Leeds Vineyard

2020 Prayer, Fasting and Prepa  


Starting today, 8 June 2020, you are invited to join in a few days of prayer and fasting in preparation for Sunday. On Sunday our theme will be Reconciliation and in the evening we will be hearing stories to help us understand the Truth and reality of discrimination in Britain today.

For some of us, deep emotions are finding their way to the surface. For others of us our eyes are opening to a whole new world of pain and discrimination. So in this moment we are seeking Holy Spirit’s guidance for direction, and power for change – both in our lives and in the life of our church.

Please make every effort to join The Story Zoom call at 7.30pm on Sunday evening. We can’t promise that it will be an easy hour but it is going to be the start of a pilgrimage towards a better, more radical story for each of us, for our church and for our world.

During the week please join in as much as you can: pray each day, fast in some way, invite Holy Spirit to prepare your heart. Theresa Mundy’s daily prayer on Facebook will focus on this and there are many devotional Apps which are turning their emphasis to these issues (several people are finding the Lectio 365 app helpful).

Prayer

You may like to concentrate your prayer & preparation in the following way, focussing on our senses, praying the prayer and then noting down the answers you are given:


Monday: “Open my ears to hear what You are saying to me.”
Listen out for Holy Spirit to speak to you – maybe through something someone says, through a news bulletin or a podcast or maybe in a song. 

Tuesday: “Open my eyes to see what You are showing me.”
What have you looked at or seen which might be a sign from Holy Spirit. An encounter in the street, something in nature, a social media post, a picture on someone’s wall.

Wednesday: “I open my hands to receive what You want to give to me.”
Has something come in the post, or has someone put something in your hands or bank account. It may be an offer of time or conversation or a gift.

Thursday: “Open my heart to sense your love for me”
Stop and receive His love. Maybe a slow, repeated breath prayer would assist: “You are here, I am with You, You are with me, we’re together.”

Friday: “Open my life to live for You.”
What practical things is the Lord asking you to change about the way you live? What choices do you have right in front of you: to do with time, money, energy, the words of your mouth, your ambition.

Saturday: “Open my mind to be renewed and transformed by You”
Be aware of new ways of thinking edging into your consciousness? Be prepared to step away from old thought patterns and habits. How is the mind of Christ flourishing in you?

Fasting

You may already know how you are going to fast. There are some suggestions on the website here. But you may wish to fast something to do with your senses – which is the focus of our prayer and preparation.



David Flowers

8 June 2020