The purpose of this blog is to record what God says to us as a church during the 84 hours of continuous prayer. Anyone who is in the prayer room find a section leader if you wish to post something!
Saturday, March 31, 2012
My Prayer
If he does not know you, I pray that you would intervene in his life and make your glory known to him. If he does follow you, we pray that he would understand the value that his position as a server holds in the Kingdom. Lord, we pray that he would serve people diligently and find opportunities to engage them in purposeful, meaningful conversation.
Jesus I also ask for your healing power to fall on my Kathy. A single touch from you is enough to purge the cancer from her body, but I ask that you would go further than that. Lord, I ask that you would so radically intervene in her situation that she would know that her healing came from your hands and that she would know you are God. I ask that your intervention would be enough to bring her entire family together, united under the purpose of loving and serving you.
I ask on behalf of my friend James that you would banish his unbelief and restore his ability to believe that we were created for a purpose. If it is your will for me to speak on your behalf to James, I pray that you would give me the courage and the words to speak when the time is right.
Lord, let your glory fall among the students of North Heights to create an urgency and place serving you as their highest priority. We know that your heart is breaking for these students who are living in difficult situations, struggling with suicidal thoughts, divorced parents, depression and worthlessness. Give us the desire to fight the enemy on each of these fronts, Father, that we, as a church body, would stand united against these weapons the enemy is using against us, and that our praise would render these weapons useless against our children, our siblings, and our nieces and nephews. We ask that you would reveal your truth to every single young person of North Heights; the truth that you are God, and that you have set in motion a love story far greater than anything we could possibly imagine, and each of us play a lead role in that story.
Give us glimpses of your heart in the moments that we are tempted and fall, that we would know how it grieves your heart to see your children wander astray. Help us understand the gravity of the sins we commit, and then the gravity of your love and grace that nullifies those sins.
You are so good to us, but our minds rarely comprehend it. Open our eyes to see your plan, that you would empower us and embolden us to work on your behalf. It is an honor that you would use us in even the smallest way. Remind us of the importance of prayer and thank you for choosing to work through your people, broken as we may be.
Teach us to pray with our children, with our friends, and with the people with whom we typically don't pray. Break our "comfort zone" mentality and remove social constructs that distract us from communicating to everyone that we can about your love and saving grace.
Father, we invite you into our worship services on Sunday morning, that we would celebrate with great joy the amazing things you continue to do in our lives. But we also invite you into our daily lives, Father, that you would penetrate the places of our lives that we've been unwilling to give completely to you. Walk before us into the places where your presence is unwelcome, that we would usher your presence into the darkness and pierce it with your light. From Monday morning to Sunday night, we pray for your presence at every moment, in every action, every word that we speak and every interaction with your beloved children.
Amen.
we need your prayers
(from Alyssa age 8) please keep everyone safe.
(from Brennen age 10) please keep the people in Haiti safe.
(from me, Joy Olsson) please jesus please take me off all my meds mostly the methadone, and all the things that are very very strong like the Diluadid, and valium. Also we ask the thanks for all the people such as my parents done in McAllen Texas, who just got done with a massive and horrible storm, one came from Mexico the other came from ferther away in Texas. Sadly they met in Texas, directly over where they are in McAllen. It hailed for 45 minutes, it was a now record. However, God was directly over them, they were the only one in the entire senior mobile home without any damage, but the best thing of allno on ewas declared dead!! However their park was on t.v. Thank You for all your support and mostly your prayers!
GOD BLESS ALL OF US!!
I Hear You
I hear your prayers, I hear your voice. I am well-pleased with your trust and faith in me, obedience to me. I love your love for each other.
Rise up! Rise up and intercede for one another without ceasing. I have made promises to you. I have been, I am and I will always be faithful to keep my promises to you.
Sing to me! Sing to me your praises, adoration and thanksgiving.
Prepare! Prepare your hearts, mind and soul. Listen for me. Listen to me. Hear my voice. Hear my whisper. Hear my calling.
