I stood in the entrance door of our Church and cast an eye down the street, first one way, then the other. "They'll be here soon, I thought. "I know how we can pray around the town. One team can go to the schools, stand at the gates and pray for the protection of our children.
"One team can walk down the main shopping street, pray for the prosperity of the businesses, and another (if enough people turn up) can go and pray a blessing over the various churches, regardless of denomination.
"That will cover everything," I thought, "A really good way of doing things."
I'd only been asked to be Prayer Co-ordinator of our church a couple of months earlier, and felt was in a little over my head with all this prayer stuff.
We were a church with a strong team of people who prayed every week, eloquently and Spirit-filled (at times!).
We knew just what was needed to pray for, and often tears would flow. Oh yes, tonight was going to be as great time praying round our town.
I looked at my watch - 7.25pm. I was still alone, but its okay: everyone always comes at the last moment. That's what they do in church. Everyone is so busy; theyll he here in a minute. Theyre rushing to church right now.
ld been planning this week of prayer in the life of our Church for weeks now.
lt had been put on the year before by someone else and it went really well.
We had an Alpha prayer meeting last night, a prayer walk tonight and tomorrow would be back inside the church for some worship.
I'd been involved in Alpha for a couple of years and felt frustrated that not enough people were becoming believers.
God had spoken to me and said: "Get to prayer to see more fruit for your labours. Pray and youll see more decisions for Christ."
That Seemed simple enough, not that I had a great prayer life. I'd only been saved for five years, and came to faith in a hurry.
I looked down at my watch again, nervously glancing up the road one way and then down the road the other, looking for anyone from the church.
I said to myself, "It's okay, Steve, theyll be here in a moment, someone will come, l know they will. They better had. l'll be so mad if they don't!
No, no, of course they will - there are over 200 of us, of course some of them will come." I looked down at my watch - 7.30pm. One of my favourite TV soap operas was just starting. I remember thinking, lf I left now I could see the end of it. But no: a few more minutes. I'll hold out".
It was 7.40pm. No one was coming! "I just can't believe it, where are they all?" I lamented. "Where are the leaders, where is the pastor, where are the youth. Where is... anyone?"
I was livid, furious, frustrated.
"Christians, call themselves Christians? Im off home. Ive had enough, lm glad they didnt come.
"It would have been a waste of time anyway. God doesn't answer. Let's be honest, it wont make a difference..."
How quickly l had descended into a pit of discouragement and unbelief.
This tirade of abuse to God, about God, blaming God, was building momentum. lt rose within me to the point I actually verbalised it.
People would have thought I was going mad should they have overheard me, stood on the church steps, moaning to myself audibly.
But then - suddenly - it happened; the one thing l now didn't want to happen, the worst thing that could happen now I was in this mood...someone arrived!
The lone faithful person of prayer was one of the ladies from the Thursday night prayer group. Committed, sensitive, quiet in spirit but a true prayer warrior.
NO. NOT NOW... please, God, I just want to go home." I sighed.
Still God was silent; no spiritual thoughts could get through my wounded soul.
"Im not too late, am l?" she said, "Have the others already gone?"
I tried to speak softly: "No, no one else has come."
"Oh, oh thats a shame." She could see I was pretty unhappy: "Never mind, we can go together, we don't need anyone eIse."
No, I dont want to go," I thought. "I want to go home." Then another thought: "When two or more gather together then there am I among them.
"Oh please God, dont do that to me - dont lay that one on me, please!"
Then she spoke again: "Never mind, when two or more gather together then there am I among them. Jesus will go with us."
Yes of course," I said, and tried to smile at her and thought to myself, "But l don't want to go, God please let me go home."
That was the last thought I had as I joined this faithful woman of prayer in the planned prayer walk around the town. I grumbled at God almost every step. "What's the point?" I moaned, "What difference could this possibly make?"
"Where shall we head first?" she said.
"Well, I had planned to go to the school first. . . "And before I would say anymore, she was off. "The school gates, yes, that`s a great place to start.
As we went she prayed, when we got there she prayed, as we returned she prayed, prayed for the children, prayed for the people in the houses, prayed for the people at the bus stop, prayed and prayed. While behind her and sometimes alongside her, I groaned and moaned, grunted and growled, whimpered and wailed...at God.
I have found as a very young Christian that God is good at working through our moments of temper even when we pray.
He's good at listening even when your prayer isn't worthy of an answer. He likes us to be real, but I have to admit, my level of grumpiness deserved a good slap from and certainly not what was about to happen.
We continued our walk towards the shopping area. Past the first few shops, praying for prosperity for the businesses, and then we turned into the main street of Colwyn Bay. It was paved for pedestrians, with bench seats situated every 20 yards or so.
Flowers trailed drawn from high poles and the sun was still shining down, although it was getting quite low in the sky by now.
There was a group of about six young people on the second bunch on our left and the lady with me began to pray for them.
She really did know how to persevere; she really knew how to press in.
All I knew was how to complain and feel sorry for myself. Why did I ever get into this ministry - prayer? I must have been mad, no one else wanted it, and now l know why.
