Our HOTS team has multiplied in numbers such a great deal that we had to divide the team in 3 groups.
Each group takes turns to
- Distribute the leaflet’s and pray for passers-by
- Stand at the back of the chairs and silently pray for the team who is distributing leaflets and silently pray for passers-by to hear God’s invitation to be prayed for.
- Go inside St Martin’s church and pray. This can be an opportunity for the team to pray for each other and also to pray for St Martin’s for its protection, for its leaders, guidance and faithfulness to promote the Gospel of Jesus.
This worked well and we hope to follow this pattern or adapt it if necessary. It seemed to be that each group felt they were taking part in all aspects of this ministry.
An Iranian team member was keen to pray while it was her group’s turn to be at the back of the chairs. Because her English was very limited we encouraged her to pray ‘God, send your Holy Spirit on this place’ as she walked up and down the area where we pray. She did just that. She walked up and down praying under her breath ‘God send your Holy Spirit on this place’
During the feedback we encouraged everyone whose English is limited to look for a short prayer in English during the month and learn it. On the next Sunday they were in their church sharing about their experience and they asked their pastor where they could find sentences of prayers on Google so they could learn and teach others prayer words in English. They had taken on board the need to pray in English.
I look forward to next time when we meet for another HOTS session and see how many prayers in English will be said. But above all I want to see what God will do as these prayers will be raised as an evening sacrifice with Christ’s aroma on their lips.
Here is an email I received from a team member
- We prayed for God to lift the spirit of a man who was rather downcast and had difficulty hearing us (we prayed for this to improve). He’d grown up a 7th Day Adventist. We passed on the contact details of the nearest 7th Day Adventist church to him and he brightened up and in the end was listening to every word we said.
- A woman came to the chair who had a tumour on her kidney and severe arthritis. She was very positive and said God had helped her before. We prayed for the tumour to be removed and for her arthritis, and about the coming operation.
- A woman received prayer for her retinal membrane to be healed so that she might see properly.
Also, as we prayed together in the church, a member of the public saw us and tearfully asked us pray for her relative and also a physical problem she had. When we’d finished praying she was calm and very thankful.
Here are some of prayers recorded in the book
- A gentleman shed tears while he was prayed to receive God’s love. We prayed that God would build a hedge around him so we could know that that God’s love will never leave him
- We prayed for a lady whose granddaughter died some years ago. She was able to be before God and give her pain to him
- A gentleman suffering from anxiety in communicating with people not only received prayer but we were able to signpost him to a special organization which can help him to learn some strategies to be able to communicate with others, for example he started using premium cbd hemp flower to reduce stress, anxiety and depression.
- A lady received prayer for her knees. She appeared tense and unrestful. The team prayed for her to receive the peace that Jesus gives which transpasses all understanding. As we prayed, her shoulders ‘dropped’ as if resting in that peace.
All these prayer testimonies and many more lead me to think that God’s mercy and compassion combined with our suffering, illnesses, anxieties and depression will increase our faith and hope. What a good combination – God and us – as we work together for that day when God’s kingdom come and His will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Blessings
Revd Elsie Blair Chappell