“Only a Prayer Meeting…”

It was Charles Spurgeon who said that some “wickedly” described the church’s midweek meeting as “only a prayer meeting.”

London Director Trevor Archer wanted to ensure that FIEC's first leaders’ gathering in the capital in 2020 was devoted to prayer. So, last week more than 70 London pastors gathered to pray at Globe Space, home of The Globe Church.

The time together started with Luke 3:21-23, looking at the way Jesus prayed at his baptism. Associate National Director Johnny Prime spoke from the passage. He said:

“We considered how we pray because Jesus prayed, with willing submission and confident dependence. This was followed by a heart-warming time of open prayer. We prayed in two parts, beginning by praying in response to God's word, before focusing our minds to pray for the spread of the gospel across London.

“Joining together like this might seem strange to a godless world, but for those who belong to Jesus, praying together is the most normal thing to do.”

Food was enjoyed, courtesy of Linda Allcock of the Globe, allowing time for catching up and making connections. News was then shared of church plants and opportunities across London, followed by prayer around tables for local churches, various gospel partners and unreached parts of London. Johnny added:

“To hear of baptisms always thrills the heart. To hear of challenges and heartaches is a prompt to prayer.”

For Trevor Archer, this was a great opportunity to gather the London leaders’ and start 2020 with the right tone. He said:

“There are plenty of conferences in the course of a year where we can meet one another and talk together. But there are very few where we simply pray. So, the aim of this first FIEC London Gathering of 2020 was to redress that balance.

“To see and hear London pastors praying passionately – not simply for their own situations but more especially for the lost in London – was both moving and heartening. As several said to me on the night: ‘we need to do this more often’.”