Just as l continued in my self-confession of how God was getting it wrong and I knew what we needed to do with these Christians, just at that moment when l didnt really have a lot felt to say to God it happened.
It wasnt a ray of light, or a Damascus Road experience. But I believe God spoke to me and said:Next year, Steve, I want you to do the same again, but this time, stand with another church and I'll expand it.
The thought came into my mind like at knife cutting across everything else. It wasn't what I was thinking, it hadn't entered my thoughts at any point during that day, week or month. It was a completely new thought.
"Did l just make that up or was that you, Lord? I never said a word to the lady I was with. I didnt really know if this was a God-thought or my own thought. But that one sentence l have continued to hold onto and pray into ever since.
I can't remember how long we prayed after that. But I remember leaving that lady at the church steps that evening sensing already I was holding something God had given me something he had entrusted to me.
lt was a revolution to me, just an ordinary guy, doing an ordinary church activity that went wrong. But then God stepped onto the scene and suddenly everything changed.
People have often asked me, "How did you know it was God who spoke to you?"
My honest answer is that l didn't know for some at that time, and I also knew it would be a long time before l could be certain.
But now, having later taken a year to pray about it, we are standing in prayer with a church in our town, and we haven't looked back since.
That year, many more people showed up. We prayed prayers of faith and prayer-walked around our town.
ln the years following, Prayer Week - as it became - spread to twelve churches, then in 2002 around 350 churches partnered with us and we produced a website.
In 2003 we received our first international registration. That same year, we estimated that over 1,500 churches were involved.
We organised a worship and intercession tour with Godfrey Birtill, and had around 40 speakers came along to teach about prayer and lead prayer meetings across the nation on a rotational basis. Its been crazy - but fantastic!
By last years Prayer Week, the vision had developed so much that we have stopped counting how many churches are involved. We get reports nowadays from all over the world, and the website hits are through the roof.
We've also stopped organising preaching tours, as groups do that themselves now. And we are constantly overwhelmed by the numbers of people involved.
Prayer Week has become a focal point of Church life across many denominations. Just a couple of months ago, we held our first Prayer Week preparation conference, and people came from all over the UK to see how they could further implement Prayer Week in their region.
I think it all began to him home to me at that conference. Those same steps I had grumbled to God about - because of a lack of support for a Prayer Walk were now a launch pad for the extending of the Kingdom of God in our nation.
Early preparation back than has set a foundation for thousands of others to get behind a vision God gave in just one sentence to me, an ordinary elder in a Baptist Church one summer evening.
It only goes to prove a valuable lesson. lf we listen and then act on the word of God, he can use anyone and the extent of what can be achieved for his Kingdom is limitless.
"One team can walk down the main shopping street, pray for the prosperity of the businesses, and another (if enough people turn up) can go and pray a blessing over the various churches, regardless of denomination.
"That will cover everything," I thought, "A really good way of doing things."
I'd only been asked to be Prayer Co-ordinator of our church a couple of months earlier, and felt was in a little over my head with all this prayer stuff.
We were a church with a strong team of people who prayed every week, eloquently and Spirit-filled (at times!).
We knew just what was needed to pray for, and often tears would flow. Oh yes, tonight was going to be as great time praying round our town.
I looked at my watch - 7.25pm. I was still alone, but its okay: everyone always comes at the last moment. That's what they do in church. Everyone is so busy; theyll he here in a minute. Theyre rushing to church right now.
ld been planning this week of prayer in the life of our Church for weeks now.
lt had been put on the year before by someone else and it went really well.
We had an Alpha prayer meeting last night, a prayer walk tonight and tomorrow would be back inside the church for some worship.
I'd been involved in Alpha for a couple of years and felt frustrated that not enough people were becoming believers.
God had spoken to me and said: "Get to prayer to see more fruit for your labours. Pray and youll see more decisions for Christ."
That Seemed simple enough, not that I had a great prayer life. I'd only been saved for five years, and came to faith in a hurry.
I looked down at my watch again, nervously glancing up the road one way and then down the road the other, looking for anyone from the church.
I said to myself, "It's okay, Steve, theyll be here in a moment, someone will come, l know they will. They better had. l'll be so mad if they don't!
No, no, of course they will - there are over 200 of us, of course some of them will come." I looked down at my watch - 7.30pm. One of my favourite TV soap operas was just starting. I remember thinking, lf I left now I could see the end of it. But no: a few more minutes. I'll hold out".
It was 7.40pm. No one was coming! "I just can't believe it, where are they all?" I lamented. "Where are the leaders, where is the pastor, where are the youth. Where is... anyone?"
I was livid, furious, frustrated.
"Christians, call themselves Christians? Im off home. Ive had enough, lm glad they didnt come.
"It would have been a waste of time anyway. God doesn't answer. Let's be honest, it wont make a difference..."
How quickly l had descended into a pit of discouragement and unbelief.
This tirade of abuse to God, about God, blaming God, was building momentum. lt rose within me to the point I actually verbalised it.
People would have thought I was going mad should they have overheard me, stood on the church steps, moaning to myself audibly.
