Namibian summer holidays occur
in December and during much of January. Many of our people go away for their annual vacation. During
this time many church activities go into recess, almost all - except
prayer meetings and worship meetings. We cannot afford not to pray and to worship!
We see
divine wisdom in the fact that the church like a human body needs to have seasons of rest and relaxation, whilst always being on her
guard against Satan’s manifested schemes.
Our people
return refreshed and ready
to face the year.
At Eastside
Baptist Church, Prayer
Week follows our summer holiday, after children have been settled back into
school, and after people
have settled back into their work routines.
Prayer week
is normally held at the end of January. The Sundays leading up to prayer week are dedicated
to preaching on themes related to
prayer and vision casting. This
year our motto is taken
from John 15: “Appointed to bear much fruit !” I have reminded the congregation that this
is the Vinedresser's desire for the
church. The goal for which we are planted
is to bear much fruit. Any prayer relating to a desire for fruitfulness
will be honoured by our Father who is in
heaven. We may need to be content with His pruning, and we may need to be content
that the divine Gardener will remove unfruitful
branches out of our midst! But we
know and understand the purpose for
which He does it! He does it to make the
vine – the church even more fruitful, thereby bringing more glory
to Himself.
This
year Prayer Week started
on Sunday, 27th January and ended on Sunday
the 3rd of February.
From Monday to Friday the church had
gathered to pray every night of the week and also
on Saturday and Sunday morning. We were
greatly encouraged by the turnout in the week and also by the fact that our people were generally steadfastly
devoted to the Lord in prayer.
A number of
people have indicated in the context of prayer week that
they want to join the church. For
this immediate result we give thanks to God !
We have reminded our people that prayer is not
just an occasional activity, but a lifestyle.
Prayer is to the soul what oxygen is to
the body. It sustains the church like
nothing else. No activity describes ‘abiding in Christ the vine’ more than habitually
praying to God the Father in His Name !
As you help
us by your prayers !
2
Corinthians 1:11
