little of what they were saying.

As I pondered this personal situation, it occurred to me that as Christian believers we experience and share a common language everyday ~ the language of Love. And the dialect that has been common to our sharing together over these last couple of days is the Thanksgiving dialect.

How often do you use the Thanksgiving dialect?

TODAY'S PRAYER FOCUS
Captain Kirsty McKenzie ~ appointed to Bolivia in divisional leadership support role

Bible In A Nutshell

Here's an attempt at the Bible in 50 Words that I received recently!

God made

Adam bit

Noah arked

Abraham split

Joseph ruled

Jacob fooled

Bush talked

Moses balked

Pharaoh plagued

People walked

Sea divided

Tablets guided

Promise landed

Saul freaked

David peeked

Prophets warned

Jesus born

God Walked

Love talked

Anger crucified

Hope died

Love rose

Spirit flamed

Word spread

God remained.

TODAY'S PRAYER FOCUS
Majors Ian & Vivien Callander ~ Divisional leaders in Moldova, Eastern Europe

The Value Of Ministry

With the arrival of our friend, LiKuen, in Melbourne it was a great opportunity for a reunion meal with former officers and layworkers who served in Kuching and Singapore. The fellowship was inspirational and the "pot bless" meal was enjoyable. We discussed common personal experiences and personalities that not only brought back pleasant memories, but prompted us to moments of intercession for those who we encountered in the course of our ministries.

How we praise God for all we experienced while serving overseas, but most of all the beautiful God-people who made our formative years of ministry the valuable experience it was.

2 Timothy 1:3 (MSG) ~ "I miss you a lot, especially when I remember that last tearful good-bye, and I look forward to a joy-packed reunion."

TODAY'S PRAYER FOCUS
Majors David & Christine Watson ~ serving in educational institution in Zambia

Growing Through Prayer

As we at Inala Chapel are preparing to commence our 24/3 "Powerhouse" Prayer Room experience this week, we considered another part of the Jabez prayer ~ "...enlarge my territory..."

We were reminded that Jabez's heart longed for nothing greater than to find favor in God’s eyes by his faithful use of God’s blessings. This is the pinnacle of mankind’s existence and it was the goal of his life. Jabez simply desired more so that he could be found faithful and honorable in all he did.

God read his heart, examined his intentions, and then and only then, did He give Jabez all that he requested. Surely God was convinced that Jabez desired a ‘wider influence’ for the right reasons.

Jabez prayed with a seeking heart, “Lord bless me and enlarge my territory!” And if we pray this sincerely during the coming week, I am hopeful that God too will grant our request by the gift of His boundless grace.

TODAY'S PRAYER FOCUS
Majors Ross and Agnes Hailes ~ serving as COs in Canada.

Praying Scripture

When my human words fail, I turn to the Word of God and pray scripture. Below is a prayer resource we included in our 24/3 "Powerhouse" prayer guide. Why not pray it for yourself?

“Hi, it’s me again Lord.
It is my joy to stand again in Your presence in the name of Jesus today, as I come to be clothes in Your spiritual armour.
I now put on the Helmet of Salvation and cover my mind, my will and my intellect with your helmet. I bring every thought into captivity and place myself under the covering of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ ~ whose I am and whom I serve.
I put on the Breastplate of Righteousness. Your righteousness that covers my heart and my spirit.
I put on the Belt of Truth and pull it tight. Father, let the words of my mouth and the mediation of my heart be absolutely acceptable in Your sight, o Lord ~ for You are my Strength and my Redeemer.
I encase my feet in the Shoes of the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace and I determine that wherever I tread today, I will leave a trail of Your peace.
I hold in my right hand Your Shield of Faith, by which Your Word says I can quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
Now dear Father, I stand clothed in Your armour. I stand in Your might.
I plead the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ over me and my family this day and I thank you for covering me.”

AMEN

~ based on Ephesians 6:10-20

TODAY'S PRAYER FOCUS
Andrew Lee ~ recently relocated to Pakistan to serve in a finance role.