Day 69

Thin Space

This week, Prayer Hour is all about REVIVAL

Each day, we’re going to be checking out some of the awesome revival stories of the 20th century and praying in, asking God, pleading for, a new movement of the Spirit, a new revival in our nation/world today.

Today, we’re going to be checking out the Pyongyang Korea Revival 1907-1910

At the start of the 1900's Korea was ruled by the Japanese and exercising severe brutality. Those who refused to bow to the Japanese Emperor were subject to imprisonment, and some were even tortured and killed.

It was in August of 1906, in the City of Pyongyang, where the missionaries gathered for a week of prayer and Bible study. Dr. R. A. Hardie, who had been instrumental in the Wonsan Revival of 1903, was invited to lead the Bible study. The most extraordinary thing happened in this meeting. Towards the end of the evening, Hardie moved by the spirit got up and confessed his sin of racial hatred towards the Koreans. This bold move by the leader, prompted a mass confession of all believers that night. 

Reports of the other revivals including the 1904-1905 Welsh Revival were shared. These reports increased the missionaries’ desire for revival, and they made a commitment to extraordinary prayer, especially for the Korean believers, who struggled to repent for their hatred toward the Japanese.

What Happened?

The custom of Presbyterian Korean churches was to send representatives, at the beginning of each new year, to a 2-week Bible study in the city of Pyongyang. This would be open to pastors and leaders from throughout the nation. 

The Bible study for 1907 started on Wednesday, January 2. The evening meetings connected with the Bible study started on Sunday night, January 6, with 1,500 men being present. This represented leaders from hundreds of churches. 

On Saturday night, January 12, the Presbyterian missionary William Blair had preached on 1 Corinthians 12:27 and about how the Body of Christ are members of one another. After the sermon, the spirit broke out and revival began. 

Those attending the conference returned to their churches, carrying with them the “spirit of prayer”, and it impacted the churches and nation with revival. Conviction of sin, confession, repentance, and restitution became the common theme of this revival.

Results of the revival

  • Churches began to be planted everywhere and they grew rapidly.

  • Revivals started in the universities.

  • Many sensed God’s call on their lives to become evangelists and missionaries.

  • Early morning prayer (5am) became typical of Korean believers, with up to 10,000 gathering at times in one place.

  • People walked hundreds of miles to attend revival services.

  • Persecution from the Japanese increased, but the Church continued to grow.

  • By March 1907: 2,000 were converted

  • By July 1907: 30,000 were converted

  • By 1911 there were 200,000 Korean believers.

  • By 1912, there were about 300,000 Korean believers.

  • Today the largest churches in the world are found in Seoul.

  • Koreans have sent over 10,000 missionaries into other countries.

  • The Korean church has become a role model for believers around the world.  

Prayer

North Korea is the worst place to live as a Christian these days. Pray for the persecuted church. 
Like this revival, we need to confess our sins first. 
Pray for revival to come to Poynton, Cheshire and Manchester. 

Day 68

THIN SPACE

This week, Prayer Hour is all about REVIVAL

Each day, we’re going to be checking out some of the awesome revival stories of the 20th century and praying in, asking God, pleading for, a new movement of the Spirit, a new revival in our nation/world today.

Today, we’re going to be checking out the Azusa Street Revival of 1906-09

During the 1905 Welsh Revival, similar revivals began taking place in nations throughout the world. The United States was no exception. As news of the Welsh revival arrived in the USA, anticipation that God would pour out his Spirit rose even more. Prayer meetings for revival were multiplied. Cities like New York, Washington, D.C. and Chicago united for revival prayer meetings and conferences on revival.

Joseph Smale and First Baptist Church of Los Angeles
In June of 1905 an unusual revival took place at the First Baptist Church of Los Angeles. In September, that congregation had sent their pastor, Joseph Smale, to Israel for rest and recuperation. On his return home he stopped and visited Wales, which at that time was still enjoying the lingering revival that began in November of 1904. When Smale returned to Los Angeles, he addressed his congregation, which was packed out, with the sermon text originating from Acts 2:15-17: “this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel.”

Immediately the congregation responded to the Holy Spirit’s undeniable presence. Two hundred people immediately ran to the front of the church and were weeping and sobbing. Many were crying so hard that their prayers were unable to be understood. Confession of sins, of both blacks and whites took place, and many were converted.


216 Bonnie Brae Street to 312 Azusa Street.

William Seymour became the personality prominently associated with the Azusa Street Revival. Seymour arrived in Los Angeles on February 22, 1906. Seymour then began meetings in a home at 216 North Bonnie Brae Street. It was there on April 9, 1906, that seven were baptized in the Holy Spirit, which included speaking in other tongues. The crowds at the home on Bonnie Brae grew so large that Seymour moved the meetings to an old building with a dirt floor, located at 312 Azusa Street. 

