Tuesday, May 03, 2011

The 24:7 Cambridge Prayer Week: Light the Fire!


Beloved brothers and sisters,

Thank-you for letting me continue to share with you the burden God has put upon my heart.

The third of the verses which has captivated my imagination is Leviticus 24:7.

Ever since discovering that 1 Chronicles 24:7ff. seems to describe the Temple priests doing 24:7 Prayer, I have had a certain fondness for 'chapter 24 verse 7's. While I wouldn't recommend that you make this your usual way of reading the Bible, I have discovered another gem in Lev. 24:7. The chapter begins with God commanding Moses that in the tabernacle, the place of prayer, there should be "a flame burning continually". Then when we come to verse 7, it speaks of 'pure frankincense' (which represents prayer, Rev.5:8) being given as 'an offering by fire to the Lord' -- which when you think of it, is quite an apt verse for what a 24:7 Prayer Week is all about: fiery prayer offered continually to God.

And just because God is hilariously awesome, we have visiting the city and helping fill the hours of the Prayer Week a YWAM 'Fire and Fragrance' team (YouthWithAMission is the world's largest missions organisation; if you'd like to know what the 'Fire and Fragrance' bit means, I recommend the book of the same name by Sean Feucht and Andy Byrd -- we actually have a copy in the Prayer Room or you can buy it here).

But there's more: this week the Great St Mary's is reading through the whole of the King James Bible. And I signed up -- and have been allocated the reading of the beginning of Acts, starting at 9am. Getting to read the story of the first revival in the history of the multi-lingual church in the official University Church of one of the most multi-lingual cities in the world seems to good an opportunity for some symbolic demonstration of the word of God.

So I am now inviting whoever is willing, to join me in the Great St Mary's for another 'Prayer Flashmob'.

The plan is this, to gather as many people as we can into the Great St Mary's to listen to the reading of Acts 1-2. I will have a lighted candle at the front where I will sit reading. If everyone else also brings candles, then when we reach the beginning of chapter 2, someone can come to the front and light their candle from mine, and from theirs the flame can spread to everyone who has gathered with us to pray.

To pray what? you ask.

To pray that the Holy Spirt would once again come like fire upon the Church.
To pray that God would restore in this city the fire and the fragrance of prayer and all that flows from the place of united Christ-centred prayer.
To pray that Jesus would once again seal us, His Bride, with the fire of His love, a love that is stronger than death, more jealous than the grave, and which cannot be quenched. Not by anything.

And should they say that we are foolish and drunk, I will declare that it's only nine in the morning!
Not for nothing is my name Peter.

Will you join me?

Your brother in Christ,
Peter

PS. Please pass on this invitation. If facebook helps, then here's the link

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