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BY JUDY SMITH, CAPTAIN –
Two corps in the Western Territory–San Jose Temple and Pasadena Tabernacle–began their 24-7/SA journeys even before the Prayer Initiative was officially announced through New Frontier. Each has testified to the power of prayer and to the transformation that comes about from dedicating lives and time to God!
God’s timing was understood when Envoys Roberto and Maria Garcia, San Jose Temple Corps, received their latest issue of New Frontier and read about 24-7/SA Prayer Initiative. They had recently decided to set up an ongoing prayer effort for the corps based on their positive experience during the Territorial Call To Prayer in September 2001. Excitement was generated when Envoy Maria related to her husband Roberto, that even the name they had chosen for their prayer effort (24-7) was the same. All of this gave them a strong sense of God’s confirmation that they were moving in the right direction.
Envoy Roberto wasn’t interested in just seven days of prayer, however–he wanted to proceed in their prayer effort for many weeks. Maria reports that in their second week of prayer, more and more soldiers/corps friends are joining in the effort, adding their names to the 24-7/SA schedule of prayers.
Tangible results are evident from their 24-7/SA Prayer Initiative: responses at the altar; people returning to the corps; and converts meeting the Lord for the first time. The corps is rejoicing in the power of prayer which has already resulted in ‘tremendous changes,’ both personal and corporate.
There is definitely a ‘fresh wind, fresh fire’ blowing through the San Jose Temple Corps and all agree that it is to the glory of God that his power and spirit are being felt, due to the continual prayer commitment made by the Envoys and their soldiery!
Pasadena Tabernacle Corps soldier Andrew Barton learned of 24-7/SA Prayer Initiative following a holiday in England. [Then]Corps Officers Captains Ed and Joyce Loomis, as well as soldiers and friends of the Tab quickly picked up his keen interest in this prayer project.
The 24-7/SA prayer date was selected and plans were initiated for the prayer room, which was slated for the corps’ fireside room. Then, much to their surprise, a letter was received from the divisional commander’s office indicating that the territorial commander, Commissioner David Edwards, was calling the territory to prayer. The amazing detail was that they had both selected the same date for their event–praise God for his timing! Pasadena’s resolve to keep the date the TC had selected became even clearer with the events of the 9-11 attacks.
Tab’s 24-7/SA began with the Friday night IMPACT meeting and continued throughout the Sunday morning Holiness meeting. Forty people participated by praying continually for 40 hours.
The fireside room was transformed into the prayer room. Participants were encouraged to pray through a variety of means and methods: graffiti wall; praise wall; prayers for the nation and world, signified with a map of the world; play-dough center; and an art wall. A booklet was given to each participant that helped identify areas of concerns needing prayer. Three people picked up the mantle to maintain the prayer room and other significant locations around the corps building throughout the 40 hours.
In addition to organizing the prayer room, the songster and band rooms were open for prayer. One Sunday school classroom was opened, with a visual display of the names of all Sunday school members, to encourage specific prayers on their behalf. In the chapel, the platform was cleared and a wooden cross was placed in the center. Various prayer requests, gathered from previous holiness services, were placed randomly on the floor around the cross. As prayers were lifted up to the Father’s throne of grace, they were nailed to the cross in a symbolic gesture of giving them to God.
A small group of young adults took their prayers to the streets with three prayer walks on Saturday and Sunday. God was definitely honored and lives were changed through the dedicated prayers of the Pasadena Tabernacle Corps.