Simple word

This morning in my "me" time with scripture, I heard God speak some stuff. I never normally share these precious personal times with anyone, but this morning felt that God wanted me to share these thoughts on my blog. Furthermore I felt him say that this is for someone who needs it.

My scripture was just one verse today.

Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our maker; for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care. Today, if you would only hear His voice. (Psalm 95: 6-7)

So here are my thoughts which I scribbled down.

Come

The first thing is we have to come into his presence. its an invitation, a glorious invitation, a plea direct from God, you can almost see Gods arms open and outstretched.

Let us bow down in worship

When we enter his presence we bow down before him. Bowing is a recognition. recognising in this case that the King of Kings is God. Worship is partly about recognition, but its also about declaring our love and affection to his majesty the King of Kings, its about wonder, awe, praise and life.

Let us kneel before the Lord our maker.

kneeling is about humility. Its about relationship and its no surprise that kneeling is synonymous with prayer. Its about immersing yourself in a beautiful relationship with the very being that made us. which makes him our father forever.

He is our God and we are the people of his pasture.

This is covenant talk. Overtones of I will be your God and you will be my people. A divine covenant that will be alive forever without fail. In this psalm the writer adds a nice reminder that not only are we Gods people, we are also people of his pasture, which speaks of provision, and as people of his pasture he will supply every thing we need as we immerse in a relationship with him.

The flock under his care

As part of Gods people we are likened to a flock of sheep. sheep need gathering, caring for, feeding, and that takes love. God cares for us so much that he tends us like a flock, administering sheer care out of a bedrock of unconditional love.

Today, if only you would hear his voice.

The word “today" strikes urgency into this verse. Then, what I would describe as a yearning straight from the heart of a Saviour who loves you, “If only you would hear his voice. With all that's on offer here? An awesome God, King, father, friend and saviour. An amazing relationship with everything we need supplied, with care provided, the kind of which we could never have even dreamed about, no wonder there is an urgency and a yearning. Many people live without accepting this offer. Yet the offer stands. God’s voice is speaking this offer over us today, maybe its time to come to him? It is the most vital invitation that mankind will ever need.

That was my reflective process in operation this morning.

I pray that this simple message will touch whoever reads it this day

If I had my time again

The other day a girl from the church I grew up in sent me a request through FaceBook.

She was leading a service and wanted to ask some people some questions that would help her with her talk.

Three of the questions were tough yet easy at the same time.

Here they are.

What were you involved in in your teenage years at the Salvation army?

Who influenced you in any way?

What would you do differently if you were a teenage Salvationist once again?

I had a good long reflect on this.

And.

I wrote some stuff down.

And.

I really felt compelled to publish it on my blog.

It may help someone?

Maybe it won't, but here goes.

The first thing that came to mind was this.

To steal a line from a classic book, It was the best and the worst of times.

To answer the question on what was I involved in that was easy.

I was in the brass band, the songsters, I was a soldier, I wasn't a Christian. I hated the rules around the Army, I was uncomfortable in front of mates in a uniform even resorting to lying down in the back of the family car so no one would see me! On the outside I was probably a likeable rogue at best, on the inside I was heading for oblivion.

Thats pretty much it!

Who influenced you?

The first name has to be my own mother of course. She prayed for my salvation until that happened at the age of 36, I guess she still does. She demonstrated a relationship with God through the worst of family times and still came out praying. Then a lady called Nellie Hughes was my sunday school teacher. She taught me something that I didn't have much of as a teenager, humility. She gently taught me about relationship with God that planted a seed in my head that I carried throughout my none Christian years. there were many others of course, very kind people in my Corps growing up who I wouldn't want to name for fear of leaving people out.

What would I do differently if I had my teenage years again?

