Psalm 63.
You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. 3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. 4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. 5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
Once again in the ten days between Ascension Day and Pentecost the Archbishop of Canterbury is calling on all Christians to earnestly seek God for the coming of his kingdom and a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit, in order that many will experience for themselves in a new way God’s power and glory. Over the last five years, this prayer initiative has caught people’s imagination so that Christians in over a hundred and fifty nations now participate. Last year 1400 people from across the city of Nottingham joined together in a memorable evening at Trent Vineyard, while more locally we held a well-attended united evening service at Newthorpe Baptist church.
Sadly, this year we will not be able to meet together but in the current crisis, the need for God to intervene is more important than ever. This year I was planning on joining others in the Market Square for a time of worship and prayer for our city, which was scheduled to take place this Friday evening. The event was being planned by Nottingham City prayer and was called Bow down. (I mentioned it during the service on Sunday). Thanks to modern technology the event will still be taking place in homes all across the county. You can register to be part of this at bowdown.online. Can I encourage as many of us as possible to be part of this. It starts at 9pm and will last for approximately 15 minutes and will end with everyone lighting a candle.
As we cry out to God in expectation and faith, that He will find a way to deliver us from this pandemic I was reminded of a quote from one of my heroes of faith Smith Wigglesworth, “Great faith is a product of great fights. Great testimonies are the outcome of great tests. Great triumphs can only come out of great trials.”
Suggested songs for the 12noon prayer times
Tuesday: Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise
Wednesday: Oceans deep
Ascension Day: Crown him with many crowns
Friday: We bow down
Saturday: Blessed assurance
Monday: Good, Good Father