october 2000

OCTOBER 2000

Rev. 5:8 ‘The prayers of the saints are like golden bowls full of incense’; Isaiah 62:6-7 ‘On your wall O Jerusalem (Bristol) I have posted watchmen: All day and all night they will never keep silent… until he ... makes her the praise of the earth…till her salvation like a blazing torch. Nehemiah 2 ‘let us rebuild the walls...’ BE A BRICK! Jeremiah 29:7 ‘Pray to the Lord (for the city) if it prospers you too will prosper’’. Lord give us your eyes and heart of Prayer as we go about …

PRAYER GUIDELINES – See previous editions for more in-depth details:

Get settled into God’s Presence; Start with Praise and adoration; Be focussed on Him and his Word; Repent and get right with God and others; Thank God for answered Prayer; Plead the Blood of Jesus over yourself and family and put on the Spiritual Armour as in Ephesians 6 and ask for Humility; Use the last 4 x 10 minute slots for praying about Bristol for one or two topics from each of the suggested sections as you are guided by the Holy Spirit. Expand each topic and pray in-depth, as led by God. Be specific in what you pray about – then you will be able to follow up the response.

PRAYER TOPICS FOR BRISTOL – CHOOSE THE TOPIC AS GOD GUIDES YOU:

BRISTOL CITY COUNCIL:

For their Decision-making – and for them to show positive support and acceptance of Christian based projects – which todate has been generally negative. Pray that the Equal Opportunities Policy will be revised to enable this. Pray for your own locality and issues (your local free paper might help), for your MP and councillor House to pray for your neighbours. For Christian MPs and councillors are Valerie Davey, Anne White (Cabot), Jim White, Clare Cooke (Henbury),…for God to work through all other politicians

ALPHA

New Alpha courses have been starting in churches around the city. Pray that God would continue to bless this evangelistic initiative, and that many people would be drawn into a new or deeper faith. Pray for those running the courses that they speak God’s words and continue to show hospitality through these courses. Pray for a fresh revelation of the Holy Spirit to be received and for the teaching to be anointed.

THE CHURCH IN BRISTOL. Please continue to pray for the spiritual foundations and roots of the Church in Bristol to be fully based on Jesus Christ, on his cross and resurrection and on the Gospel, kept alive by a constant flow of the Holy Spirit. Pray for strength and vitality.

Spirit of Prayer – 2 Chron. 7:14; Mark 11: 15-17; Spirit of Faith – Heb 11:6; Matt 21: 18-22;

For LEADERS to be encouraged, envisioned, strong and to multiply effective leadership for the future

For churches to grow and be encouraged in South Bristol and other deprived areas to be live, vibrant witnesses in the local communities & housing estates of Bedminster, Knowle, Hartcliffe, Withywood etc.
For a Spirit of Repentance and for the Presence of God to come upon all churches in the city

Continue to pray for UNITY between churches - Psalm 133, John 17:1:20-26; Eph. 4:1-3 –
For effective DISCIPLESHIP programmes to be set up in all churches and for Christians to be equipped to serve God in their work places.

OUTREACH – Romans 1:16 ‘I am not ashamed of the gospel, it is the power of God for salvation'

- New Outreaches –. For Ascension a group aiming to reach the 18-30s of Bristol . Also pray for Contagious starting on the 26/10, a new Christian night club event aimed to reach the 18-30s.

St Pauls Gate Café Project - The project co-ordinator of this youth outreach (Juliet Kimber) asks us to continue praying for the raising of £30,000 to complete the building of the café in City Rd.
For the Alpha Course and New Drop in centre at Trinity Tabernacle started as a result of the On the Move BBQs. Approx. 110 people attend. Finances & food are needed.
For the Broadmead Evangelists and Preachers and their converts which are on the increase recently.
For the 20+ Open Air Campaigner Evangelists who go into Bristol schools and the Muller Teams.
For all Children in Bristol to be reached with the gospel and to be protected from occult influences which might come through Halloween or via the Harry Potter books and the lead-on from this ie. Wrong interest in witches, wizards … (many children have been ringing up Pagan and Witchcraft groups as a result)

For the Asian community of Bristol of be reached with the Gospel, particularly in East Bristol.

