NHOP Team Retreat this past weekend

by Richard Long,

  We’ve had an incredible weekend with our extended team over this weekend.  We had hoped to go away to a retreat centre outside the city sometime this summer, but checking all our schedules we realized we only had one weekend that would work and we would need to use our own facility.  It’s a great retreat centre, but we wondered about doing it in the place most of us work.  We needn’t have worried.

   There were 16 of us.  Our usual staff, Rob & Fran, Richard & Terry, Michele, and Iain.  But we also had our Board members and their spouses.  Iain’s wife Susan joined us, Board members Ray, Brian, Rachel and Ruth and their spouses Arlene, Linda and Doug. (Doug and his mom prepared 2 amazing meals for us.)  Then God also provided 2 incredible worship leaders - our new friends Jason & Yvonne who moved to Ottawa less than a year ago, and who have numerous years of experience in establishing a 24/7 House of Prayer in Winnipeg.  The only one we were missing was Kirsten who was on vacation in Alberta.

   The idea of the retreat was to simply to seek the Lord together.  We had no agenda, but to stay in His presence, worshipping Him and listening for what He might want to say to us.  He is so faithful.  The Lord really met with us, ministered to us and revealed His heart.  We wrote us pages of insights that we recieved together in our Prayer Room.  In His light we were also able to see and understand each other more fully.

   Today, we all headed over to Greenbank Community Church where Rob was on deck to preach.  Again the Lord came in power and we ministered as a team to that wonderful congregation.  Like good Christians we ended our time at Swiss Chalet with chicken dinners and then headed on our ways deeply enriched by our intensive time together.  Thank you Lord!

The 24-7 (Boiler Room) Prayer Movement

by Richard Long,

  One of the fastest growing international prayer movements is often called The Boiler Rooms.  It is different from the 24-7 Harp and Bowl style that comes out of IHOP in Kansas City.  24-7 Prayer was birthed in England by Peter Grieg.  He’s written a book about the history of 24-7 prayer called Red Moon Rising.  (By the way there was a recent announcement that Peter has joined Holy Trinity Brompton the headquarters of the worldwide Alpha course, so it will be interesting what he adds to their ministry.)   I had the priviledge of visiting their original centre in Reading, just west of London a few years ago.  It really is an attempt to create 21st century urban monastiscm.  Similar “Boiler Rooms” have emerged all over Europe and now in other parts of the world.  By the way the name came from the era of Charles Spurgeon who called his prayer room by that name.

  The best known “Boiler Room” in Canada is found in Calgary.  It was actually the first 24-7 model that was launched outside of the U.K.  They have intentionally called it Urban Monastery Calgary.  It’s a great site to get constant strategic prayer information.

Why are the results of prayer delayed? S.D. Gordon

by Richard Long,

One of the classic writers on prayer is S.D. Gordon (click to read his biography online) who among other books wrote Quiet Talks on Prayer.  He delves into the topic of why results are delayed and proposes these explanations.

“Answers to prayer are delayed, or denied, out of kindness, or, that more may be given, or, that a far larger purpose may be served.  But deeper down by far than that is this: God’s purposes are being delayed; delayed because of our unwillingness to learn how to pray, or, our slowness – I almost said – our stupidity in learning … The real reason for the delay or failure lies simply in the difference between God’s viewpoint and ours.  In our asking either we have not reached the wisdom that asks best, or, we have not reached the unselfishness that is willing to sacrifice a good thing, for a better, or the best; the unselfishness that is willing to sacrifice the smaller personal desire for the larger thing that affects the lives of many.” p. 61,62

Thanks to the efforts of the Gutenborg Project, this classic book is now available free online.

Learning to live in “community”.

by Richard Long,

Here at the National House of Prayer we find ourselves learning to live in a new kind of community.  Some might call it an urban monasticsm.  A while back I sent this memo around to our team…

Here is a great quote from the book  The Illumined Heart by Frederica Mathewes-Green.

In communities, at work, but particularly in families, people are put together in something like a three-legged race. God means us to cross the finish line together, and all the other people tied together with us play some part in our progress.

Bundled together in families, a giant seven- or nine- or fifteen-legged pack, we seem to make very poor progress indeed, and fall to the ground in a bickering heap with some regularity. But God has put us together – has appointed each other person in your bundle specifically for you, and you for them. And so, “little children, let us love one another” with might and main, and keep hopping together toward the finish line.

I just thought that the final phrase fit us well at Nhop, since we are “hoppers” hopping together toward the finish line.