Respond! Obey! Act! Love me!
New Life!
Resting in Your sweet presence and love within this room just now.....
Thanks be to God for His indescribable GIFT of NEW LIFE in Christ Jesus!
Conquerors
Soaking
We are in a sweet, anointed time of soaking in the Holy Spirit. The presence of God is thick, filtrating our inner being and flooding throughout our souls. What better place is there to be than to soak in the presence of our Heavenly Father, the anointing of the Holy Spirit and the ministering touch of Jesus Christ?
All praise, adoration and glory be to our Abba Father!
The Nook
-Amy
Sweet presence of the Lord
struggling, non beliving, family
The background reason why is, my mom grew up Jewish and her whole family, my mom was really into religon growing up. She did not belive or really know who Jesus was for years. She met God through a few friends, at age 30 or so. She is know in her 50's. So I, my sibblings, dad grew up Lovers of God too.
Anyway, she is still Jewish my mom, same with me ,her daughter, and my brother, sister, and dad. We are Jewish in only one way we do not follow the Jewish religon. We only celebrate some of the Jewish Holidays as eating Jewish food. That's it. We are over all 100% Christan. Praise God we are!
We are like Jesus in Bible Jewish but over all followers of God.
So all I'm trying to say is the rest of my mom's family besides I,parents, and sibblings, know Jesus and follow him.
(My mom's family is tripping not knowing Jesus. These are people on mom's side :
- (My cousin Ally is 22 years old,and is very deepresed two reasons why she is, are;she hates her parents. Her parents haven't given her much love growing up. Also her parents are devoriced,when she was younge. My cousin over has trying cutting herself, smoking, and tried drugs, and etc.. to fill her sad soul.
- My grandparents and others recenlty lost some family this year. One member who died my aunt to cancer, and my other aunt to health issuses. Alot of non Chirstans on mom's side are extreemly deepresed with these deaths. Another death was my Great Uncle two years ago lost, he lost his son to health issues.My uncle is still sad.
- My 2nd cousin his name is Josh he is messed up. He was in jail a few years ago. He is currenly living in Las Vegas and he met some friends down their recenly in vegas. His freinds are people who are do very eveil things.
The list goes on and on. They're are more troubled people on mom's side.
So you know my mom's family is unsaved. You know of some things that have happened to them being not saved. So please pray they know God, and turn from their not Jesus ways.Also the ones who are sad pray they have peace. Over all for years my prayer to God had been they know God. God has spoken to me for years they my close family cousins, aunts, etc.. will know him one day. I don't know when? So belive and pray with me agian, they do know Jesus.
Thanks so much. I need all they prayers. I have a crumbling famiy for years not knowing him. T
Transformation of the Garden Room
When we first looked at this room as the place for our prayer spot the paint was coming off and the carpet was really old. It haden't been updated in a while. This understandable of course, as priority must go to our other spaces, but it was really worn down. It was hard to envision a beautiful prayer room in a space that seriously needed a makeover. However, we knew that this was where God wanted us to have the 84, so we decided we would deal with it.
Well, summer came and with it an incredible amount of rain. The garden room is in the basement and it became subject to flooding. EVERYTHING needed to be stripped and then redone. The next time I walked into the Garden Room to go over plans for the 84 I smelled brand new carpet (you can still smell it a bit) and saw a lovely new coat of paint. It was as if God had sent that flood so this room would recieve an upgrade for the 84.
I thought, isn't this an example of what God does to us. On the inside we are run down. Our hearts are not a pretty picture and our sin makes us ugly. Then the Lord comes with the flood of his presence and washes everything away. Our hearts are gutted and then He makes us new. Suddenly we are made beautiful, and it is only because of Him.
Isaiah 61:3 (KJV) says "to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified."
The Lord takes our rags and puts on us the Garment of praise. He gives us beauty for our ashes. He gives us life for His death. Amen.
