A memorable meeting revealed to Lyndon Bowring the limitless opportunities for prayer.,,,
Lyndon Bowring, Executive Chairman of CARE, comments on the causes close to the heart of the Christian community.
As a retired Elim minister and member of Kensington Temple for over 50 years, I am deeply grateful for my Elim roots and will remain loyal to this heritage for as long as I live.
I thank God for the leaders who first instructed me in God’s ways but, as they are all now in heaven, I feel able to speak honestly about some of our church’s unbelievably wasted opportunities – like the Tuesday night prayer meetings where every week our prayers focused only on asking God to send another 1904 Welsh revival and ‘bring in sinners’ to hear the gospel on Sunday nights.
There was little evidence of these repeated petitions being answered. Perhaps we would have done better on Tuesday nights just walking the streets, housing estates and blocks of flats, seeking out those in greatest need. This, of course, was before today’s church-run foodbanks, debt advice, homeless shelters and the many other wonderful ‘Isaiah 58’ God-honouring ministries alongside evangelism, prayer and discipleship.
Sadly, our only concern was ‘lost souls’ and we never once prayed for our national and local council leaders, police, teachers, hospitals, and social services.
In 1975, Celia and I visited The Church On The Way in California led by Pastor Jack Hayford. We attended their weekly 7.14 pm prayer meeting, timed as a reminder of 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If my people … will humble themselves and pray …” A massive screen listed the entire White House cabinet, others in government departments and issues they faced. With Pentecostal fervour we systematically prayed for them all.
I’d never experienced anything like it! Shortly after, at an Intercessors for Britain Prayer and Bible Week led by Dennis Clark and Alex Buchanan, we prayed for every country in Europe displayed on a huge map, which again was exhilarating!
These experiences transformed our prayer lives. Celia began writing CARE’s quarterly Prayer Diary and, while I admit I’m biased, it is unique, helping thousands of people to intercede beyond those issues that concern us in CARE: from children to climate change, carers to prisoners, and from the NHS to proclaiming the gospel! Each week’s topic is summed up in seven prayers about situations we may never have thought of! As I write, today’s prayer for Ukraine coincides with a major success in their fight for freedom.
My church’s leaders meant well back then, but thank God for his help, and may his Spirit increasingly inspire all our prayers, both written and extemporaneous!
From Direction Magazine issue 242
