The Praise Bus is declaring ‘Jesus is mighty’ as it travels the country ahead of the Olympic torch.
The 70 day Cascade of Praise and Prayer got off to a great start at Lands End with the commissioning of the prayer relay batons and the start of the prayer relay, praying for the Praise Bus and 7:14 prayer events taking place across the West Country. The impact of the Praise Bus as it simply declares the praise of Jesus is mighty as it goes ahead of the Olympic torch route. One church said, “I can’t say how much our day on the bus has meant to us, it has impacted on our every day worship. Thank you for this opportunity”.
The 70 day Prayer Relay has taken place in a variety of locations, including churches, on a ship in Cardiff Bay, outside Liverpool Cathedral and on the most northerly point in N Ireland. The town crier welcomed the pray-ers and prayer baton from Bangor into Chester. ‘Thank you for giving us the opportunity to share in this fabulous and momentous event. We had an extraordinary time in Belfast as we sat under the prayers of blessing written in Newry for Belfast’.
7:14 prayer events continue to be organised in many of the locations of the overnight torch relay stops – the night before.
A picture of a field of oilseed rape. As the prayer relay has travelled through cities and towns, God has been speaking in many ways. At one location a picture was given of a yellow field of flowering oil seed rape, eyecatching for a season (like the torch relay). There is a “double” harvest from rape. The first harvest is of course the oil bearing seed, the Spirit’s early blessing in response to the prayers associated with the relay. But the greater blessing from growing rape comes later.
Oil seed rape is a crop that absorbs large amounts of nitrogen as it grows. Following the seed harvest, the remaining crop is then ploughed back into the land and the nitrogen-rich plants feeds the soil and ensures a bountiful harvest the following year of whatever the farmer chooses to plant in that field. The person giving this felt it was for encouragement to all that are involved in this – to assure them that there is long-term fruit to their labours and not to lose heart. There will be a double harvest!
And so this historic, unprecedented season of praise, prayer and mission continues through June as it travels through Scotland and through most of the NE and NW of England and then coming as far south as Birmingham by 30th June. It is wonderful to see the body of Christ responding to the Father’s heart to come and give him the praise and worship at this critical time. To find out where the Olympic torch is going (and so find out re Praise Bus, 7:14 and prayer relay) head over to www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17358291.
More news will follow as we move into July. Please mark 8am 27th July in your diaries as More than Gold, World Prayer Centre and many others plan to issue a call to prayer across every part of the British Isles as those church bells peal! And of course don’t forget to plan to join us on 29th September at Wembley Stadium for the national day of praise and thanksgiving for all that God has done and will do! www.ndopwembley.com Tickets are now available.
With many thanks, Jane