We are getting ready to enter into our final night of worship and tonight we have two high school students from Converge who will be leading. How beautiful it is to watch the generations come and worship Him who is worthy.
-Amy Soba
Thanksgiving, Confession, Rest & Contending
In prayer I have been contending for unity and reminded that the weapons we fith with are not the weapons of the world. They have divine power to demolish strongholds!
I'm grateful we are doing this and look forward to this time bearing fruit for the Kingdom!
Thank you!
All Generations
Never too late to pray
And always ready to accept our Praise and Thanksgiving.
One small child wrote her prayer and had the letter J for Jesus backward. I think He may have smiled when He read this one. It says "Der Jesus My Jesus Thek You".
Amen
Best Friend with a favorite friend
Bringing her pain, sadness and suffering (all very real today) to share with HIM. And allowing me into the 'nook' to pray with her. I will be forever grateful for the few minutes I have just spent weeping, praying and honoring HIM in the presence of the kindest, loveliest and most Godly woman (Ruth).
She is radiating JESUS - as she trusts HIM.
Healing Lord we pray! Bless us with Your healing Power in the Place. Amen
84 prayer is a manifestation of faith and hope that the Lord has put in our body.
We come together KNOWING He is with us,
SURE that He hears our prayers,
POSITIVE that He can do anything,
CERTAIN that His great love for His people is the strongest power and that it does not fail.
Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, we thank You that You are greatly at work,
and all thanks, honor and glory are to You.
2 Corinthians 1:20 Possibility
The Holy Spirit is given to turn the possibility into a reality. He makes real to us all that Heaven would release into our hearts.
RELEASE LORD. In any and everyway. Have Your way - we agree YES AND AMEN in Christ.
If the SPIRIT sets you FREE you are FREE INDEED.
Come Up Higher
Gary Carlson
Doors opening and closing
The Healing House core team is together in another corner. As they prepare for the outstanding doors they will be opening in April - we bless them and pray for them and for their efforts. Bless them Lord as they weep and pull hard at the handles of the doors of HEALING. We are weeping with them.
Possibilities turning into realities. Pray with us for this wonderful team. And for the work they are doing as they organize and orchestrate this Healing House into place. Your Kingdom come. Hold them close and care for each of details.
Bless them - Bless us Lord as we pray.
A Bright Morning Star
May every name, prayer, circumstance, need on the 'wailing wall' know The Bright Morning Star this day.
Nehemiah 4:16-23
From that day on half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.
So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out. At that time I also said to the people, "Have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night, so they can serve us as guards by night and workmen by day." Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon even when he went for water.
Lord, equip us and arm, give us unity, strength and protection to rebuild and to fight the enemy who comes against this.
Early morning watch
It is a pleasure to stand at the door and welcome new warrieors in.
There is a sence of athority and battle, knowing God is pleased and hears our prayers. May our Church, city, reagon, nation and world Never be the same, May we be changed never to be the same again and our lives will have a marked change from this time forever!
Jenifer
Well aimed missles at the kingdom of darkness
Remember, though, our prayers can also bring comfort and peace to those who need it. I don't think man has figured out how to build a weapon like that. Personally, I like the idea of bombing the kingdom of darkness. If it makes satan uncomfortable, let's bring the battle to his place. I like making him uncomfortable. . .
Paul Hanson
Night Watch
Friday, March 30, 2012
Everything!
We are here to worship. We are here for everything. All for Him - Everything!
Riding the river
Fullness of Your Spirit
34 “When your people go to war against their enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray to you toward this city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name, 35 then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. 36 “When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive to a land far away or near; 37 and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captivity and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong and acted wickedly’; 38 and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their captivity where they were taken, and pray toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and toward the temple I have built for your Name; 39 then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their pleas, and uphold their cause. And forgive your people, who have sinned against you. 40 “Now, my God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.