But then - suddenly - it happened; the one thing l now didn't want to happen, the worst thing that could happen now I was in this mood...someone arrived!
The lone faithful person of prayer was one of the ladies from the Thursday night prayer group. Committed, sensitive, quiet in spirit but a true prayer warrior.
NO. NOT NOW... please, God, I just want to go home." I sighed.
Still God was silent; no spiritual thoughts could get through my wounded soul.
"Im not too late, am l?" she said, "Have the others already gone?"
I tried to speak softly: "No, no one else has come."
"Oh, oh thats a shame." She could see I was pretty unhappy: "Never mind, we can go together, we don't need anyone eIse."
No, I dont want to go," I thought. "I want to go home." Then another thought: "When two or more gather together then there am I among them.
"Oh please God, dont do that to me - dont lay that one on me, please!"
Then she spoke again: "Never mind, when two or more gather together then there am I among them. Jesus will go with us."
Yes of course," I said, and tried to smile at her and thought to myself, "But l don't want to go, God please let me go home."
That was the last thought I had as I joined this faithful woman of prayer in the planned prayer walk around the town. I grumbled at God almost every step. "What's the point?" I moaned, "What difference could this possibly make?"
"Where shall we head first?" she said.
"Well, I had planned to go to the school first. . . "And before I would say anymore, she was off. "The school gates, yes, that`s a great place to start.
As we went she prayed, when we got there she prayed, as we returned she prayed, prayed for the children, prayed for the people in the houses, prayed for the people at the bus stop, prayed and prayed. While behind her and sometimes alongside her, I groaned and moaned, grunted and growled, whimpered and wailed...at God.
I have found as a very young Christian that God is good at working through our moments of temper even when we pray.
He's good at listening even when your prayer isn't worthy of an answer. He likes us to be real, but I have to admit, my level of grumpiness deserved a good slap from and certainly not what was about to happen.
We continued our walk towards the shopping area. Past the first few shops, praying for prosperity for the businesses, and then we turned into the main street of Colwyn Bay. It was paved for pedestrians, with bench seats situated every 20 yards or so.
Flowers trailed drawn from high poles and the sun was still shining down, although it was getting quite low in the sky by now.
There was a group of about six young people on the second bunch on our left and the lady with me began to pray for them.
She really did know how to persevere; she really knew how to press in.
All I knew was how to complain and feel sorry for myself. Why did I ever get into this ministry - prayer? I must have been mad, no one else wanted it, and now l know why.
Just as l continued in my self-confession of how God was getting it wrong and I knew what we needed to do with these Christians, just at that moment when l didnt really have a lot felt to say to God it happened.
It wasnt a ray of light, or a Damascus Road experience. But I believe God spoke to me and said:Next year, Steve, I want you to do the same again, but this time, stand with another church and I'll expand it.
The thought came into my mind like at knife cutting across everything else. It wasn't what I was thinking, it hadn't entered my thoughts at any point during that day, week or month. It was a completely new thought.
"Did l just make that up or was that you, Lord? I never said a word to the lady I was with. I didnt really know if this was a God-thought or my own thought. But that one sentence l have continued to hold onto and pray into ever since.
I can't remember how long we prayed after that. But I remember leaving that lady at the church steps that evening sensing already I was holding something God had given me something he had entrusted to me.
lt was a revolution to me, just an ordinary guy, doing an ordinary church activity that went wrong. But then God stepped onto the scene and suddenly everything changed.
People have often asked me, "How did you know it was God who spoke to you?"
My honest answer is that l didn't know for some at that time, and I also knew it would be a long time before l could be certain.
But now, having later taken a year to pray about it, we are standing in prayer with a church in our town, and we haven't looked back since.
That year, many more people showed up. We prayed prayers of faith and prayer-walked around our town.
ln the years following, Prayer Week - as it became - spread to twelve churches, then in 2002 around 350 churches partnered with us and we produced a website.
In 2003 we received our first international registration. That same year, we estimated that over 1,500 churches were involved.
We organised a worship and intercession tour with Godfrey Birtill, and had around 40 speakers came along to teach about prayer and lead prayer meetings across the nation on a rotational basis. Its been crazy - but fantastic!
By last years Prayer Week, the vision had developed so much that we have stopped counting how many churches are involved. We get reports nowadays from all over the world, and the website hits are through the roof.
We've also stopped organising preaching tours, as groups do that themselves now. And we are constantly overwhelmed by the numbers of people involved.
Prayer Week has become a focal point of Church life across many denominations. Just a couple of months ago, we held our first Prayer Week preparation conference, and people came from all over the UK to see how they could further implement Prayer Week in their region.
I think it all began to him home to me at that conference. Those same steps I had grumbled to God about - because of a lack of support for a Prayer Walk were now a launch pad for the extending of the Kingdom of God in our nation.
Early preparation back than has set a foundation for thousands of others to get behind a vision God gave in just one sentence to me, an ordinary elder in a Baptist Church one summer evening.
It only goes to prove a valuable lesson. lf we listen and then act on the word of God, he can use anyone and the extent of what can be achieved for his Kingdom is limitless.
