Positive PrayerCarla Harding - 7 Oct 2010

No matter how soothing an alarm sound I choose, when my phone goes off at 6.30am it’s a rude awakening.  “Aaaah!” is usually the first thought (and sometimes the first word out of my mouth) when my alarm wakes me with a jerk.  As I struggle to lift my leaden eyelids and swing my legs out from under the warm duvet, it usually takes a moment before I remember why I’m up.  Surely the rest of the world (and even God!) must be sleeping right now.

Slowly the cogs in my brain start to turn and zombie like I stumble to the end of my bed.  Applying all available mental power I dress as silently and as competently as I can, then sneak from my room, slip my shoes on by the door and make my way out into the street. The shock of the brisk morning air usually clears away any remaining cobwebs.  By the end of the road my legs have remembered how to walk without my constant encouragement and by the time I reach the edge of town I realise that I’m fully awake.  Finally I catch sight of two of my closest friends waiting for me (hot drinks in hand) and I start to smile.  This early morning wander may not seem like a good idea when the initial “Aaaaah!” accompanies my alarm, but by the time I reach Charlotte and Helen I’m ready to pray for Chichester…

The morning I’ve just described has been repeated many times throughout the last few years. At its peak the three of us would meet weekly to walk the streets of our city and pray for its inhabitants.  For me prayer walking has been an amazing journey (pun intended) of learning as I’ve stumbled my way through talking to God about the place where I live. Together we’ve drawn on the stories, ideas and models of so many others caught up in this movement of 24-7 Prayer to try and work out how to flesh out, “your Kingdom come, your will be done in Chichester as it is in heaven”.  Last week, as I sat down with my journal, I started to write about the foundations God has put in place as we’ve interceded in the early hours.  I was amazed by just how much the Holy Spirit has led us into and as I collated my thoughts, clear challenges and themes emerged…

Who is my community?
When I first started to prayer walk the thing that most struck me was how little I pay attention to the place that I live.  As I moved through the streets I started to notice who lived where and the shops, services and spaces that fill the city.  I started to look for where God’s Kingdom was already present (a homeless project, a counselling centre) and noticing the places of… well… darkness (violence, crime, the presence of consumerism).  The more I saw, both literally and through the prompting of the Holy Spirit, the easier I found it to pray.

Do I love them?
When quizzed on the greatest commandment Jesus responded that loving God is utmost and along side that is to love others as we love ourselves (Matt22).  When I browse my journal it is no surprise to me that the most frequent things I pray for are those I care most about.  I want my prayers for Chichester to come from a heart overflowing with love for the place and the people.  I don’t want to fake it.  God can tell.  

Pray pro-actively
“Kingdom come”, strikes me as a very pro-active prayer.  Why wait until everything’s falling apart?  Why not pray in love, peace, truth, mercy, forgiveness in the here and now.  What I want most for my city is what Duncan Campbell described as a “God consciousness”.  I want a hunger, a thirst, an awareness that goes beyond rational explanation to permeate the streets, schools and work places.

Pray positively
I learned on the streets of Ibiza the joy and power of praying positively.  Sometimes people (or maybe this is a British culture thing!) can find it easier to focus on the negative than on what’s good.  At a recent seminar I gave on the topic I asked my audience to write what was good in their community.  They pondered and then wrote.  Then I asked, “what’s not so good”, instantly there was a flurry of writing. When we’ve prayed around Chichester we’ve not ignored what’s wrong, what’s against God’s plan, but we’ve focused our prayers on inviting God to bring redemption… What does the kingdom version of our cities look like?  Call it in!

Pray persistently
“Pray continually” 1 Thes 5:17.  This is just one of many verses in the New Testament that urge the church to continue in persistent prayer.  There’s something about pushing on even when it doesn’t look like our prayers are taking effect that has power.  When I read Luke 18 it seems that Jesus is reinforcing this… call for justice and keep calling until you get it.

Pray in unity
There is power when Charlotte, Helen and I agree in prayer, but one of the things I find myself drawn to pray for again and again is unity among the whole Church of Chichester.  United we stand, divided we fall (to coin a phrase).  

As I pray for my city I can’t help but dream.  Dream of the church as one family praying and loving this beautiful place.  Dream of 24-7 Prayer Rooms popping up in more schools or in shop fronts.  That the wealth, generosity and compassion of these people would be freely given to bless the world. I have so much more yet to learn, yet to pray, yet to see.  As Helen, Charlotte and I start to talk about hitting the streets in a new rhythm I can’t wait to see where this well trod journey takes us next.