The services went on day and night for three years, with missionaries arriving from locations around the globe, who, after experiencing a “New Pentecost,” returned to their fields of labour and recognised that they had become carriers of God’s presence, as revival broke out in the nations where they were serving.

People from all denominations, from practically every state in the nation came seeking a fresh encounter with God. Those who came believing left with their faith renewed, having witnessed unity among the denominations and races, miraculous healings, and an undeniable presence of God.

Our Prayer

Father, as we pray for revival now, inspire us by your Holy Spirit, raise our faith, so that we believe that God you will move in our town, and through PBC. Convict us of our sins, and build a desire in us for spiritual intimacy every day. Send your power, pour out your spirit on us today! 

Amen 

Worship - CLICK HERE

Day 67

THIN SPACE

This week, Prayer Hour is all about REVIVAL

Each day, we’re going to be checking out some of the awesome revival stories of the 20th century and praying in, asking God, pleading for, a new movement of the Spirit, a new revival in our nation/world today.
Today, we’re going to be checking out the Welsh Revival of 1904-5

The Welsh Revival
 Between 1899-1903, a whole bunch of groups in Wales prayed for revival. 
In 1904, Evan Roberts, the Father of the Welsh Revival, encountered God in a powerful way in a revival meeting, praying out the words that came to define the revival: “Bend us, bend us, bend us, O Lord”.

In October 1904, Evan Roberts began the ministry that helped usher in the revival. He made 4 points

  1. We must confess before God every sin in our past life that has not been confessed.

  2. We must remove anything that is doubtful in our lives

  3. Total surrender. We must say and do all that the Spirit tells us 

  4. Make a public confession of Christ

He also preached the need to be baptised in the Spirit.

The Results of the Welsh Revival

More than 100,000 people became Christians in less than 2 years (5% of the then population of Wales)
Churches were filled each evening till midnight
The Cardiff police reported that there was a 60% decrease in drunkenness, and there were 40% fewer people in prison
Pubs and breweries closed due to a lack of business
Miners in South Wales turned to Jesus in their thousands. (Which apparently caused confusion to the pit ponies as the men no longer kicked them or swore at them to get them to move!!)
There were 146 recorded outbreaks of revival across Wales.
The Welsh revival spread to England, Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Korea, France, Belgium, India, China, USA…

 Prayer

 We, our land, our world need revival. We, our land, our world need a fresh anointing, a fresh outpouring, a fresh movement of the Spirit. Come, Holy Spirit water this barren land!
Let’s pray the prayer of Evan Roberts on our knees:
“Bend us, bend us, bend us, O Lord”.
Pour your heart out to God.
 
Worship

3 songs – the 1st written during and for the Welsh Revival 
Dyma Gariad (Here is love vast as the ocean) - CLICK HERE
Holy Spirit - CLICK HERE
Set a fire - CLICK HERE

Day 66

THIN SPACE

 Confession
Prayer Hour this week is all about confession.
Each day at 12 midday, we’re going to be seeking God’s forgiveness for huge areas in our lives and in our communities where we have discriminated, where we have abused, where we have shown prejudice.

Today we’re dealing with the sin of Poverty

Poverty

Hunger is the number one cause of death in the world.

Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
Luke 6:20

What are the causes of poverty ?

Changing trends in a country's economy.
Lack of education, high divorce rate, a culture of poverty, illiteracy, overpopulation, environmental problems such as lack of rainfall epidemic  diseases such as AIDS, malaria and now COVID19.

Many people who live in extreme poverty are often also victims of discrimination on grounds such as birth, property, national and social origin, race, colour and religion. Poverty is both a cause and a product of human rights violations.

This is class discrimination, also known as classism, is prejudice or discrimination on the basis of social class. It includes individual attitudes, behaviours, systems of policies and practices that are set up to benefit the upper class at the expense of the lower class.
 
Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker (God), but he who is generous to the needy honors him.
Proverbs 14:31

Nearly 1/2 of the world's population — more than 3 billion people — live on less than $2.50 a day. According to UNICEF, 22,000 children die each day due to poverty. 805 million people worldwide do not have enough food to eat.
More than 750 million people lack adequate access to clean drinking water.

DoSomething.org 


Here in UK...
An estimated 14.3 million people are in poverty in the UK.
8.3 million are working-age adults,
4.6 million are children, and
1.3 million are of pension age.
Around 22% of people are in poverty,

What are we doing about it?
Are we tangibly making a difference or turning a blind eye?
What can we do?

