‘THY KINGDOM COME’ 2020 –

Point of Contact: Pauline Mack – Salop Prayer Advocate
E: pauline_mack@btinternet.com

For updates, resources and further information checkout our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/thykingdomcomeshropshire

2020 Review written by Pauline Mack:

Summary Report

Shropshire joined in with the Global ecumenical prayer initiative Thy Kingdom Come from Ascension Day to Pentecost by praying continuously in a Wave across the county, 24 hours a day for 10 days. Lockdown brought a whole new way of gathering virtually.

Starting in Telford on the Wrekin then moving to Newport, North Shropshire, Shrewsbury, A49 and ending in Bridgnorth. Groups from across the streams met on zoom and brought their own unique flavor to the prayer. Key themes listed below were covered each day:

• Blessing
• Mission locally, nationally and globally
• Unity – As One day on Saturday
• Worship
• Youth

New initiatives such as a “Come Holy Spirit Hour” and online Healing Rooms were introduced bringing a freshness to the work of the Holy Spirit. Testimony of healings were shared. Private prayer covered 70% of the 240 hours. A vast array of people booked to pray and multiple slots were taken.

This has created a momentum to prayer which the team leading Thy Kingdom Come do not want to stop. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says:

“If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land”

As the 24-7 calendar filled up so readily, there was a real sense of God’s people praying, that “My people are humbling themselves and praying.” A momentum is growing like a vortex over the county to bring transformation. Several loci, houses of prayer are emerging and there is a real sense that God wants us to BLESS the land, our friends, neighbors and communities so that his blanket of love covers Shropshire. Unity is at the heart of this prayer and as Bishop Richard shared in the “Come Holy Spirit” hour. John 17 teaches us that the degree of unity, is proportional to the degree of effective evangelism in “making Jesus known”.

Therefore, over the next four to eight weeks we are setting out on a pilot period for a virtual house of prayer for Shropshire, extending out of the momentum created during Thy Kingdom Come.  It’s very important that pray-ers and leaders get a chance to hear about all the positive stuff that’s been going on and to learn that a pilot proposal will continue the initiative after which there will be a chance for feedback from everyone involved, and collective learning and agreement around what is working and what isn’t.  We need to know God’s way and God’s time for a house of prayer and to agree on it together.

Below is an insight from a local area of the impact of TKC 20 on a local area:  Published by Kate King on 29 May (Day 9 TKC)·

We have come to the end of our second full day of prayer “Along A49 and beyond!” with another 41 hours of collective ‘zoom’ prayer (152 hours in total including prayer from Nuremberg & Tanzania!). That is quite apart from all of the individual and small group prayer. What a privilege. As is God’s way, the last slot of our 48 hours filled as we closed down zoom! We were frateful to those praying individually until 7am when we passed the baton onto Christians in the Bridgnorth Area.

Again God has prompted so many images and words it is hard to capture them all! Here is a flavour:
– we called on God for discernment for leaders especially in education, and to balance all the expectations on them, we prayed against the spirit of judgement
– we celebrated the invitational power of prayer and others’ response to offers – we prayed for a spirit of boldness
– Psalm 55:22, Psalm 121
– we are called to have vision and to value all who serve in the body of Christ, all who belong
– we yearn to meet young people where they are, to journey alongside them, to speak identity into their lives so that they will flourish and grow
– we feel called to model church, to journey alongside others
– we heard Christ’s call (again) for the upside down, a church, honouring young people and not being caught up in hierarchy
– we felt challenged that in all of our activities, we should remember the power of communication with the individual – relationship
– we asked for wide horizons, for connection across geography and denomination, to receive inspiration of different expressions of church
– picture of trees and wood grow: Lord God, we thank You that the roots of trees are intertwined so that all receive nourishment. If each of our ministries is a tree, let us intertwine and support one another so that we will grow up into you Your Kingdom Forest, Lord, adorned with Your crown.
– God, we individuals are called to belonging and to be expected
– we prayed for unexpected connections, equipping, unity and for the church to be the strongest voice speaking into people’s lives, God’s voice
– a call for resurrected church rather than resuscitated church and the challenge of what we have to die to for a new normal – what needs pruning and what planting
– a plea to help us wait on God and listen with heart, mind and spirit
– locked doors are nothing to God – He is present as the unseen guest
– old things are passed away (but still relevant because) ALL things are made new
– Nehemiah & Ezra – walls
– we asked for a vision, a new thing, encouragement – bridges springing out of Telford like the iron bridge, connecting all over the country bringing encouragement, resources, refreshment and renewal
– water to the parched rural lands – open the floodgates of the Spirit, but all in balance
– Raw eggs – can be cooked in so many ways, Holy Spirit speak to people in the way they need to be fed.
– Knowing God is more important than knowing God: Now we don’t know what church is any more, help us to come to know Christ better…
– Called to wake up! Would the wind of Holy Spirit wake us up to the reality of God and blow away fear and the impulse of control, especially over the things of God? ‘Ruach’
– Ruach : wind, breath, spirit
– strengthening links, connection, connection, technology
– prayers for protection especially for front lines and hidden staff
– sustainability of mission
– UNITY of Spirit, mission and purpose – for a safer world for all. Open our eyes and hearts to see other’s struggles; help us to create more justice & value all God’s children. Help us glimpse and move towards Your kingdom – thank You that You show us the way.
– The theme of connections came again and again and again – lived out on Zoom with Hereford Diocesan Prayer Partners in Tanzania and Nuremberg – praise God!
– we are gradually opening our doors but the doors of our hears are the words that we say – may we have a Pentecostal experience
– Holy Spirit hovered over the water when the world was formless and dark. He is God the Creator – He comes and fills us. A bird hovering and wrapping itself over the formless and bringing it into form, beauty and order. Hover and Brood over us Holy Spirit.
– Perhaps God has not brought us into exile – but out of it! To be a people of the Way, on the move
– Let us be new wineskins.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQ8qe3CggWo

A final thought shared by Bernadette:
“Thank you for this chance to share, I hope we can have many more opportunities like this. Our world so needs us to work together. Can imagine God with a smile on His face”

Houses of Prayer:
We feel God is stirring us to develop Houses of Prayer across Shropshire. If you would like to be a part of exploring and discerning this, please message us here, contact Shropshire HOPE or drop an email to kate.king@hereford.anglican.org.

Be blessed…

For more details about the national ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ initiative, including a wide range of resources go to the national website. Thy Kingdom Come has wide appeal and encourages Christians to think of prayer in the larger context of their communities, counties, regions and nations.