Sunday Night Prayer Meeting

Sunday night was one of my favorite prayer meetings of the entire semester. We started out the second hour singing the chorus of "All Who Are Thirsty." We kept singing, "Come, Lord Jesus, Come" over and over again. It was powerful.
We spent the whole night praying for the fire of the Lord to refine us and make us holy. As we behold him we become like him.

Monday Night Prayer Meeting

Monday:

Coming into this prayer meeting, for some reason or another, it seemed liked our hearts were hard as a whole. Maybe it was from sin, or lack of pursuit, but regardless by the end of the night there was true, authentic intimacy. It was repenting during the first hour that softened our hearts and drew us to the Lord. The whole second hour was straight up worship! It was worship deep with our spirits and with truth. We approached the Lord with the Fear of the Lord. We stepped into humbleness which was the key to the door of intimacy. Tonight there was a real longing to meet with God. We asked for Him tonight, and we actively sought Him. It wasn't something that I lead the prayer meeting into... it was something that God did. My leadership was irrelevant because the furnace came to meet with him and was able to follow Him first.
Tonight was truly intimate, and I pray that the furnace's hearts would be resolute to follow a relentless God. We have so much to jump into... and I have faith that we will, and not just in the future, but now, and with this crew!

Much love,
Josiah

Saturday Morning Prayer 11-21-08

This morning the Father lead us to pray for a variety of topics. While praying I could not help but be overwhelmed with the faithfulness of the Lord to all peoples, nations, and tongues. We had the privilege of praying for the woman, children, and Lords Resistance Army in the Congo; lifting up their current circumstances and believing that our King is bigger than all darkness. We are thankful to report that even though we may never see the faces of the children and women in Africa, Jesus sees and changed their lives today! We also had the chance to pray for the London missions team asking our Savior to lead them by His spirit. Within this we prayed for the youth in London that they would no longer be held captive in the futility of their fleshly minds but that the Spirit of the Sovereign Lord would renew them by transforming their thoughts. We asked that Jesus would free minds from depression and suicidal thoughts and that the old would pass away, but a new nature would arise birthed by the spirit of the Lord and inspirited by the blood of Jesus. With the current conflict at UCCS with the gay and lesbian alliance we prayed for our fellow students and friends asking that steadfast love of the Lord would go forth and accomplish what he sent it forth to preform. We are believing that Jesus tore down deception and crowned His people with His heavenly perspective and purposes. It was also a privilege to be able to pray for the hearts and minds of the furnace and to ask the father to equip each student in our mutual call to evangelism. For we can not deny the word of the Lord spoken to us by his servant and clearly written to us in the word -To proclaim His name to all nations, tribes, and tongues. It is with great expectation that we await the glory of the Lord to fill our city through the hands and feet of his Bride. As we were wrapping up prayer Jenna and David began to sing a song in which the chores simple stated: "You will never let us go". Truly our teacher revealed that whether sinner or saint we are His and He is in passionate and jealous pursuit over our hearts and lives. May we go forth seeking first the kingdom of God, walking in the Spirit, and intentionally listening for the voice of the father proclaiming His will be done his Kingdom come.

Sunday Night Prayer Meeting

It seems to be a reoccurring theme in the Sunday night prayer meeting to wait on the Lord. When I welcomed everyone to the prayer meeting I encouraged them all to ask the Lord to speak to them about the direction of the prayer meeting. As we spent the first hour in devotional prayer I felt like we needed to begin the intercession hour waiting on the Lord and believing that He would speak to us. We had a time of repentance and waiting on the Lord for about fifteen minutes before the band sang any worship song. After we had worshiped for a while I asked for people to share if the Lord had given them anything. The obvious trend was toward the lost. We spent the rest of the night praying for the light of Jesus to shine forth. We closed the night out praying for the people that we know have not given their lives to Jesus. I believe that God speaks to us. I feel like it is really important that we continue to wait on Him in order that we may better hear His voice. I read an interesting account of Mother Teresa today. It stated that she was once asked what she prays about during her prayer time; her response, "I mainly listen."

Saturday 15, Morning Prayer

Lol so it took me awhile to figure out how to get to the post section. I initially was on track to set up a new blog site. Anyways, this morning we focused on praying for the ending of the sex trade and dismantled the exploitation of women and children around the world. Within this we sought to speak the love, hope, and worth of Christ over the women and children caught or willingly participating in this industry. As one body we asked Jesus to preform Saul like transformations in the pimps and leaders involved in the sex trade. Consequently, the prayer hour contained a conglomeration of prayers which included: the abolition of the sex trade (Rom 9:25-26, Psm 68:5-6, Isa 61, Jer 12 and 42), the movement of the Spirit of God in the service projects carried out by the furnace (1 Pet 2), the testimony of the Lord to be known through our friends traveling to the bride in London (1 Thes 2:1-12), and for the homeless ministries in the city of Los Angeles.

1 Pet 3:15a
But in your hearts regard Christ that Lord as hold,

11-11-08 Late night

Tonight was a lot different from the other prayer meetings. We spent the first hour or so personally seeking God, with the focus of asking Him to remind us of what the gospel is. What does it mean that He died for us? What is the power of the cross? What does the blood of Jesus means for us? THen for the secon half we had communion, but instead of doing it like we normally do, we had bread and juice, and sat together talking and encouraging eachother. Just hanging out in fellowship in the presence of God. It was pretty cool to be reminded that since we all are part of His body, we are united in a unique and uncomparable way. As we had communion, we looked at who God is and remembered Him, but He also showed us who we are: His children, His body.

Sunday Night Prayer

I did something tonight that I have never done before; I dismissed everybody early. About 3 songs into the second hour I felt like it was important that everybody actually wanted to be there. So, I told them that they had achieved credit for the prayer meeting and were free to go. However, if anyone wanted to stay we we were going to keep going. I wasn't mad or anything; I simply felt like people needed to be set free from the idea of fulfilling a requirement. I don't think that anyone left; and if they did that is really fine. After that we had a powerful worship time led by Brandan Bustamonte. We then prayed over people that felt any kind of discouragement, we prayed for passion for Jesus, greater Holy Spirit activity in our lives, and for healing. I love worshiping and praying with you guys!

Dan Perkins

Exciting!

Welcome to the Furnace Prayer Leader's blog. I am so excited to begin hearing from these prayer leaders. God is doing some incredible things in the prayer meetings and we all need to be encouraged and challenged by it. I hope that as you read these stories your faith will grow and our hearts will be united in prayer. I cannot wait to hear the testimonies of the Holy Spirit's moving and answered prayers.

Dan Perkins

Not Sure...

So, I have never blogged before. Not sure if this post will actually show up so we will just consider this a test for now, with an actual post to come later. I will post every Saturday morning after the Friday Night Prayer Meetings, as well as any other time I feel led to write. Hope some substance will spew out of me onto this electronic, public diary or sorts. Well, I shall write again...