a short weblog on life, the universe and everything

10th June - from 40 DAYS blog

Prayer of re-dedication

Lord Jesus Christ,

At the end of 40 days of prayer in Oasis, we look again to you. As one body, in many nations and continents, we praise you that your message is good news to the poor.

For the prisoners ... freedom!
For the physically and spiritually blind ... vision!
For the oppressed ... release!

Thank you for anointing us with your Holy Spirit. Today, we rededicate ourselves to live out the same mission which you began in his power and strength. We acknowledge our total dependence upon your goodness, wisdom and provision in every aspect of our life and work.

By your grace, we pray that the next 12 months will be 'a year of your favour' - spiritually, socially, emotionally, financially and in our thinking.

Your kingdom come! Your will be done!

Amen

Written by Bethel Rich (Zim) & Jon Harris (UK)

Re-dedicação de Oração

Senhor Jesus Cristo,

No fim de oração de 40 dias na Oasis, nós reparamos de novo em ti. Como um corpo, em muitas nações nos continentes, nós ti louvamos que a sua mensagem é boa nova para os pobres.

Para os prisioneiros .... liberdade!
Para cegos fisicais e espirituais .... visão!
Para o oprimido .... libertação!

Obrigado por nos ungir com espirito Santo. Hoje, nós re- dedicamos a nós mesmo viver a mesma missão que começaste no poder e força. Nós reconhecemos nossa dependência total sobre a sua bondade, sabedoria e provisão em todos aspectos das nossas vidas e trabalho.

Pela sua graça, nós oramos que próximos 12 meses serão “um ano de seu favor espiritual, social, emocional, financial e nos nossos pensamentos.

Vem o seu reino! Seja feita a sua vontade!

Amen

Translated by Valito Dauce (Moz)

9th June - from 40 DAYS blog

Tomorrow at 1600hrs BST, Oasis people around the world celebrate communion simultaneously in 9 different countries, the climax to our 40 DAY prayer fest.

I thought this pic, from one of our UK prayer rooms, provides a helpful focus for communion. A concrete cross and some fragile, red roses ... somehow this image encapsulates the harsh realities which Oasis deals with across the world, and the beauty of God's work in so many people, all made possible through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

8th June - from 40 DAYS blog

Girls praying at the Bambejja project in Kampala, Uganda, this morning. You should hear them - the singing and praying would melt the hardest of hearts! These girls have taken part in 40 DAYS twice this week in the prayer room at their training centre. GO BAMBEJJA & OASIS UGANDA!!

7th June - from 40 DAYS blog

South Asia have experienced breakthrough in both of the areas we were asked to pray for! Here's one of them (thanks, Jo):

Breakthrough area: At our family development programme in a slum community, pray we can resolve the water, drainage and electricity problems which require the landlady's co-operation. Pray for us to develop appropriate training for the 6 local women who will become health educators amongst 200 families. Praise God for the 50 girls attending literacy classes. Pray they will develop the potential God has given them. Pray also for unity and good relationships in this new project team.

Answer to prayer: After months of complications and struggling to find a solution, we now have a water tank and water piped into our project site. Praise God! The drainage work has been done and the electricity problem appears to have resolved itself without intereference! It's amazing what a difference this makes at the project - the caretaker was beaming as she was finally able to have a wash. Meanwhile the Doctor has had time to do more training this month than before, and it was encouraging to watch the nurse asking them questions about everything from diarrhoea to immunisations and realising how much they are learning. Our team relationships have developed this month and we are growing as a team.

I think some hallelujahs are in order, don't you?!

6th June - from 40 DAYS blog

Among the things I forgot to tell people before we started our prayer fest was THE IMPORTANCE OF AIR FRESHENER.

Thankfully, our small army of prayer room co-ordinators (which keeps growing - I think we're up to around 25 in all now?!) were sharp enough to spot this need and respond to it.

Air freshener is very important in the hotter climates (India & Africa spring to mind!). 100 or more people praying day & night in 1 room, sometimes in groups or with kids, can certainly generate a stink!

As well as a sweet smelling incense before heaven's throne...

So today I'd like to dedicate this diary entry to cans & co-ordinators!

Pictured: A dedicated Air Freshener in our prayer room on the equator in Kampala, Uganda

5th June - from 40 DAYS blog

What's the point of so much prayer?, asks Pete Greig, accidental founder of 24-7prayer.

The answer may surprise you.

4th June - from 40 DAYS blog

Zimbabwe and Belgium, who have both just finished their legs of the prayer chain - go on, pat yourselves on the back!! - have something in common.

For both countries, the timing of their prayer day/week sharpened their focus considerably. In Zimbabwe, the fuel and food shortages, police crackdowns on informal traders, and continued financial hardship were the backdrop. In Belgium, last week's 'NO' votes from both France and Netherlands to the proposed European constitution mean things that the political game is interestingly poised going into the G8 and the UK's presidency of the EU.

Father - speak your word of life into both Europe and Zimbabwe. Not our agenda, will or timing, but yours alone. Be glorified, we pray.

3rd June - from 40 DAYS blog

***1 WEEK UNTIL GLOBAL COMMUNION: FRI 10TH JUNE, 1600-1700HRS (BST)***

Oasis is a family of activists - and it's interesting to observe how activists pray. They are very task focussed - praying for things and hoping, longing, expecting to see results. That's good. If we don't evaluate the before & after, or see a real change, it is right to question how we are praying and whether we have understood God correctly in terms of how prayer works.

But there are so many other approaches to prayer than the activist one.

One of my favourites is that prayer is about Presence. First and foremost, prayer not about requests and answers, it's about experiencing God - and letting him shape our agendas. Which can be scary, because it means letting go of our agendas, no matter how well thought through, wise or intelligent they seem to be.

Our activism is good, but if it isn't located in the Holy Spirit, in genuine depth of relationship, and in true encounter with the living God, we are wasting our time (and money). That's why the stories we are sharing locally and globally about our prayer experience during 40 DAYS are so important - the vital thing is simply that you and I get to meet God and know his transforming, life-giving, awe-inspiring Presence.

2nd June

The last few days, about 20 of us from Oasis Africa (Moz, Zim, Ugd) and elsewhere have been in an adventure/training/retreat centre in Ruwa, just outside Harare. Most of us were on leadership training, but I took a prayer retreat. The surroundings were spectacular - it's sad I can't upload a photo yet on my slow African internet connection.

God was good in so many ways, but one encouragement was a staff member whose parents (in Scotland I think) have been taking part in 40 DAYS since they heard we were praying through our regular UK mailshots.

It's hard to quantify exactly how many people 40 DAYS has mobilised, but I think it is comfortably 500+ globally. Perhaps next time we should try and mobilise supporters as well as workers and go for the 1000's instead?

I'm interested to hear your thoughts about what come next for Oasis in terms of prayer - email me or leave a comment by clicking below.

1st June - from 40 DAYS blog

Colossians 4 - read it!

I'm impressed with the 'devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful' bit. And also the 'Epaphrus... is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in the Lord, mature and fully assured. I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis' bit too.

From this I deduce that there are at least four pictures of prayer to inspire us:

WORSHIPPER - devotion to prayer, to God, to offering everything up
WATCHMAN - being a lookout in the Spirit, guarding others (& cities?) through faithful prayer
WRESTLER - fighting, recognising the battle, giving it some, not giving up
WORKING - the guts and grind of it all, keeping going in prayer every day of our lives