Pray for all Christians to be supported and effective witnesses in their places of work whether in business, in the NHS, in Education, in Social Services, in the Police force etc.
For all Evangelists to be encouraged and supported by churches and to be used in mobilising the body
Get a copy of the electoral role in your street from the Council so that you can pray for your neighbours.

Please also for the PACE football team. This is a team of 15 and 16 year olds from the St paul's/Easton area of bristol who are not yet christians but who play in a league organized by christians

HALLOWEEN – Pray protection on Bristol for 31^st October and for churches to put on Hallejuhah Praise parties and the like on this night.
SOCIAL ACTION – Isaiah 61 – ‘they will renew the ancient ruins which have been devastated ‘

For Christian projects and values to find favour as the £8.3 million award to the Regeneration of Needy Bristol communities - The Filwood Hope Centre in Knowle West (a Christian Crisis Counselling Ministry needs £25,000 per annum from next March or it may close.)

For Ministries amongst the Youth to be empowered and for new works to be birthed

For the provision of a Christian Community/Discipleship House for recovering Addicts in the city
For the Elderly to be comforted and protected and to receive right type of care; for each OAP home in the city to be adopted by a Church House Group; (for the preservation of the Council OAP homes); For each home to be bathed in prayer and to be reached with the Gospel. For the support and anointing of the‘Comforters Group’ which is committed to reaching out to several OAP homes
For ministries to poor and marginalised to be resourced sufficiently with staff, volunteers, finances, buildings, skills, mercy and love, examples are Crisis Centre Ministries in St Pauls, Salvation Army rehabilitation centre in St. Phillips – for recovering addicts to come through the programme, Soup Runs to Homeless, Prison outreach/visiting/discipleship - for the salvation and discipleship of new converts in Horfield Prison and in the Ashfield Young Offenders centre, (for Prison Chaplaincies eg. Greg Downes and staff) Network Counselling (for finances) , SPACE (ministry to homeless families), for 125 Project (prostitutes outreach) pray for Val Jeal 125 coordinator to be refreshed, supported and encouraged

MORALITY

Pray for Christian Marriages, Single people & Families to shine for God and to be protected.
Similarly that the Gay Village to be set up in Old Market will not go ahead & that a loving witness will be raised up to reach the Bristol Gay population & God will guide the city council in Gay issues.
For balanced and correct handling of the case in Bristol against the paedophiles to minimise abuse (that countries overseas would tighten up and hold registers)

BRISTOL GENERALLY

Pray for the breath of God to blow over the dry bones of His people and also to bring light and blessing to all people who live in the city and for all areas of the the city such as: Business & Commerce in Bristol to prosper in a righteous way; that God would be in the huge new redevelopment plans of Broadmead – that this will include ‘Speakers Corner’ in the right place; that the city centre would be transformed physically and spiritually reflecting something of God’s glory.
For new developments, plans and staff in the Crisis Centre in St Pauls (café & outreach for street people). reflect something of God’s glory and life and that it could become a place where Christians can gather and that it becomes a warm, welcoming place for all ;
For God to transform the following.streets and residents in Knowle West from unrest to peace, to be rid of drugs, gangs, graffiti and violence: Downton Rd, Kildare Rd, Headford Rd. Also for problematic blocks of flats in Hartcliffe called Millmead House, and Milford House.

EVENTS Drugs Misuse Campaign, ISR course in Bristol 27th October - Pray for this course to be successful in combating the drug problem in Bristol & for"Christian & church links with drug agencies.

BUILDING OF THE PRAYER WALL

Praise God that 6 months after the start of the wall, there are now 70+ people praying. Every week new people join. Pray for God to call the appropriate people, so that we form a complete wall of 168 people surrounding Bristol 24 hours. 7 days a week. Share details of the Prayer Wall with your Church Prayer Leader/co-ordinator and others with a heart for Prayer. Please contact us with any prayer requests for concerns and projects in Bristol. We hope that the Wall will become accessible to people, who are not a brick themselves, to phone us with prayer requests. It could also become a form of prayer evangelism if non-Christians felt they could ask us to pray for their area or project. Please could you let this be known amongst friends and acquaintances? Let us know if you would like us to do a presentation of the Prayer Wall at your church.