2 Verses for North Heigthts
1) Acts 4:32 "All the believers were 1 in heart". We need a spirit of unity as God leads us to the new steps he has for us. And just when mighty things are happening, is when Satan disrupts with a spirit of discord. We need to be armed and prepared with a spirit of patience and peace with one another as we move on in the Lord.
2) Mk 9:23 "Anything is possible to him who believes" There can be big things ahead for us as we have success with outreach, missions etc. during this next year and we must not be hampered by disbelief, so prevalant in our society and in the church. God can do might things if only we will believe.
Amen,
SMB
Resisting temptation
Our First Love
Revelation Chapter 2 hearing the all familiar call to "return to my first love."
What is so interesting to me is that even the Church at Ephesus which had been
the revival center of Asia for nearly 40 years had forgotten the main thing. Oh
that the entire Body of Christ would hear as I did again today and will many
more times until I see Him face to face, the Spirit beckoning me back to the
place of loving adoration for the God-man from Nazareth. I encourage you as you
enjoy this time of sitting still before Him to ask even in the midst of great
achievements in ministry (which Ephesus got quite an affirmation) Lord have I
left my first love? That Christianity would again be restored to a radical,
passionate pursuit of knowing a real Jewish man who happens to be the Creator of
the heavens and the earth!
Treasuring Jesus more,
Clint Wolcyn
The Light House
It has wonderful to see the body of Christ coming together (young children to young at heart)!
I see many lights around the room. Yesterday, I read in John 8:12 "I am light of the world". As I look at the many string of lights around the pole. I see us joined together bond by His Spirit. Every ministry, small group, staff, leadership. We are ONE under His Lordship bond together with His love! Today, I read Matt. 21:13" My house ( North Heights) will be called a house a prayer". Praise the Lord !!
LIVING WATER
Lord, I'm asking for LIVING WATER for North Heights, our families, our outreach ministries, our communities--our nation.
We need your Living Water. We need REVIVAL beginning with individual repentance--beginning with me.
Spiritual Giants coming to pray
Oh Father, may each praise and each petition be as incense to you. You are worthy.
Restore your broken people, O God! Search us and know our hearts. Test us and know our anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in us and lead us in the way everlasting.
Revive us, O God!
Making room in the prayer room
what is more beautiful than:
An elderly man face down before his King
A mother with her hand on the map while she prays for her children living far away.
A quiet saint in the corner with tears on her cheeks.
A couple together on the sofa in prayer.
A timely God who hears and knows exactly when to answer.
For all of this I am truyely thankful.
Unity
It is awesome when we are able to be vulnerable in front of God and in front of each other when we put a prayer up on the wall. It is us admitting we need God and the people around us.
And when people go to the wall to pray over the other prayers besides their own, that is creating unity. Even though we probably do not know who the people/person is that we are praying for, it is bringing us closer together, and God is REJOICING in heaven because of that!
We're just about to start hour 32. Let's remember Romans 15:5 as we come together in a "spirit of unity as we follow Jesus Christ"
Chelsey M.
Praying with Authority
Let's pray with authority, church!
Thursday, March 29, 2012
observations and prayers
Many of you, my beloved ones, are trying to live in two different conflicting places, which causes you to be double-minded and unstable (James 1:8). At times you follow the leading of the Holy Spirit then at other times you live by the standards of the world. Stop! Do not be tempted by those things the world offers, but trust me to provide all that you need in this life. Let the Holy Spirit guide you in all things, and you will be statisfied.
The song "My Heart Burns for You" was sung.
Lord, set hearts on fire for You! So many of us in the church are content to only attend Sunday service and then live the rest of the week as if You only exist on Sunday mornings. Or we're only interested in 'religion' and not having an on-going relationship with You, where we desire constant fellowship with You. Set our hearts on fire causting to long to be with You in constant communication.
Bob Wheelcor
Prophetic word
I asked our Lord to show me what is happening in here (the 84 hour prayer room)
and I could then see in the spiritual realm - incense rising all over the room. Fragrant love letters to the throne in Heaven.
