Prayer Strategy

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Prayer Strategy (From  Feb 2021)

Thinking about the Vision, and the reason for gathering a group of people to pray - to overcome the opposition, as James Frazer says, "by steady, persistent prayer [because] the powers of darkness need to be fought" - we've been working on our strategy - asking God to clarify how we are to pray.

Following the dream of the spear (see Update), we felt our main strategy was to continue to draw near to the Lord, keep our eyes on Him in adoration and worship, spend more time with Him and seek more intimacy. Now we're wondering if there is additional work to be done. Is it time to go on the offensive?

We've been studying the story of Elisha, Jehoash, King of Israel and the shooting of the arrows - first through the air, (like the spear), then into the ground (see 2 Kings 13:14-21). We believe it is time to 'take the arrows and strike the ground' - but not to just shoot three arrows and stop, like the king, but to completely empty our quiver - to be whole-hearted, passionate and persistent in prayer for complete victory over the high places and fortresses, the strongholds of the enemy.

What are 'the weapons of our warfare [which are] divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses'? (2 Cor 10:3-5). The sword of the spirit, which is the word of God - scripture, of course, but also, the prophetic words that have been given us, as Paul urged Timothy to use to 'fight the battle well' (1 Tim 1:18).

So, we are looking for six or seven stronghold busting declarations based on scripture and on the Words that God has spoken over our lives regarding the Vision. Perhaps one of them should be based on Hebrews 6:12 ...

"We will not become lazy or indifferent, sluggish or slothful, but through persistence and patient endurance, we will follow the example of those who inherit what has been promised"

Please pray that we are led to the right words to use for our declarations, and let's get smiting the ground!

Coventry will see the Vision come into being. We are convinced it has a part to play in the restoration of the church in the city; (see Dietrich Bonhoeffer's quote about "a new type of monasticism"), so be encouraged, keep on praying, be persistent - we will inherit the promises of God! Let us not give up after the third shot, but go on until we see the complete victory of the Lord!

Many blessings, Ian and Cath

P.S. If you want to read a stirring sermon on 2 Kings 13, here's one of Spurgeon's:

www.spurgeongems.org/sermon/chs2303.pdf (Favourite line:-"None of us will ever get to heaven on a featherbed")

So, we started with seven 'declarations' - one for every day of the week. Then, as time went on, this became one for every day of the month, patterned after the Meditations which form part of the Northumbria Community's Daily Prayer.  Eventually, all this was simplified into what we now have, which we think of not so much in terms of stronghold busting, but as reminders of how we should live.  Perhaps it's time to refocus on their origins - the prayer strategy for breakthrough, for ushering in the tide of change. Or maybe it's time for a new prayer strategy - one that calls for deeper intimacy, seeking the Lord's face and hearing His voice. Lord, speak, for your servant is listening.