ADDITIONAL PRAYER WALL FOR BRISTOL

Following the Presentation of the Bristol Prayer Wall to approx. 30 Church Leaders/Prayer coordinators a suggestion was made that churches could sign up to take a block of hours to form a second Prayer Wall. The participating churches would sign up their own members for these blocks of hours the praying members, which might vary from month to month. If your church is interested in this 2^nd Prayer wall do let us know.

MONTHLY PRAYER WALL MEETING: - Feedback and Corporate Intercession for Bristol
THE FIRST MONDAY OF EVERY MONTH AT 8pm to 9.45pm AT THE ELMGROVE CENTRE, SMALL HALL REDLAND RD, REDLAND next to Living Wells leisure centre, NOV 6^th, DEC 4th etc.

it is good to come together to support and encourage each other. We would encourage everyone on the Wall to occasionally attend these meetings. You can also pick up your monthly Prayer Guide here.

Opportunity to attend NATIONAL PRAY FOR REVIVAL CONFERERENCE, 27-29TH November

You can join a number of people from the Bristol Prayer Wall going to this conference in Swanick. People from other UK city Prayer Walls & overseas will attend; it will be an opportunity to get to know each other; the teaching and intercession will be inspiring, and we can share transport. Phone/email for more details.

PRAY FOR OTHER PRAYER INITIATIVES TO BE MULTIPLIED ACROSS THE CITY

AND FOR A BRISTOL PRAYER NETWORK TO BE SET UP

Which could also lead to inter-church geographic prayer groups being set up across the city and would include specialist prayer groups such as a Spiritual Stronghold breakers group etc.

Pray for Bristol – quarterly prayer meeting for Bristol – December 5^th 7.30pm at Pip n’Jay run by Stephen Abbott

Leaders Prayer Meeting – Mondays at Pip n’Jay 12.45 to 14.00 – contact Stephen Abbott tel: 9779270

ADMINISTRATION

The logistics of the Wall mean that quite a lot of administration is involved. If anyone feels gifted or called in this area we would value any input/ time. Pray for this.
PRAISE GOD FOR ANSWERED PRAYERS:

- Knowle West and Hartcliffe -thank God that the drugs problem has moved out of Hayleigh house since we started praying last month; - Also for many new Evangelistic events springing up across the city.

- New 24-7 Prayer Initiative started at the Mix Youth Celebration for one week over the October half term

- Evidence of two new Prayer Gatherings started amongst leaders about which we will give more details later

St Pauls Gate Café Project – Thank God for money received last month.

The longer term vision for the Bristol Prayer Network is for a city wide House of Prayer.

In Colorado Springs there is a worldwide House of Prayer and Birmingham are planning to build one via the organisation Prayer for Revival.

PRAY ABOUT THE THREAT TO RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN EUROPE via a new European employment directive which means religious groups/schools/organisations could be forced to employ atheists or practising homosexuals. Pray Britain will not sign the directive. For more information contact: ‘The Christian Institute’ tel: 0191 281 5664 or www.christian.org.uk

JESUS AND SPIRITUAL WARFARE - Bob Dunnett (Prayer for Revival)

There is every indication at the present time that God is calling us to become more acutely aware that we are deeply involved in a power struggle with forces of darkness. This awareness is required because it seems equally evident that God is not simply calling for awareness but involvement.

It has simply not been the strong point of Western Christianity (even Evangelical Christianity) to recognise and overcome forces that oppress the church and nullify evangelism. We are more likely to debate spiritual warfare that engage in it. It seems that the Spirit of God is seeking to redress that situation at the present time. It may well be that the reasons for that are first that there is a great harvest that God is seeking to free from being held back, and second that there is an ever increasing presence of oppressing forces at work in our nation.

