Community

In a recent post I mentioned how God had been challenging me in the whole area of intercession. Recently this has been mentioned at church too, as 6 people have been killed in our area in the last 2 weeks. Last night I bought a couple of newspapers and was reading through them. They were full of stories of gang violence, drug-fuelled crime, stories of how easy it is to get hold of weapons, and massive bitterness towards the killers.


Three of the six people killed recently have been teenagers. According to the papers I read last night, four people have been arrested in connection with the shooting of one of the victims (aged 15). Of those, the oldest was my age; the youngest, just 15.

In Southwark and Lambeth alone last year, there were 909 crimes "aided by firearms" - more than many major US cities.

I've been really challenged by recent events. Children killing eachother, gunmen shooting men in their sleep, gangs ruling the streets and estates with a reign of terror...thats not what God meant when he said "For I the Lord love justice" (Isaiah 61:8). I often feel uncomfortable when I leave church late at night and walk through Elephant and Castle...it's the subject of lots of jokes and I get stick for it...but I don't live there, I don't spend as much time in fear as other people have to.

• We need to be praying that people don't live in constant fear in their own communities. "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline" (2Timothy 1:7)

• We need to be praying that gang culture would cease, that the glamour of guns would be removed, that those involved would realise that it is wrong.

• Tucked right away on page 20 of the newspaper was a story of a gangster who had become a Christian and was now trying to reach other gang members with his story. Pray for breakthrough, that people living in darkness would see the light. "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned" (Isaiah 9:2)

• Pray for peace for the families bereaved of loved ones - their children.

• Pray for safety on the streets of this community. And end to violence and murder, an end to drugs, gangs, turf wars, etc. "I will give you every place where you set your foot" (Joshua 1:3) - claim this ground for the Lord. "They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations" (Isaiah 61:4)

These are big prayers. Huge prayers. But Jesus assures us that "if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you" (Matthew 17:20)

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Bits and bobs

Another random post about everything and nothing, apologies. I've been reading Philip Yancey's "What's so amazing about grace?" which is giving me so much food for thought, so expect an epic post about grace in the near future. But in the mean time, I thought I'd share an awesome story.

Last week I got an email saying that the daughter of Salvation Army officers in Ecuador had been kidnapped. When I was praying about that I was reminded of the dry bones passage in Ezekiel 37. The bit that sticks out to me from that passage is that God placed Ezekiel in the valley, in the time of testing, and then told him to prophecy into that situation. Yes, God is all-powerful etc, but there is a need for us to speak into our situations. By applying that to what I'd heard about this family in Ecuador I was reminded of the need to be intercessors. Too often I hear about peoples situations and just pass them off with a quick "it's fine, God will sort it". But we need to be more involved than that, to pray powerfully and specifically. Sometimes we don't know what to pray, but God will give us a prayer.

"We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will" (Romans 8:26-27)

God put it on my heart to pray for her parents - Salvation Army officers, faithful servants, a job close to my heart! I prayed that their faith would remain strong, that the work of the enemy would not prevail, and that they would be prophecying into that situation as Ezekiel did. Yesterday, I got another email saying that the girl had been returned to her parents and was now safe. Praise God!

If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing; whoever attacks you will surrender to you. "See, it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work. And it is I who have created the destroyer to work havoc; no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD. (Isaiah 54:15-17)

This evening I've got an organ lesson with my new teacher...it should be good, I'm looking forward to it. And prophecying into it...