Repent for not doing enough. Pray, get educated, and then act.
Support charities who are making a difference with the poor….
www.mercyships.org.uk/
www.wateraid.org

www.christianaid.org.uk

www.tearfund.org

www.capuk.org

www.compassionuk.org

Move into a deprived area with The Message Trust

 www.message.org.uk/eden

Helping the homeless in Manchester 
www.embassybus.org 

Start at home? PBC Fellowship Fund
 

During the month of June, we are launching a Fellowship Fund appeal helping members of PBC who have lost their jobs or have had their working hours or take home pay severely reduced. A member of our church has generously offered to double anything that we raise through this appeal during this month. 

Here are the Fellowship Fund bank details:
Bank: Yorkshire Bank 
Sort Code: 05-09-33
Account: 42966769

If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be.
Deuteromony 15:7-8


Let’s start now! 
 

Watch Matthew West, “Do Something” - CLICK HERE

A Christian Aid Prayer

Loving God, you make us in your image.
Forgive us when we fail to see your image in each other,
when we give in to greed and indifference
when we do not question the systems that are life-denying.
As we are made in your image,
let us live in your image
and be Christ-like
in service, endurance and love.
Amen

Songs

Tim Hughes - God Of Justice - CLICK HERE

All to Jesus I Surrender https://youtu.be/7x2IpLSfqp8

Day 65

THIN SPACE

Confession
Prayer Hour this week is all about confession.
Each day at 12 midday, we’re going to be seeking God’s forgiveness for huge areas in our lives and in our communities where we have discriminated, where we have abused, where we have shown prejudice.

Today we’re dealing with the sin of Ageism (towards the young)

Ageism is defined as discrimination or unfair treatment based on a person's age. This can happen with all ages but today we are going to focus on the young. Discrimination towards young people is sadly a common occurrence in our world. Whether its prior judgement in a place of work, a view that they be unable to take on a task due to levels of maturity, or to categorize youngsters into a rebellious box. Our perspective and treatment towards young people is of great importance. Are we speaking, acting towards, and viewing this important social class in a none prejudice way and how God wants us to?


Some scripture on this subject

We are not meant to despise anyone for their Youth.
1 Timothy 4:12

Remind the youth to look to the Creator.
Ecclesiastes 12:1

How David was seen by Goliath because of his age.
1 Samuel 17:42-54

When Naaman was covered in leprosy he listened to a young servant girl.
2 Kings 5
 

Today we will be looking at how every young person is unique, has a future, and is loved by God. We can be a pivotable part in how others view them and how they view themselves. The way we guide, instruct, and listen to the young people around us must be done in a right manner, centred around humility and love.

Let’s pray together

  • For forgiveness – The times we have acted and thought discriminately towards our youngsters

  • For healing – For young people that have been damaged, taken advantage of, and seen to be less than they are

  • For change – That we see a change in our culture, churches, and attitudes towards those who are younger than us

  • For revival – That throw the shakeup of this year there will be a massive change and many young people will come to Christ

  

Worship

Jesus at the centre of it all – Darlene Zschech - CLICK HERE

Rescuer (Good News) – Rend Collective - CLICK HERE

Reckless love – Israel Houghton - CLICK HERE

Day 64

THIN SPACE

Confession
Prayer Hour this week is all about confession.
Each day at 12 midday, we’re going to be seeking God’s forgiveness for huge areas in our lives and in our communities where we have discriminated, where we have abused, where we have shown prejudice.

Today we’re dealing with the sin of how we have treated people with disabilities.

Ableism is discrimination and social prejudice against people with disabilities or who are perceived to have a disability. Ableism characterizes persons as defined by their disabilities and as inferior to the non-disabled. 

Have a read of this web page to gain a little bit more knowledge about some of the most common disabilities such as: Learning Disabilities, Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, ADHD/ ADD, Down’s Syndrome, Fragile X Syndrome and Global Delay Development.  
CLICK HERE

Two of the most common disabilities are Learning Disabilities and Autism. 

In the UK there are around 1.5 million people who have a Learning Disability, 350,000 with a severe LD. People with LD’s can face challenges with communication, understanding new information, living independently and completing task such as shopping, cooking, using public transport, securing paid work, managing money, etc.  

In the UK there are around 700,000 people who are on the Autistic Spectrum. Autism is a spectrum as it affects people in different ways. People with Autism may struggle to understand other people’s tone of voice, sarcasm and jokes, abstract concepts, facial expressions, verbal and non-verbal communication, etc. People with Autism may struggle to form friendships and relationships.

Autism is sometimes described as a different ability. 

We believe that all people are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27), are loved by God (John 3:16) and are welcome in God’s house/ family. (1 John 3:1).  