In the light of this it seems helpful to remind ourselves of how much Jesus was aware of the spiritual struggle, and the different areas in which he found and experienced spiritual conflict. It may help us to greater awareness, and also help us to gain wisdom by appreciating his perceptions of the conflict. Hence this leaflet.

1. His Awareness of Satan’s Attack on Ministry.

Jesus provides us with two clear examples here. The first is taken from his own life and refers to his own temptation in the wilderness. The second refers to his warning to Peter that Satan "desired to have" the disciples and "sift them".

First, then, Jesus was attacked immediately after he received the Holy Spirit at the Jordan - a high point from which the ministry was to be launched. The temptations recorded may be seen from one perspective as an attempt to "pollute" the integrity of his ministry. He was tempted to put creature comforts first (stones to bread), he was tempted to make a show of fleshly power with miracles (leap from the Temple) and he was tempted to gain power through working with the powerbase of the world. Such pollution would have emptied his ministry of any real Kingdom values. It was a battle that Satan thought important enough to fight personally with Jesus. The battle over the integrity of any man’s ministry is one which the powers of darkness will always undertake. The temptations may not appear so stark as with Jesus but they will be there.

Second, Jesus warned Peter that Satan had desired to have the disciples in order to sift them (Lk. 22:31). (This takes us right back into the early chapters of Job!) And Satan was allowed to "have them"! The fact that Jesus was so aware of this going on with his disciples is indicative of an incredible perception of what was really going on in the heavenly sphere in relation to the disciples and their future ministry. There was battle on for his disciples - and Jesus saw Peter’s "failure" in this light. Jesus also responded to his insight by "praying...that his faith would not fail". In other words he prayed Peter through the sifting, and Peter went on to "strengthen his brethren".

There is no more important awareness called for in our generation than the awareness of the constant attacks that Satan seeks to bring against the leaders of the church. Though God may ultimately use the sifting as a purifying agent, those under such sifting require prayer to get them through.

2. His Awareness of Satan’s Destructive Work in Individuals.

This is probably the most obvious perspective that we can appreciate in the ministry of Jesus. He saw illness and he saw sickness, but he also saw demonic attacks on people. There is as much of the latter as of the former. Frequently the demonic was cloaked as a form of sickness. With astute discernment prompted by the Spirit of God Jesus was able to distinguish between the two. So a woman with a bent back was not just ill but had been "bound by Satan for eighteen years". He delivered her by confronting the spirit.

Our need is twofold: a readiness to acknowledge that there may be far more of the demonic in the afflictions (both physical and providential) of people than we are accustomed to think; and a readiness to seek a much greater level of discernment between different afflictions.

3. His Awareness of Satan’s Control of World Systems

This factor is almost certainly much less appreciated than Satan’s work with individuals, but it is very important to grasp.

Once again the starting point for this perception is the Temptation sequence. Jesus tells us (for there was no one else who could have told us) that Satan showed him and offered him all the kingdoms of this world "with their authority and splendour". This was no empty offer. Jesus did not dispute it - he simply rejected it. The fact is that the kingdoms (i.e. the ruling structures of this world) have been invaded and made subject to the pomp and pride and power- seeking that characterises Satan. Elevation to the highest position in these structures is something that Satan can provide.

God of course is the ultimate King and has the ultimate say, but, as Jesus himself reminds us frequently in John’s gospel, Satan is the prince of this world. He makes no bones about telling the Pharisees that they are "of their father, the Devil", for their whole life is a lie and stems from the father of lies. Similarly he is very much aware that as the trials before the High Priest and Pilate loom up, foreshadowing his execution by the Roman authorities, it is "the prince of the world who is coming". The spiritual conflict with "world rulers" is clearly evident to him and uppermost in his mind.

This is a dimension where we very much need to be more discerning. In our very considerable penchant for debate we are very apt to lose sight of forces of darkness at work in the power structures of the nation. As we debate the nicities of the meaning of "principalities and powers" ,how important it is, as praying people, to have some balanced engagement here!

