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by Sybil Smith, Captain –
Summer has ended, children are back in school, and already our thoughts are turning to those silver bells that ring, even in our dreams, at Christmastime.
With all the familiarity, what will make this year (September to August) stand out from previous ones? Will it be one or more new programs, an increase in numbers, new leadership, increased attendance at divisional and/or territorial events.
What will it be?
Moving into the new school year, I’m not necessarily looking at our programs or numbers, but at each individual who makes up our precious corps body. Last year we had a prayer room for one week of 24/7 prayer. For some of the corps folks, as well as a few Silvercrest residents, the prayer time was a blessing. One went in looking to pray for others and left with a message just for her. Another person entered wondering what good it would do. The Holy Spirit spoke to her need and she received an answer to a prayer concerning a loved one.
When the prayer room had to once again become our Sunday school classroom, we were disheartened. There was no place to put a permanent prayer room.
We saw what God had done for those who took time to visit this space completely set aside for prayer. We began asking the Lord to show us where we could put another prayer room—a permanent one. God chose a small upstairs room resembling a walk-in closet, but with three small windows along the wall facing the sanctuary. This small room had served many purposes, most recently as a storage closet. After some months of preparation, the room was ready for its new position as the official Prayer Room. We dedicated it during a recent Sunday service.
I don’t know what this new season will hold. My deep desire is that within my life and those of our corps members, change will take place as we spend some one on one time with God in our little prayer room—a space dedicated only for prayer to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ—prayer in adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication, and the prayer of just being still and listening for God to ever so gently or ever so profoundly speak.
Whatever this year brings, the best thing to look forward to is what God will do to draw his people closer to him as we fall on our knees and come together through prayer.
1 Thessalonians 5:17: “Pray without ceasing.”