Pray, Play and Obey: A Peek Behind the Scenes, by Carla HardingCarla Harding - 30 Mar 2007

I am really proud to be part of 24-7 Prayer and of all the people I'm working with.  I spent most of last week in long meetings, working hard as well as setting budgets and priorities for the movement in the coming year.  I would feel entirely confident showing anyone where we put our money and how we're working hard to spread Christ-centred, mission-minded prayer, renewing the Church and empowering communities.

There is absolutely no waste or fat in our expenditures.  We're learning great lessons in wise spending and getting really creative in the whole field of fund-raising.  It makes total sense to me that people love to give to projects, people and places where they can see an obvious need and immediate impact with their money.  In the last few years, our funding has actually increased for set projects and pioneering communities.  What's been tougher is raising support for the heart of the body that pumps the blood into all these fantastic expressions of 24-7.  In fact that heart is being constricted more year on year.

I don't feel discouraged by this.  If you could see the amount we achieve relative to the size of our resources there is no doubt in my mind that God is afoot.  We run the whole support structure for the International and UK part of the movement on the same amount of money as my local Church Revelation, and "Revs" isn't a cash rich community. God has always come through. We've got some great stories that can prove how great He is and how much He provides for us.

With what He's given us we're seeing a Boiler Room community planting on Ibiza, Kelly Green and her slowly growing team loving the prostitutes, pimps, drug dealers and children of Boys Town, Mexico.  I receive stories each week of Churches around the world learning to pray 24-7 and see their potential in God.

I got another report from Finland yesterday, God seems to be really stirring there.  A month ago, a Prayer Room saw a man's back healed just before he was about to go under the knife.  Now another Prayer Room in a different part of the nation ran their second "24-2" last week and the prayer spilled out of the prayer room onto the streets of the city.  As one group stayed and prayed anther chatted to people and prayed for them in the town.   They also rocked up to a local New Age festival, gave out a bunch of New Testaments and led some people to Jesus!   They've been invited back by the organisers to have a larger contribution next time round.  Cool, huh?  Keep your eyes on Finland.

In the midst of all this, we need more money! There's so much more to do.  I'm looking into challenges like "Climb Kilimanjaro" or "Walk the Great Wall of China" as a fun way to raise support.  We have many tricks up our collective sleeves for the coming year.  If you're not currently a 24-7 supporter, why don't you become one? Visit our supporters' page, give us £5/€5/$5 a month.   If you email me to let me know, I will personally send you a thank you card and some Lemon Drizzle Cake in Tupperware so it doesn't get squished in the post. Come on, who can turn down cake?