4. His Recognition of the Need of Prayer and Protection

In the so-called "High Priestly Prayer" of John 17, Jesus prays, "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one" (17:15). This prayer is a repeat of something he had already prayed: "Holy Father protect them by the power of your name" (17:11). And in this same "High Priestly prayer he can say to his Father, "Whilst I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None of them has been lost......"(17:12).

There is here a clear recognition of the dangers in which his disciples stood from the evil one, and a recognition of the need of protection. Jesus obviously gave himself to the work of securing such protection - he saw it as his responsibility and he constantly pleaded the name of the Father in his intercession for them. He was far more aware of the dangers in which they stood and of the spiritual conflict in which they were involved than they were themselves, a fact which is evidenced once again by his conversation with Peter (Lk. 22:31). And feeling the responsibility that such clear insight laid upon him he had prayed for Peter that "your faith may not fail".

Likewise we find Paul at the end of his great passage on spiritual conflict in Ephesians 6 saying, "With this in mind (the conflict) be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints" (6:20).

5. His Recognition of the Need for the Strongman to be Overcome

In Luke 11:14-26 Jesus drove out a mute demon and consequently found himself criticised by onlookers who accused him of doing it by the power of Beelzebub. In the ensuing discussion Jesus insisted that he did it by the "finger of God", that is the Holy Spirit. He went on to speak of a strong man guarding his house and possessions but then being attacked and overcome by a stronger one who took away his armour and divided up his possessions. In this way he characterised his own ministry - it was one of attack, overcoming and spoiling, and the spoil that was taken was humanity.This is a warfare picture and it illustrated real warfare. This is the world in which Jesus lived. He was not afraid to go over onto the attack, to disarm and to spoil. This was the way people were released from their slavery. He was not afraid of the conflict because he knew that the strength really lay in the "finger of God", the Spirit.

We should not suppose for one moment that we shall extend the Kingdom of God ourselves in any other way.

6. His Appreciation of His Own Work in Destroying Satan’s Power

As Jesus approached the time of his crucifixion he saw it very clearly as a conflict with Satan and as a time of overcoming Satan. In his own words he was going to bring the prince of this world under judgement. In John 12;27ff he acknowledges before his Father that his very reason for coming was to come to the hour of the cross, and he proclaims to his disciples, "Now is the time for judgement on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out". Later, at the Last Supper, he says to them, "I will not speak to you much longer for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me...", and then speaking of the Holy Spirit tells them that the Spirit will convict of judgement "for the prince of this world now stands condemned".

Thus he perceives the cross as a conflict with the prince of this world, a time of bringing him under judgement and destroying his work. Here supremely, the Stronger was to bind and spoil the strong and release the spoil.

Thus though the cross has many aspects, there is no doubt that it speaks once and for all of the conquest of Satan and his powers. This conquest was no myth for Jesus but a burning reality in a world in which Satan’s power was all too evident to his eyes. It needs to become a burning reality for us also. There is no other weapon save the Cross, and the release of the finger of God through blood sprinkled hearts. We need to deepen our appreciation of the power released in the cross as it is applied through the Spirit.

7. The Fundamental Place of Prayer in Overcoming Satan

The disciples were commissioned to cast out demons by Jesus, but at least on one occasion found that they were unable to exercise the commission successfully. This is recorded in Mk 9 when they were unable to drive out a demon from a boy who kept throwing himself onto the fire. "Why could we not drive it out?", they asked Jesus. Jesus’ reply was simple; "This kind can only come out by prayer (and fasting) Mk 9:29. Matthew’s account gives a slightly different answer to the same question; "because you have so little faith". We get the full response of Jesus to the question when we put these two answers together - It is prayer which is full of faith which dislodges the Devil. And the prayer of faith which dislodges the Devil is frequently the result of fasting as well as prayer.

This is another dimension that we have to take on board if we are to engage in spiritual conflict with any degree of success. Used by permission. Prayer for Leicester, j 10 Melbourne Road, Leicester, LE2 0DR