I would love more lavishly. I would have taken my eyes off salvationism and turned them to Jesus. I would try to appreciate other peoples uniqueness and will them to flourish. I would have not gone with the crowd just to feel accepted. I would have been strong in my developing relationship with God and tried to bless everything that moves. I would have not allowed my life to be run by rules and regulations that someone has thought might be a good idea in an office somewhere. I would have prayed. My prayer life amounted to zero. For half my life I missed out on the glorious supernatural power of God that changes everything all because I had no idea what prayer was, I thought it was a lifeless exercise performed for five minutes in a meeting. I would have taken the circles I mixed in seriously and used it as a mission field and attempt to save everyone in it through Jesus. I would have made sure I had a guilt free social life and not a guilt laden Army life. In other words I would have made sure I was a blessing in the pub on the football field, and in everything I did instead of feeling like I was doing something horrendous by breaking Army rules. I would have lived out my life in a very different way. I would have loved to operate in the spiritual side rather than that of the crazy stuff that actually stifled my development as a soldier of Christ even though there are still those who argue that it actually helps people.

If I had my teenage years again?

I would be in love with Jesus.

But

I can't have those years again!

Thankfully I hear some people say!!!

And.

I thank God for my past.

Everyone has a past!

Dont be held back by your past because in Christ theres a future!

I now appreciate where others are at when I try to minister to them. My past helps me to lavish Gods love and mercy on people because it has prepared me to minister more effectively, because I understand.

They were the best and the worst of times.

Now.

Today?

The truth has set me free.

Jesus has disturbed, uprooted, and changed my whole being.

I thought about this the other day.

And I often say I wasted half my life.

Yet.

Im not sure God wastes anything.

And.

I thank God for those who held me up in those early years, in prayer, in rebuke and in love.

If I was encouraging a teenager, or anyone for that matter.

I would say this.

The sooner the better! Allow Jesus to change every single thing. allow God to make you dangerous to the enemy and his kingdom.  I'm not saying everything becomes dead easy and all our problems disappear as one song incorrectly says, but I AM saying everything WILL change. Life becomes like new! I didn't like Gary the likeable rogue. In fact if I look back I longed for that Gary to jog on.

And?

Praise God he jogged on twelve years ago!

It's spectacularly true that Jesus brings new life.

So the sooner the better.

So!

Be blessed.

If God can rescue me? If God can change my life completely, If God can turn a likeable rogue heading nowhere into a guy who feels free and like my life means something to others?

Then he can definitely do the same for you.

Close encounter

Encounter.

Loads of people long for an encounter with God.

It's a word I use a lot.

And.

I'm fortunate to have experienced some amazing encounters with God.

And.

Lately I've seen some fantastic encounters happening.

Like.

Before my very eyes I saw two very lonely guys who have come into our House of prayer almost everyday since we opened. Both of them live alone and don't have very much. Both have some mental illness. Both have some fairly difficult social issues. Neither of them have anyone they could call friends. They have both shared that with me.

But.

This morning.

After not even looking at each other before, a conversation between them struck up.

And.

Before long they were sharing stories, eating together, shaking hands.

As I watched I could see the encounter.

I could feel what Jesus was doing.

He was using us to knit together a community.

Very much an encounter.

Then.

Last week.

A great young girl who I met told me a fantastic story.

She was sharing with me that she wasn't sure if she believes in God.

But.

She wanted to share with me that she had an encounter that she can't make head nor tail of.

She said she was sitting on a park bench contemplating the question of whether God is rel or not.  Her friend phoned her. They started arguing about something. The girl got so mad she threw her mobile phone about twenty yards onto the grass.

At that point she shouted in frustration, "show yourself. Give me a sign or something. Come on Show yourself God if your real!"

She walked over to get her phone.

Right next to the phone was an empty Coke bottle.

In the UK right now they are printing names on the coke bottle or things like dad or mum.

On this label was the name Jesus Christ.

She was overwhelmed!

She was sharing this with me, and I had the privilege of praying directly with this girl that she would get into relationship with Jesus.

Another type of encounter.

These are just two little stories that illustrate the divine nature of God at work as the father, son and Holy Spirit work in perfect sync.

Encounter.

The fact is God is at work in this world.

In everyday things.

In relationships.

In trials.

In trouble.

In the good times.

A mate of mine said an interesting thing the other day.

He said that he thought "The church has lost the ability to see the encounter."

I know what he means.

It's definately something worth rediscovering.

Watching with expectation.

Watching with anticipation.

God at work.

His miracles aren't just confined to things like healing.

His miracles are infinite.

his offer of encounter with him through Jesus is never-ending, always available.

He does immeasurably more than we will ever know.

And.

His supernatural power is evident if we look.

