Thursdays at Sanctuary 21 are becoming slightly manic.
We cook a breakfast of bacon sandwiches and coffee and it draws many needy people, especially the homeless into our community.
This morning was particularly mad, but massively fruitful.
A kingdom kind of fruitful.
It just moves me.
Im hopeless at times.
Shedding secret tears as I see and hear stories unfolding of lives that are so broken and hopelessly lost.
This morning a number of us who work with these guys, probably work is too harsher word, maybe befriend is better, sat with different groups of them and ate breakfast and chatted.
The guys I sat with started an interesting conversation. Both of these guys sleep on the streets and were not in the best of states this morning.
One guy asked the other, "what would start a revolution in your life?" The guy replied, "To wear a new suit with a shirt and tie, and proper shoes."
He went on to say "it would make me feel like a businessman."
The question was then thrown back.
"So what would start a revolution in your life?"
"To see my prayers answered for Davey the dog."
Davey the dog, a nickname for a guy who is homeless and who has cancer, is a guy these other guys take care of.
As I sat in the conversation, the question came to me. "Gary what would start a revolution in your life?"
I was glad to share that a revolution had started in my life when I came across Jesus of Nazareth.
I thought about what these guys were saying.
I was intrigued that they saw praying as the start of a revolution. So I says to both these desperately needy people, "Do you pray then guys."
"Yeah" came back the reply.
"It changes everything for us."
I was startled into silence.
How these guys need a revolution.
The same revolution that has changed my whole being.
And here were voices direct from the street reminding me that prayer is revolutionary.
I heard the call this morning.
I heard it as I saw Jesus in the faces of the broken.
This Christmas, amidst all the good and necessary practical things we who have been revolutionised by God will do. Lets make sure we put prayer at the heart of it all.
Because spiritual change is what needy people really need.
Pray for those who are in desperate need of a revolution.
In desperate need of a saviour.
In other words a radical shake up of their lives that leads to total transformation.
Lets put our backs in to praying for those less fortunate.
Let the revolution begin.