The challenge of living and working together in community like the urban monasticism of a House of Prayer certainly bundles us together in ways we have never been bundled before.  Our Nazarites will be experiencing this challenge when they join us in September.  We need your prayers as we continue to learn how to walk together in a healthy way.

Praying for the Ethics Committee

by Richard Long,

While most M.P.s are back in their home ridings for the duration of the summer recess, there are a dozen who are back in Ottawa to work on the Ethics Committee as it examines the Chief Electoral Officer Marc Mayrand about the “in and out” advertizing affair during the last election. 

This committee needs prayer.  The outcomes from this committee could be groundshaking for at least 10 members who it appears are in violation of the Electoral laws (at least in view of the Electoral Commission). 

 

The chair of the committee is the Honourable Paul Szabo and he needs prayer for wisdom, even-handedness, and discernment as he conducts a very challenging hearing.

A number of believers are members of this committee, so let’s pray that they will model good behaviour and decorum.

You can watch it live on CPAC, or when it is rerun later during the day.

We’re a hit!

 

by Richard Long.

Wow!  As of this afternoon we have already had 400 different people view our new YouTube.  Hopefully you have already enjoyed it.  If not, we really want to ham it up for you.  Take a look.  You don’t often get a message from our PrayerDog – Oakley!

Pray hard and long.

Pray hard and long

“In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare.  Pray hard and long.  Pray for your brothers and sisters.  Keep your eyes open.  Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.  And don’t forget to pray for me.  Pray that I’ll know what to say and have the courage to say it a the right time …”

  Ephesians 6:17-19  The Message version.

Thank you! Youtube

by Richard Long,

  Given that we were using two normal digital cameras we think that our resident “techie” Iain Wilson did a great job of creating our “Thank You” video.  Take a moment to check it out!

Praying for a Pro-life demonstration

by Richard Long,

   Yesterday there was a pro-life rally held at the Governor General’s residence to protest the award of the Order of Canada to Dr. Henry Morgantaler.  About 500 folks showed up to voice their displeasure.  That’s Faytene Kryskow with the sign behind the speaker.  You can find out what her team at My Canada are doing by going to their website.

  Rob Parker and Michèle Cloutier went over to lend some prayer support in the background and took the picture above.  We sense this is an important window in our nation’s history, as those who believe that abortion is murder, to get this issue back into the public debate.  We didn’t orchestrate this moment, but it has arrived and we need to make the most of it for the sake of the unborn and for the sake of our nation.

  Let’s pray that the veil of deception that has blinded people from thinking this through clearly, would come off the collective conciousness of the people.    May God have mercy upon all of us!

  Personal note:  As soon as I heard about this rumoured award, I felt the Lord saying that we needed to pray that current recipients of the Order of Canada would have the courage and will to begin returning their awards as a protest.  So I was encouraged when this immediately began happening.  Let’s continue to pray for this to grow, as it is apparent that the media is especially paying attention to those acts of demonstration.

Spread the Word and Get Connected

Regular readers of this blog will know that Wendy Turpin has contributed many of the articles since we began in late January.  Wendy was one of our Prayer Missionaries during the last season and ended her term at the end of June.  She is seeking the Lord about how to continue her calling to pray for the nation, and there is a good chance she will be returning to Ottawa later this year in some capacity.

On the weekend she was able to share at a church in Beamsville, Ontario and was excited to give us this report…

by Wendy Turpin

Well, I’m on a vacation of sorts in Hamilton with family and friends for the first time since Easter and it’s great to be able to reconnect with everyone. I’ve even had time to put in a few good words for the National House of Prayer at Faith Family Fellowship in Beamsville, Ontario, yesterday where I was asked to share. The Lord has so impassioned me with prayer for this nation and our government and it was wonderful to see others within the body have their eyes opened to the need for prayer for our leaders and what is going on, on Parliament Hill.

I noticed something yesterday, howver, and that is, that there is such a need in this nation for word to get out about prayer for our government leaders, and what a great resource the National House of Prayer is for those who wish to learn more about this area of ministry. Many of the things I shared with this congregation surrounding proposed legislation, such as Bill C-484, was news to some and they were glad I brought it to their attention.

I can’t reiterate enough that believers need to get connected with what’s happening in our federal government through reading the newspapers, watching Question Period on CPAC, and staying in touch with our member of parliament. Additionally, the National House of Prayer can help with resources, if you’re lost and don’t know where to begin. Reading this blog is a good start. When we educate ourselves, we can pray informed specific prayers which will bring more immediate results in our government. Case in point, the recent prayers and passing of Bill C-30. Thanks for caring for our government and thanks for praying! You ARE making a difference!