Genesis 1:26-27. Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”  So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

John 3:16. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
1 John 3:1. See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.)

We see Jesus breaking social boundaries in order to meet with people from all back-grounds to bless them, heal them and care for them. We see one example of this in Luke 5. 

Luke 5:12-13  While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.


This man went where he wasn’t supposed to go, into the town where there were people. Jesus did what he wasn’t supposed to do- touch the man and bring healing. 

But as society and as God’s Church we have sometimes not treated people with disabilities in the same way Jesus did. 
 

- Around the world, people with disabilities are more likely to be poor, live inadequate housing, with unsafe water, sanitation and work conditions. 

- Around the world, 32 million children don’t go to school because they have a disability.

- Around the world, many people with disabilities can not get the healthcare they need. 

- People with disabilities are more likely to be unemployed. 

- People with disabilities who are employed are likely to be paid less.

- People with disabilities are often not able to access public spaces due to physical barriers and often cannot participate in political decision-making.

- Women and children who have disabilities are more vulnerable to domestic abuse and sexual violence. 

- Foetuses who are discovered to have Down’s Syndrome are more likely to be aborted. 

  1. Educate ourselves more about different types of disability

  2. Repent of those times when we have shown prejudice against people with disabilities.

  3. Pray that as the Church we will be welcoming, inclusive and a blessing to people with disabilities. 

  4. Open our hearts/ minds to learn from people with disabilities and acknowledge that they have something valuable to contribute. 

Think practically about how we can make ‘church’ more accessible for people with disabilities to access Sunday services, Life Groups, Alpha Courses, receive prayer and discipleship, etc. 

Day 63

THIN SPACE

Confession
Prayer Hour this week is all about confession.
Each day at 12 midday, we’re going to be seeking God’s forgiveness for huge areas in our lives and in our communities where we have discriminated, where we have abused, where we have shown prejudice.

Today we’re dealing with the sin of Ageism (towards the elderly)

Ageism is defined as discrimination or unfair treatment based on a persons age. This can happen with all ages but today we are going to focus on the elderly. In the UK there is a law called the Equality Act that protects many people from discrimination, whether that is direct, indirect, harassment or victimisation, however many people particularly the elderly, experience this regularly.  

Examples of Ageism 

  • Loosing a job because of your age

  • Being refused insurance or a credit card based on your age 

  • Receiving a lower quality service (i.e in shops or restaurants) 

  • Being refused a referral from a Doctor based on your age

  • Being refused membership to a club 

  • The media representing the elderly in a bad light 

What does the bible say?

God doesn't have favourites
(Romans 2:11)

Grey hair is a crown of splendour; it is attained in the way of righteousness 
(Proverbs 16:31)

Treat older men and women as fathers and mothers
(1 Timothy 5:1–2)

Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord. 
(Leviticus 19:32)

To learn from a righteous elderly person is an honour and a privilege. Ageism may be increasing in our culture as beauty, youth, and worldliness are prized, but we can fight against it and stand as an example through our own respect and care for people of any age.

It is time pray

  • For forgiveness - The times we may have played our part directly or indirectly 

  • For Healing - For those who are damaged by being treated differently due to their age 

  • For Change - That we see a change in our culture, churches and attitudes towards those who are older than us

Worship 

Lord I Come To You - CLICK HERE 

Day 62

THIN SPACE

Confession
Prayer Hour this week is all about confession.
Each day at 12 midday, we’re going to be seeking God’s forgiveness for huge areas in our lives and in our communities where we have discriminated, where we have abused, where we have shown prejudice.

Today we’re dealing with the sin of sexism.

All One…
God does not show favouritism (Acts 10:34)
There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28)
 
And Yet…

  • 33,000 girls become child brides every day

  • Only 6 countries give women equal legal work rights as men

  • For every female film character, there are 2.24 men

  • Women with full-time jobs still earn only about 77 percent of their male counterparts' earnings. 

  • 4 out of 5 victims of human trafficking are girls.

  • Female genital mutilation (FGM) affects more than 200 million girls and women alive today in 30 countries. It is recognized internationally as a human rights violation

  • Around the world, only 32 percent of all national parliamentarians are female


Our Example:

Jesus defied the cultural norms toward women, constantly. Jesus violated the traditions of his time in every single encounter with women recorded in the four Gospels.
 

Holy Spirit please help us to violate the social norms and traditions of our time. Give us boldness to speak loudly in both word and action for equality in our work-places, homes, and schools. 

Teach us how to love like Jesus loves. 

Effects of sexism - CLICK HERE

Worship
You Say - CLICK HERE
Here As In Heaven - CLICK HERE