Taiwan: youth prayer goes BOOM - 25 Nov 2005
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“I remember the first time we came in contact with anyone from 24-7,” mused Elizabeth Chen, a church planter in Tainan, Taiwan. “My husband, Matt, attended a 24-7 gathering in Spain. Somebody said to him, ‘Matt, can we lift you up in prayer?’ The next thing he knew, he was literally hoisted into the air up by a crowd of people who prayed for us. Matt loves that story.”
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Matt and Elizabeth Chen lead Living Water Christian Church in Tainan, Taiwan. After reading Pete Greig’s “Red Moon Rising,” they were inspired that 24-7 Prayer had a place in their congregation – and in their city. Elizabeth cast the vision of 24-7 to their congregation in a Sunday meeting, and the spark turned quickly to a flame.
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.JPG) Youth at 'Living Water' | |
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“We were seeking a way to inspire the youth to prayer,” Elizabeth said. “When I shared about 24-7, it just took off." "The young people in our congregation began to read RMR, and pretty soon they were setting up prayer rooms by themselves." | ||
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Writing on the wall: 24-7 Tainan
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"...some of the ‘older’ members of our church have actually complained about not finding a time slot!”
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Living Water has had two prayer rooms since July, both of which were entirely facilitated by young people from the church.
“In the prayer rooms we have done so far, the youth and new Christians have snatched up all the prayer spots so quickly that some of the ‘older’ members of our church have actually complained about not finding a time slot!” Elizabeth said.
Inside the Prayer Room...
Elizabeth remembers walking around the prayer room with her niece, Tracey. “I couldn’t help but notice a theme of prayers and responses written on the walls,” said Elizabeth. “Abandon to Jesus, surrender to God’s will, resolutions to do God’s work in the nations…
“I asked Tracey what the prayers said that were written in Chinese. She looked at me, astonished, and said, ‘they are almost the exact same.’ God was speaking to us as a group, and we were hearing Him in two different languages!”
In a Living Water prayer room, you might find a cell group, a pile of sleeping bags, and artists and writers expressing themselves on the walls. August’s 24-7 week saw Pete Greig’s “The Vision” translated by hand into Chinese and scribbled all over the room. | |
.JPG) The "I AM" wall | ||
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“Our church is top-heavy with new Christians, and most of them aren’t from Christian homes - so seeing them turned on to prayer is amazing,” said Elizabeth. “We sent our first mission team out to China last summer, and plan to send out teams on a regular basis in the future. The link between prayer and mission is huge for us.
Living Water began their third prayer Thursday, November 24, and are working to coordinate prayer and outreach with other churches in the area. “City-wide 24-7 Prayer is in Tainan’s future”, said Elizabeth.
Please take one minute and pray for Living Water and Taiwan:
1. That more youth leaders would be raised up
2. That our youth can take Jesus into schools
3. That this army of youth will be radical for Jesus
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To contact Living Water or learn more about what God is doing in Tainan, email Tracey here.
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Check out art from the Living Water
24-7 here....
.JPG) 'and in this beautiful mess, He looks and understands' |
.JPG) 'children with torches of God, stepping into darkness where light belongs' |
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.JPG) Isaiah 66:9 |
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.JPG) inspired by Song of Songs |
.JPG) John 15:5-8 |
.JPG) The Vision translation |
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Barry Hall and his wife Charlotte moved to Chichester, England from Kansas City, Kansas to be a part of 24-7 Prayer. They both graduated from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Between the both of them they love hiking to the trundle, writing stationery, Widespread Panic, and our dog Bella!!
Please email Barry here with feedback, questions...