I'm one of those who doesn't care much for the bad side of tradition in church.

Why?

Because that just says no to the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. It almost mocks encounter.

Yeah.

So my advice is don't get caught up in the mechanics of the church.

look for the encounter instead.

God is at work.

So maybe there's someone out there today who feels devoid of an encounter.

your christian walk is a bit, well, lifeless?

Open your eyes.

See the bigger picture.

Encounter a God who loves you. Who knows everything about you. Who is desperate to be in relationship with you.

Go on.

Do it.

It's for the best.

The right side of hope

My mate Si.

What a guy.

Si walked into Liverpool Boiler Room over ten years ago and thus began a relational journey that will still be going on when my officership journey ends and I finally go back to the city I love to live out the rest of my life.

Si is a mission maniac.

You only have to look at his battered and crumpled bible to know he walks with God extremely closely.

Nobody is safe from being evangelised or prayed with!

It was great to see him these last couple of days.

He had come down from Liverpool to spend a few days at Sanctuary West London to give an interview for a DVD film shoot that is happening right now.

Si and I spent a great deal of time praying and chatting.

I was telling him that last week I sat with a guy who made this statement, "Its too late for the UK, Ive stopped praying for the nation to be changed because its so far Godless that there is no point to it."

A gloomy message!

When this guy said it I wanted to respond.

I didn't agree with him.

But.

I have developed my nature a lot during the last five years through some real refining by fire that has gone on my character. I think God has shaped me quicker in this last five years than at any other time
in my life so far.

So.

I held off with my response and had a little think through what he said.

As I say, I was talking with Si about it.

We looked up and down the streets of London.

Yeah.

The Godlessness is rife.

Its amazing what you see when you look with Heavens eyes.

But.

We both have learned that if you walk on the wrong side of hope then the pointlessness this guy was talking about will abound in your life.

So we asked God.

And.

This morning as I pray before a day of ministering to many who feel a bit devoid of hope, this is what God says to me.

Can a nation be changed? There are those who say that can't happen.

Yes.

The enemy has ravaged it.

Yes.

Its slipping further and further away from God.

But can this nation be changed?

Yes.

God.

God is love.

His very nature carries transformations its lifeblood.

His power is supreme.

His love never-ending.

His grace is in endless supply.

His arms through Jesus are forever open.

so?

Can a nation be changed?

Of course!

Believe it.

We had better believe it otherwise we are stripped of all hope.

Hope runs free in the presence of God.

Living in that hope changes everything.

Can a nation be changed?

Its an affirmative!

So today walk on the right side of hope.

Belief, faith and trust are the order of the day.

March into your mission fields wherever they are this day and let the open arms of Jesus take care of your hope.

I saw the mission maniac Si in action yesterday, walking on the right side of hope. A homeless man called Carl who has come into the sanctuary every day since it opened got a dose of God through Si as he lovingly got his battered bible out of his coat pocket and talked to him about Jesus and the fact that he had a bit of a homeless situation going on his life while he was on earth too. I could see tears roll down carls face as a few lights came on in his heart.

Can a nation be changed?

Blessings.

Low fat Prayer

Recently I've reached a significant target in my weight loss and fitness regime.

I've now lost right on three stone in weight.

Which is a miracle in the world of Gary Lacey.

because.

I.

Love.

eating!

I love burgers, fried breakfasts that are made up of bacon, eggs, sausage, fried mushrooms, fried bread. Then I love doughnuts, cake, cream, Chicken Korma, any form of Chinese, fried breakfasts, pie and chips, fish and chips, spam fritters and chips, custard creams and did I mention fried breakfasts?

Sadly.

The days of eating that stuff have gone forever!

This was after a trip to the doctors four months ago now. The doctor gave me a dressing down about my lifestyle.

He said, and I quote, "Its low fat lifestyle for the rest of your life now Gary."

The doctor had looked at my lifestyle and saw that I was eating way too much bad fat and I was happily walking towards some really serious health issues that he reckons were not that far away!

I had to see a nutritionist and a dietry coach. What a happy bunch they are. Bringers of bad news for people who like food.

Sausages soon turned into salmon.

Fried breakfasts turned into cereal.

Doughnuts turned into fruit, especially grapes and bananas.