Then I heard: "My heart is here. I AM with you. This is delighting Me. Be certain of My hearing every prayer, every cry of the heart,
And I see every tear."
KM
worthy of it all
Thank you Lord for Joel Bidderman, Alex and Andy and for Dan Snyder leading us and sharing their amazing gifts with us!
God said "Stay"
I came to the pray room for just a little bit after my classes were finished, and I was planning on just staying for like 15-30 minutes to check on things and pray a bit and go home to rest/sleep. Then the worship leaders came for the live worship bit at 7pm, and I entered into worship. I kept thinking about how I should go soon, but I felt God wanted me to "stay." I was about to leave anyways, thinking it was only me, and then a song started that talked about God's beauty and I was drawn in! God reminded me that He's about Him and I...even while I may be about me, Him, school, sleep, success, friends, family, etc...and the list goes on. He brought me to a place of Heavenly perspective! I live for an Audience of One, and He sees me as one....His. :)
I'm glad I "stayed."
Blessings,
Elizabeth Kennedy
Sweet worship times
Yes, Lord, I'm listening.
Crossroads church praying 84 too
The signin machine is only working occasionally. BUT we are cool. We love that everyone is coming and praying. We even had a Pastoral stop in. He wanted to get credit for being here - but it will have to be in Heaven some day - as the machine burped again.
A section of the black curtian fell down too. This is so FUN. Blessings abounding!!
In the prayer nook
Wedding music
Lord, strengthen and preserve all the marriages.
Sacred Space
Waiting next to the nook with the children
One little boy leaving whispered to me - All my prayers were for Haiti
One little boy leaving whispered to me - I have an ear infection I've prayed for healing
One little boy kneeling on the map of the world circled Indiana over and over again with his marker and then smiled and said "my grandparents had the tornado a few weeks ago but they are fine". We gave God grateful praise.
One little girl drew flowers as her gift to God.
The Section Leader is monitoring the minutes, as the line for the prayer nook grows.
One teacher said - she thought she might restrict the 'painting/art' but after the visit as the room was being set up - "it was all the children could talk about'. Allowing God to have His way is so FUN. And doing ART as you pray is amazing.
We are FLINGING WIDE - we were made for prayer and for LOVING YOU LORD.
Amen
Keep watch with Me
Come to the prayer room and be with Jesus.
Blessings!
Linda
Whispers I've had when praying for the 84 Prayer Room. It will be like the womb of God birthing life. And when the 84 hours are done the room will be empty, like the tomb of Christ. And just as the tomb is empty becasue Jesus is alive with our Father God. So too the prayer room will be empty and the Prayers will be alive with Jesus and our Father God.
Prayers of Children
The students from North Heights Christian Academy have come to pray this morning. They have come in shifts, and have utilized all the different prayer stations. One of the younger grades was here praying, and I saw one little boy sitting by the "Lego Prayer" station. This is a station where the children take a Lego block, pray for someone in their life who doesn't know Jesus to come to know Him, and then they put their Lego on the building. Soon there is an entire Lego building built off of prayers for the lost to be saved!!! I saw this little boy sitting there and I wondered if he was just building or if he was actually praying...I'm embarrassed at my doubt in him because only a moment later did I watch him put a block on the building and immediately fold his hands and bow his head. I was touched. One more will enter the kingdom of heaven because of this little one's prayer. Prayers of a child are truly a beautiful thing...they are full of love, hope, and faith!
I also spent some time at the white board full of sticky note prayers, newspaper clippings, and other prayers. As I was standing before the board the weight of the Spirit was upon me. There is so much power in the name of Jesus, and all of these prayers have been and will be prayed in His Glorious name. My eyes landed on a list of Sun Stand Still prayers blogged by Converge High School students. As I continued to read, the Holy Spirit burned inside of me. I found myself being moved into intercession over each of the prayers these students had written, and by the end I found myself in tears. God is hearing every prayer, and He's answering them.
