Over The Shoulder

Let me tell you about our Home Group Meeting last night because it turned out to be a bit of a cracker! I really enjoy going along to our Home Group; it is pretty relaxed and informal but still packs a spiritual punch. After the usual staggered start consisting of people arriving, having a drink and tucking into a selection of chocolates and biscuits, we transitioned from notices to a time of worship. Despite Nathan's best efforts, we did not seem to be engaging with this and rather sensibly, he highlighted this and challenged us to do something about it!

It took us a few minutes but it was clear that we needed to be still and know God. It's funny how spiritual 'activity' (speaking in tongues, singing and so on) can sometimes distract us from really turning our eyes upon Jesus . Don't get me wrong - I'm all for spiritual engagement but in this particular moment Holy Spirit led us to be silent and still. As we stood in His Presence, I felt the whole atmosphere of the meeting change; God turned up. As faith began to rise, we caught hold of the real agenda for the evening and people began to pray very powerfully into situations and circumstances. We prayed for health, especially for some of the children and we also prayed for a couple of homegroup members, one of whom reported a powerful healing of his shoulder as a direct result of prayer!

The faith levels in the room were getting stronger and stronger. Mark then led us into communion and we broke bread together as a mark of our commitment to one another and to the Lord. It was not forced or contrived but a supernatural overflow of Holy Spirit's clear direction and guidance. In conclusion, we invited Ian and Alison to sit in the middle of the room and receive prayer as the anointed Leaders of this work. We stirred up the prophetic gift within each one of us and one member of the group even sang a powerful prophetic song over them as we prayed and waited on God. He spoke and as people shared, His word began to affect things.

What was going to be a 'short time of worship', turned into an hour and a quarter. I love the fact that we don't have to be limited by a programme and if we create a simple structure and let God fill it, He is only too pleased to do so thereby creating a totally absorbing, engaging and spiritually stimulating time for all involved.