A total change of lifestyle, including exercise which includes cycling and power walking every day. along with some training on how to manage stress better.

The result is a way thinner and fitter Gary with energy to burn!

I was reflecting on this period of my life today.

And.

I remember the day, even before I went to the doctor, and committed my then unfit conditioning to God.

I prayed a simple prayer.

Lord will you help me to lose weight and get fitter in body, in my psychological state, and in my spiritual life.

I felt straight away the Lord say to me, "Yeah Gary but your going to have to make some changes, your going to have to work hard, but i'll help you."

Yeah.

Today I remembered that prayer.

I had a guy come in to Sanctuary today and ask me about helping him to improve his prayer life.

I asked him what state his current lifestyle of prayer is like.

He said, "It's full of words and not much feeling! He said he knew he had to do it, and as a christian worked hard to do it. But he felt there was a nothingness to it.

Then he said something interesting. "Its like full fat milk, I feel the way I pray is full fat and bad for me!

Which was really interesting seeing as I had been thinking about my lifestyle change.

So I was straight in.

I shared my weight loss story and suggested he take some of the principles I had learned and apply them to bring about a lifestyle change in his prayer life.

The first I asked him was what he felt were the "full fat" things he was doing in his prayer life. He said he had got used to saying and asking for the same things, in the same way and in the same words all the time. he said he felt he went round the houses to say anything to God.

So we decided together he needed to go for a low fat prayer life.

So we practiced just saying stuff to God in a natural, direct way. Stop using daft ancient words etc, just talk straight.

He liked the taste of that.

He had got in the habit of traditional setting time aside and just sticking to that. Kind of Full fat prayer! Of course theres nothing wrong with that and there can be everything wrong with that all at the same time. prayer rhythm is good, vital in fact but not at the expense of a lifestyle of prayer, you know, speaking to God all the time, randomly, relationally, like a mate when you need a mate, like an awesome king, like a counsellor, like a helper, like an advisor like, well, all the incredible things God is.

Thats a low fat prayer life.

Its good for you.

Its essential for a healthy spiritual life.

Its essential for a vitality to our mission.

Maybe theres someone out there who is reading this and thinking yeah my prayer life is a bit dull. Maybe theres someone out there who is reading this thinking, my prayer lifestyle could do with a change for the better. Maybe there is someone out there who is thinking my prayer lifestyle is not happening!

Is it time for a change of lifestyle?

Prayer lifestyle.

The Spirit of God says, "Yeah, you'll have to work hard and take responsibility for the change, make it happen! But I will help you."

Prayer has had a bad press in the church.

It doesn't have to be a dry lifeless chore.

Its the most exciting thing ever. Because its the none negotiable exchange between us and God and such is the life in our relationship with him.

Maybe its time for a change?

Maybe its time to start?

Take my doctors advice in a spiritual sense. "its a low fat lifestyle for the rest of your life!"

Blessings

Gaz

Moving

The wedding was packed. 

About 200 people crammed into a tiny ancient Church in an ancient village in Hampshire.

The marriage ceremony happened straight away.

Then

Worship kicked in.

Within seconds the place exploded into an amazing intensity of worship. Hands raised everywhere, faces radiant with the beauty of Jesus, even the none Christians who spoke to me afterwards were truly touched and amazed by the outpouring of love towards God.

The bride and Groom dropping to their knees in praise of God.

It was so easy for me to preach when the worship ended. When I had finished and said Amen the word was greeted with such applause and whistles and shouts of joy, not for me but for what God had to say through Isaiah 58.

The couple now married recessed from the church looking amazing and both of them were beaming with happiness.

It was an amazing wedding.

Im not normally a wedding person.

In fact I normally dislike them with a passion. All the waiting around, all the conversation attacks, having to yet again try to find the cheapest suit I can find that will fit in to my wedding suit budget that Dawn gives me of £15.00.

But this wedding? It was truly great.

God was all over it.

God was in the house.

In the reception afterwards, Dawn and I were inundated with questions about our ministry and were mobbed by ex students who had been part of our ministry in Durham at Sanctuary 21.

We were really struck by something that God needed us to see.

