Into the New Year with Prayer

What a marvellous time we had meeting the New Year in Prayer! We stood united, holding hands, praying for a blessing. The time of testimonies and prayer, reviewing the year past, giving thanks to God for his protection and leading – what a way to enter into the New Year.

Some mentioned that the midnight Jan 1^st is just a symbolic marker of time, and it is God’s presence in every moment of our life that is of eternal significance. Very true. Jewish people considered New Year beginning after the Day of Judgment, that vindicated every person and cleaned their record to start afresh. The festivity of the Yom Kippur ushered the new year. People label time, mark time, waste time, and use time. Different cultures meet the New Year at different times; some meet it 8 times in one year (India). In any case, we like the new beginnings, and as the nature goes through cycles so we pause to review where we’ve been and where we are going.

As I opened the London Free Press on the first day of the New Year I saw the local columnist, Ian Gillespie, call the coming year 2008 “the year of the confused.” Sure when we wake up to learn that we are 18^th of 27 large Canadian cities in overall rating, considering lacking doctors and bad air quality, plus being the 82^nd in the country by the traffic management, it’s confusing. But that’s not how I see my time in 2008.

Last year a grass-roots initiative spread like a fire through the world. Operation Global Rain – people praying for the outpouring of the latter rain. This year this initiative grew into Global Rain 360^o starting January 2^nd with 10 days prayer for the former and inactive church members. Hundreds of congregations in around the world are praying until January 11^th interceding for the Holy Spirit to reach those who once were with us.

Then for next 110 days congregations are to go and visit, call, meet and remind those who left that we do care, remember and wait. One of my wishes for the New Year is that no one would be shaken out from among us (Hebrews 12:26-28).

Then May 1-10 another ten days of Prayer will be focused on our church members becoming soul-winners, followed by 110 days of practicing intentional soul winning, culminating in another 10 days of prayer - August 28^th to September 6^th. This time prayer focused upon non-Adventists, followed by 110 days of united and focused outreach.

We live in the city that needs Jesus, where 85% of people – your neighbours never darken the door of a church. Who’s going to take the gospel to them? If we are not ready – let’s pray for readiness.