I learned something last night that I would like to end with...If God always worked in our timing we would start to have faith in the power of our prayers and not in the power of Jesus. James 5:16 writes, "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."...because it's backed by the POWER of Jesus. Halleluiah!
Bless you,
Liz Kennedy
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
God our Sanctifier, our Healer, our Everything
Clothesline Prayer
I pray for my classmates to know JESUS.
I pray that you will help my parents make good decisions.
I pray that you will help our government to make good decisions.
What are you waiting for? Go over to the clothesline prayer station and pray your own prayer. You can pray for the ones above too.
-Ellie
we are here we are ready
please come to pray
jesus is the winner
Meeting Amy a year ago and working toward this day has been an amazing journey. Ken and I have met and worked with people of all ages and from every area of our big church. Now it's time to pray. We have found it's a bit like a wedding. You set the date - pray for peace - and just do it. We know we are on track and we are now waiting for everything to unfold and happen. Upstairs the many of our congregation are just now finishing midday Lenten Service. Another will happen tonight in the Arden Hills building. At that same time we will be here starting our prayer room with worship for 3 hours before we launch into the watches of the night and start with our signup guests. We have prayed from or first days - for restoration of many and any of the foundation stones of North Heights that may have been erroded or cracked or broken.
The vision is JESUS. Obsessively, dangerously, undeniably Jesus.
Nancy (and Ken) B.
Decorating the prayer room
A quick story of how this got started. Last year was my first year on staff at North Heights and I really wanted to have a prayer room. Since I am the High School Coordinator at North Heights I was planning on doing something for the youth. When I was 16 I had read this book called Red Moon Rising by Pete Greig and my heart was stirred for a 24-7 prayer room. That was 7 years ago and it was dream that has never died. Naturally my first year at a church I siezed the opportunity to make a prayer room.
However, as I began praying about it I felt like the Lord was telling me to wait on the prayer room. "Seriously Lord?! It's my dream to do this. Why do we have to wait?" He didn't say why I needed to wait. He rarely gives an explination for his direction.
A few months later a lady named Nancy came into our office talking about a prayer room. She had with her Red Moon Rising and had explanied her heart for a church wide prayer room. In the middle of the meeting I got up and went to my office. I returned with my worn, beaten copy of the same book and put it on the table. "This has been my dream for 7 years" I told Nancy. She looked at me intently and said "It's been my dream for 7 years also." At that moment we both knew that God was saying that THIS was the time for the prayer room. God had wanted me to wait because my vision was too small. We were doing a 24 hour prayer room and we were going to invite the entire church.
Orignially I had wanted to the prayer room at the Arden Hills campus, not the Roseville campus. The AH campus is larger, newer and that's where I do all of my programming. However, Nancy, Gina and some other people had a meeting at the RV campus to see if there were any good spots. We decended into a room below the RV sanctuary called the Garden Room. The room itself was insignificant and the decor wasn't the best. However Nancy turned to me and said "I believe this is where God wants us to have the prayer room." I looked at her skeptically. She continued, "The Garden Room is the first room that was ever built at North Heights. This is where the Sunday school ladies came and got their first pastor. This is the birth place of our church." At that moment I felt the Spirit hit me and tears came into my eyes. It was no accident that this was the place that God ordianed for our prayer room. "This is the room" I said.
That was last February. Now the room is being decorated and made into something completely beautiful. We've got communion, a Kneeler, a private little room we're calling "the knook". We've got a wall full of newspaper current events, a place for people to write their prayers on sticky notes, a world map with the locations of all the NH missionaries, a space to create art and a little children's section. All of the hours for our 3 day prayer room have been filled. In the evenings we will also have acoustic worship of which I will be leading the Friday night 7:00-10:30 slot.
May the Lord come and speak to us.
-Amy Soba