These ex students, now working as teachers, lawyers, bankers all kinds of professions shared excitedly how they carried stories from Sanctuary 21 into their new lives and share them with people they meet. Stories of hope that they experienced through prayer and the mission to those less fortunate. And how many of these guys are signing up for mission trips to help the poor in Hong Kong, Africa, Asia everywhere.

Sometimes we think we have no effect on anyone. But God wanted to remind me its not about us. He's at work all of the time.

But it was two conversations I had that excited me the most.

As I came out of the church at the end of the wedding, a young guy called Daniel caught a hold of me and shared with me that he had gone to Dusseldorf in Germany to complete further studies after Durham, and that he was going to Michigan to finish his studies which he completes in December. He said during your talk I felt the Lord speak to me so clearly. I am to join you in Ealing to help you with your mission there. I will be coming in January and can give you about six months to a year full time, you don’t have to pay me anything or find me anywhere to live but I am coming if you will have me. Daniel has amazing experience working with the poor and needy and will be a valuable addition to our developing team of people at Sanctuary West London.

The second conversation I had was with Jonny another former Durham Student, and  a highly anointed worship leader with a gift for music and a heart for mission that belies understanding. Jonny has been appointed worship Pastor at Christ Church, Fulham, a great church in West London only a few miles from us in Ealing. Jonny understood the depth of missional work that needs to be brought to West London, and both of us together saw the opportunity that God was opening up before we started the conversation. Jonny said, “I think we need to meeting regularly Gaz, praying and worshiping in unity in West London, maybe inviting others and growing a unified prayer movement in West London that will add to the prayer that is already going on.

I saw it.

I saw the line God is taking here.

Serious stuff.

God is at work knitting together something fresh. 

And.

It wasn't just at the wedding.

The week before this wedding Dawn and I were at work very early every day, on our knees crying out to God to help us knit together a team, especially volunteers for Sanctuary West London. That week four or five people just walked in and said I would like to help you. One of them being a girl called Caroline who shared a testimony with us of the sheer power of God who had brought her from the brink of death into a relationship with him.

Why am I sharing all this with you?

The thing is I want to encourage anyone who experiencing listlessness in their ministry or their Christian walk, be aware that God is at work.

Always.

Everywhere.

Doing stuff we may or may not get to see.

Secondly, I am more convinced than ever that prayer is vital. And today I would once again encourage you to make it a mission to develop a lifestyle of prayer.

Thirdly and probably most importantly Trust God.

Have faith.

Give him all your confidence and trust.

Sometimes, humanly Dawn and I think we are just running up against brick walls. 

But.

God is God.

He is working relentlessly despite what we feel.

So today guys.

Be encouraged that God is at work, in our lives, in our families, in our communities, in the Nations.

God is moving.

Fire

Tomorrow I have been invited to speak at a wedding.

The young couple in question are a very special couple indeed.

Rory is an amazing guy, his life is a mission. He worked alongside Jackie Pullinger in her mission in the forbidden City in Hong Kong.

It changed him completely.

Susie is one of those girls who is beautiful inside and out and shines Jesus. She is a bright feisty Irish girl who always amazes me with her focussed spirit.

They've given me a bit of a challenge in the scriptures they have selected. Isaiah 58 being one, Colossians 2:6-10 being the other.

Preparing my talk, I was touched by the breathtaking words of Isaiah 58. I've read it thousands of times but for whatever reason, the tears began to flow.

I read how God is just not bothered with bland religion. You know, going through the motions, people saying they are following God while living out a completely different lifestyle to what following God is all about.

I read those gorgeous but challenging words

"Is this not the kind of fasting I have chosen; to loose the chains of injustice and untie the chords of the yoke. To set the oppressed free, and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter. When you see the naked to clothe him. "(Isaiah 58: 6-7)

As I read these words the fire in my being rose by a thousand degrees.

Sheer fire.

I thought of Rory, how it comes naturally to him at such a young age to live out his life loosing the chains of injustice on anyone that needs it. I remember the night he gave his expensive arctic sleeping bag to a homeless guy who was freezing in the centre of Durham. I remember the naturalness of that selfless act. How Rory educated at Eton, with seemingly everything to live a privileged life, dreams of setting the oppressed free. sharing food with the hungry, and giving shelter and clothes to those who have nothing.

yeah.

