1100 responded to the invitation to gather in Birmingham on 15th June 2013 to pray for this family of nations in the midst of brokenness and opportunity. Many travelled from within Birmingham, the West Midlands, from many parts of England, as well as from other nations of the United Kingdom and beyond.
Taking Jeremiah 1:10 as our theme “See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant”, as the trumpet was blown, we worshiped, declared, prayed and cried out to God in repentance together.
A Powerful Challenge To The Church
Malcolm Duncan, Pastor of Gold Hill Baptist Church brought a powerful message encouraging us to ‘stand up, speak out and proclaim the truth of who Christ is’ with ‘humility, confidence, boldness speaking the truth in love graciously, gently, clearly yet strongly’. He reminded us of the dangers of shaping God’s word to suit us or the society around but the need for our lives and our communities and nation to be shaped afresh by God’s word. You can view his message here.
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Community and Youth leaders from Birmingham and national organisations led us as we prayed for the responsiveness of a generation to the calling out of Jesus, to leave the ways of the world and follow Him, the inward call of the Holy Spirit to intimacy and unbroken union and the upward call of the leadership of the Father.
We rejoiced in the good news stories of God’s work around the globe and through the Great Commission 2020 website we were able to celebrate as we witnessed new believers choosing to follow Jesus.
There were a number of awesome moments as different groups gathered at the Cross during the day, under 30s, people from nations outside the UK, and those praying for the return of prodigals. (Within hours we heard stories of prodigals returning home to Father!) The day ended with all delegates being given a box of packet soups to take and ‘sow’ into their own local Foodbanks, linking back into the verse from Jeremiah 1:10.
Thank You
Finally, we want to give thanks both to our Father and to all who attended; the combination of offering and ticket sales covered the considerable expenses of the event. A heartfelt thank you.
Looking Ahead
During the course of the day, a number of future prayer gatherings and opportunities for united mission were mentioned. Click on the links below for further information:
Midnight Oil 18 – 20th July in Birmingham
Saints in the Stadium 12th October in St Helens
Hope 2014