Texas: First-Love Re-ignited on Large YWAM Base - 5 Oct 2006

A missionary training center in Texas recently ran a week of 24-7 prayer  in the picturesque chapel to the left. Many of the 300 students and missionaries who live on the YWAM base in Tyler, gave themselves to this season of night-and-day prayer, and as they did so God began moving in powerful ways...

 

The week particularly focussed on the seven 'spheres of social influence' which the mission's founder, Loren Cunningham, has identified as keys to the transformation of culture. These are: business, government, arts & entertainment, religion, media, family and education. 

But as the missionaries focussed their prayers outwards, God did something powerful in their hearts. One mega-amazing testimony from the week is how so many people are talking about the unity they felt through the week and the fresh realization that we're all sons and daughters of God. "We feel closer and we were just praying together...This is what our community must be about - letting Father love us and us loving Him back... TOGETHER.” The week ended with a beautiful time of repentance, brokenness and healing in this area of truly loving each other and being a community. “God is establishing unity of heart and vision here!”

 

“God is doing a deep inner-working in our ministry. It's so wonderful. As a people we want to 'know God and to make Him known'. Well, we're learning that we need to "be knowing God and making Him known." It's a continual knowing, not living off of "yesterday's manna", but desiring the Lord, His heart and what He's saying for NOW. Change is in hearts, and it's circulating through the air. It's not man's work, but God's. He's drawing hearts back to their first love and re-igniting passion for His kingdom. He's reminding some of old dreams and calling them to take them up again. He's calling some to let go of old dreams and embrace something new. He's calling some who've never even heard a calling. This place of drawing near to the heart of Abba is intoxicating and addicting to say the least!”

“Since that week, more and more people are being inspired, even challenged, to really seek the face and heart of God earnestly, and not just on their own, but with others in our community. A desire for deeper intimacy with God and deeper intimacy with one another is growing rapidly! It's very exciting to watch! We are seeking God now as to what the next step is. We have some vision, but our desire is to move according to His rhythm and timing.”

“I've had an analogy running through my head of the prayer room. It's not a prayer closet, but rather a prayer living room. It's Dad's living room where He longs for His kids to come hang out with Him... and with each other. He loves having the Family together, to talk, to play, to laugh, to cry, even to ask hard questions and work them out. We can simply spend time with our Dad in the Living Room.”

“Family Night is something we do here each Sunday night to stay connected. It's open to the entire community and is held in our cafeteria. We were able to have the whole night this past Sunday night to share testimonies on the 24/7 week and share a message on the heart of the prayer room. We turned the cafeteria into one huge prayer room with couches, lamps, candles, prayer stations, art stations, dancing room, and a table for communion in the front. We heard wonderful testimonies from the week, including some history of the prayer chapel from leadership and it was so great to hear them testifying to the wonderful things the Lord is doing here through 24/7. We spoke on 'loving God and loving your neighbor' and how it requires vulnerability to truly love God and love your neighbor. It takes trust to truly be known by God and one another and that's what the Lord is opening up more of here at YWAM Tyler. We ended the night at around 10 pm. We usually end at 8.” 

 

We are hungry for more of Him and for His heart to be revealed to His children.”