Sheer fire.

Yesterday at Sanctuary West London, it was only our third day open.

It was an awesome day.

Dawn and I on our knees, crying out to God to send us to the broken and bring the broken and wounded to us.

And.

As if I needed reminding what prayer does, they start to come.

In just one encounter, I met Petr, a polish  man trapped in the grip of alcohol addiction. Pain on his face, listlessness in his eyes, sadness and a horrible resignation oozing in his character. He sat opposite with me and said nothing as he ate some soup. he had no money. he hadn't eaten for a few days.

Thinking about this encounter now this morning, with the mission fire in my heart, I feel Gods heart speaking through Isaiah to the generations.

And.

Maybe its a timely reminder for someone today.

Don't waste your missional heart on mundane church matters or draining arguments or ritualistic God following. Don't be a Godly church person in front of the right people on a sunday morning and then be Godless the rest of the time. Don't focus just on self when there are millions who need to be set free.

God wants to stoke the fire of pure unblemished and extravagant love to those who are desperately in need of salvation.

By sharing food with the hungry, clothing the naked and sheltering the wanderer, stuff like that.

Fire.

Fire from God, fire in us, fire to others.

exciting stuff.

Stuff that will change someones life not to mention our own.

What kind of fasting have you chosen?

The second scripture Rory and susie have chosen for their wedding is one that I feel compelled to finish with as a direct piece of sound advice straight from Gods word. And it beautifully sets down the way forward to a life of reaching out to the poor and the needy, the broken and the lost.

Maybe this is for you.

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the deity lives in bodily form and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. (Colossians 2: 6-10)

Sanctuary. The opening day.

8am

Gary and Dawn get into the sanctuary and straight down to prayer. Conscious the battle is big. 

Today a new SA prayer centre is born. 

I sense the enemy is unhappy and unsettled. 

So we pray prayers of worship and declaration making it clear this is Holy ground. Making sure that it is declared into the London air that Jesus is Lord. 

9.45 am Sylvia our brilliant fellow officer and part of the leadership SWL armed with her experience on the tough city streets of Edmonton Canada and then Paul our calm and collected team member with his amazing experience from Streetlevel in Brisbane Australia arrive and we pray at the door ushering in a new season for the Salvation Army along the Uxbridge Road Corridor in London UK. 

As we pray I'm reminded that even our fledgling team represents a House of Prayer for all Nations. 

10am 

Prophetically and in real time we open the door to the busy streets of Ealing. 

10.05 we Are joined by Nicky Joyce our full time hub coordinator for West London  Development Project. She is spectacularly gifted and a blessing to us. 

Hannah quickly follows. Hannah is Solicitor and an all round lovely God girl! A girl with a breathtaking testimony of encounter with Jesus whilst deeply entrenched in another faith. 

Hannah, Dawn, Sylvia and Nicky head for the kitchen to serve hospitality to the whosoever.  

Then. 

One by one people Start to come in. 

Lots of people. 

Soon we are overwhelmed by the constant flow of people. People receive hospitality, People start to ask for prayer. People start to write prayers. One girl comes in and heads straight for prayer room 2 and starts to pray passionately. 

Paul and I begin to sit with people and chat. 

11am

Our prayer room designer Paul and his beautiful wife Julie arrive. Paul still has work to do on some of the prayer rooms. 

12 midday

Dawn leads the 12 midday prayer rhythm in prayer room 4. A number of people head in. 

I head over to the charity shop just to check the girls in there are ok. Mary, sue and Denise are in. They are doing a brilliant job. 

12.30

Hannah has a group of people mesmerised by the Spirit of God as she shares her testimony with them. 

13.00 

A lady comes to the door asking what we are. I share with her and she lets me know she distributes tinned food to charities and we arrange to be a recipient of some of this on a regular basis. 

13.30

Our Divisional leaders arrive along with the Divisional Business director. It's great to see they are really pleased. Our leaders are deeply spiritual people and have taken some really big decisions that will resonate for a long time in Kingdom terms. They are such a blessing, brilliant leaders, and we are so privileged to be under their leadership. 

  

14.00 a guy called Paul comes in lonely, hungry and worried about something. The girls give him cake and tea. Paul Maunder chats with him. I pray with him. 

