Kitty O'Shea's Prayer Group - May 22

Eight regulars gathered at Kitty’s to pray, joined by Lex who had visited before and was now able to come again, during a time of personal transition.

Although some had been experiencing times of spiritual attack or struggle, even if linked to new growth, we rejoiced in the evidence of answered prayer:

• K’s son A, who was entering his next stage of life with evidence of real commitment and growth;
• The various groups which faithfully evangelize in Roxbury, and for S’s most recent experiences of openness there;
• Not only has the commitment target almost been reached at G’s church, but there is evidence that the campaign around a common goal is strengthening community there.

In our time of prayer, God continued to speak around the themes we have experienced of late:

Water—D. read Psalm 1:

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

D. spoke further of God’s invitation, which is always for the here and now, to step into the river, which is always new, regardless of where the river goes.

K. read later from Isa 43: I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. In this sense, we prayed especially that God would make a way for A. and L. during times of transition; and we prayed anointing and protection on K.’s son A. as well as he goes to college.

Spiritual attack—K. read from Ephesians 6 as we prayed for discernment and protection. We remembered especially the effect of lies, whether spoken in our own mind through fears, or in the wider society through myths like the daVinci Code being widely believed. However, we rejoiced in God’s sovereignty, and ultimate victory over evil. We were grateful for the opportunity for God to show his power in turning around strategies of deceit; and we acknowledged that for us, “so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Eph 6:13.

In the midst of these familiar themes, we also prayed to be open to the new work of creation with which God is ever at work, but which we often fail to recognize: our lenses are so often adjusted to looking for re-vival, in the sense of bringing the dead back to life, about which so much has been spoken and written that it seems familiar to us. However, we can miss much of what God is doing in creating the new, as K. read from Isaiah 43:

18 "Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.

19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

We prayed for the ‘radar’ to see opportunities for ministry and witness; and courage to take them.