I have been brought up on prayer meetings. My Grandma took me to many missionary prayer meetings as a child and I can remember sitting in cold church halls, crowded with grey-haired people at the Keswick Convention praying. I always loved it. Hearing what God was doing round the world always excited me. Some of my favourite meetings at University were the Christians in Sport prayer lunches. Hearing what God was doing on the Rugby field or in the rowing pairs was always something I wanted in on.

On Monday evening I was invited to go to a prayer meeting for a conference I am going to next month. Its a conference I have been to twice before, so I knew that the prayer meeting would be something special and not quite like the ones of my childhood.

I walked in to what I guess is usually a predominantly Black church, to see my good friend Lara preaching her heart out. The spirit of the Lord was upon her so powerfully that I began shouting out encouragements as she spoke like some crazed American chat show audience member. (Something I do only very rarely.) The prayer time following was the loudest I have ever encountered. (And I’ve been in some crazy prayer times!) People were shouting, crying, singing and speaking out prayer and praise. There were only about 35 people there, but we made as much noise as 70 easily. Strongholds were broken and possibly a few ear drums too.

At one stage, as I was kneeling, one of the pastors handed me the mic and asked me to sing over people. A stillness descended over me as I whispered and sang God’s mighty name over His children. I was moved as He spoke to me powerfully during my singing, genuinely not in any way aware that I was ‘in front’ of others. I could hear Lara next to me giggling in the spirit like a sweet child. Tears were streaming down her face as she said, ‘Thank you God for your joy’ every time she could get a breath.

There are certain things God has been drip-feeding into my life over the last year… just when I’ve been on my own with Him… words, phrases and the seeds of ideas… I haven’t really joined all the dots yet. Like I say, they are really only tiny seeds. In this meeting I heard some of those secret, private thoughts articulated and developed by others. I can see He that He has been busy here!

Afterwards I felt as though God ‘fast tracked’ me to ‘speed-meet’ some of the really key people in the room. We swopped business cards like we were playing Top Trumps! I have been welcomed into a new group of praying and believing people from a wide variety of churches across the city. Black, white, it doesn’t matter. All one in Christ Jesus, as the good book says.

Watch this very exciting space! I do believe that some heavenly alignments are happening. My calendar just got a bit fuller and my purpose for being here is a teensy bit clearer. Spiritually, I think I have been given some of the keys to this precious city…