14.15 

A lady called Delia comes in. She says she feels lonely. I sit and have my dinner with her while she tells me her life story. 

14.30

A girl called Nicky comes in. She wants to know more about God. Sylvia lovingly speaks truth over her and ends up taking her to prayer room 1 to pray for her. 

1530 we close. 

Sylvia. Dawn and myself sit and reflect on the day. 

18.30

Dawn and I. 

This is day one. 

We are astonished at what God does. 

I can only imagine the hours of prayer, the severity of the mission and the transformation of lives that will happen. 

Sanctuary extends to two venues presently. 

Sylvia has been appointed to lead Hayes. 

Hayes is a place desperate for the change only the saviour can bring. 

It's a tough place and an amazing place. 

Sylvia is doing a great job. She is listening for the heart of God and is operating in the realms of the visionary. And her bravery for the kingdom will reap its reward in souls. 

We know God is doing something very special in this needy corner of London. 

He is pouring His new wine into a new wineskin. 

And we are astonished by His power. 

Keep praying for us as we engage in a battle of epic proportions to gain ground in West London. And we pray that we will be an encouragement to you where you are as you engage in that same battle. 

Rush (He must be greater)

The thick heat of London, a heat with virtually no air and a strong humidity helped me to slow my walking pace down a little.

I was in a rush to get to the Sanctuary.

Lately, I have taken to being drawn the two miles from our house to the house of prayer that my wife Dawn and I oversee.

Its a unfathomable thing.

I get sudden urges at the strangest times to just go and be alone with God.

And last night around 7 pm as I walked through the oppressive humid London air I was extra keen to get there.

This week has been a mixed bag of emotions really. Early on in the week I travelled to Canterbury to speak alongside my Friend and fellow warrior Lyndall Bywater in two seminars that were being filmed for a Salvation Army DVD coming out next year on prayer. I also got to share with Dawn at Cityspace , Canterbury Boiler Room with the amazing community there, it felt good to be teaching and sharing in a different city.

Then.

Even as we drove home in the car, my spirits dropped like a stone.

The weight of planting a prayer centre and raising a prayer community in Ealing just hit me.

It hit me from nowhere.

My mind was ravaged with an attack that ranged from you are a hopeless preacher to you'll never build something fresh in West London.

The attack intensified when a friend gave me the heads up that someone was heavily criticizing Dawn and I and Prayer centres in general on a quaint little Facebook page called something like, "Old Army halls and buildings."

Then.

For the whole day yesterday I struggled to lift my myself up, and even worse I struggled to pray which I knew I needed to do. That was so ironic when I had just taught a seminar on obstacles that get in the way of a lifestyle of prayer!

Hence my rush to be at the Sanctuary last night.

I wasn't drawn there like I have been lately. I just knew I had to push through and pray immediately despite how I was feeling.

The Sanctuary was cool and quiet.

I headed to prayer room 2 yet to be used officially. Over the window in that prayer room is a sign. It quotes John 3:30 which simply says, "He must become greater, I must become less."

As I read it, before I had even started to pray, I was stunned into a state of peace.

It doesn't happen as often as I would like, but this stunned into peace thing happens when God needs my immediate attention.

And.

I was listening.

And something became clear.

All day I had been attacked. And I had got sucked in to just focussing on me. I was putting a lot of me into my uncomfortable day, and not much of God.

All those thoughts of "I cant do this," and "I'm hopeless," alongside much worse negative thoughts were Godless in their character.

God is greater!

He must become greater.

We have to allow His greatness to be the truth in our lives.

And.

In his greatness he has the future of my life in his hands.

I just need to get out of the way a little.

As I lessened my self from my feelings and allowed God to be greater, my confidence rose considerably to the point where I could just pray for those who criticize my ministry and feel love for them, where I could rest in the fact that God absolutely doesn't think I'm hopeless, and know that he has the future of Sanctuary West London in his hands too.

So if there's any of you guys out there who are relating to the sorry state I got myself in yesterday. Then have ears to listen.

He must be greater, I must become less.

Pray through the pain barrier.

Allow God's greatness to assure you of a solid future.

Where he is greater, greater things will be yet to come through us as we try to reach this world for Him.

Blessings.