CR spoke with Beacon House of Prayer

Jonathan: There's a unifying factor in it too isn't there? A lot of people are coming from different churches from across the city; it's almost like prayer is becoming quite a focal point in the city through this.

Will: It is. You could think that that is a bit introspective and insular, but it's not because God never leads in a place of prayer without showing his heart for the world. There's always an outflow. Whether that outflow is Christians feeling more inspired in their workplace or whether it's literally praying for their friend or neighbour and seeing answers and we're certainly seeing answers. We're seeing people praying and finding that the friends have either found healing or found a job or reconciliation in a key situation of stress. Sometimes people come in saying week by week, well you prayed for this and this has happened in the news and I can see a direct answer of that, whether it's a situation in praying over Egypt; whether it's standing with the church in Egypt, or it's praying for the local merging of the A&E units in the city hospital. All of that you can see a correlation with our praying and what God is doing.

Jonathan: Now something that's fascinating about the Beacon Hose of Prayer is not just the prayer resource and hub that you are but some of these initiatives that come out of it; like you have a healing on the streets team and there's also a group that go into secondary schools. Please share a little bit about that because that is flowing out of this place of prayer.

Will: We feel that there's a prayer dimension of out flow which looks like healing and prayer in public places. This week it's that there's a worship event going on in a local secondary school that the team from the Beacon is running and that is just a wonderful opportunity to encourage young people to explore faith. There's some work in some primary schools. There's some work in a local hospital. Last year there was a whole area of work of prayer walking for the nation and believing that as nations hang in the balance that God wants to bring mercy and help to people. There's a whole issue of prayer that looks like something out in the streets, not just stuck in a building and praying.

Jonathan: One of the resources that you've produced to help people in praying throughout the year is something you call the Neighbourhood Prayer Guide. Can you describe that?

Will: It's developed by a lady called Rebecca Brettle. She's a great prayer lady and she has worked on this and we've adopted it. It's a simple daily prayer guide and it gives you ideas of what to pray for; your local community, business, politics and it gives you space to write names of people in need of prayer. It helps to get to know your neighbourhood better and to pray more informed.

Jonathan: Another thing that's coming up very soon is Preparing for His Glory. I know that this is very much something you feel is right for now. Can you explain why this is?

Will: About three months ago at the start of the year I felt as though God was encouraging us to have a three day get together prayer gathering. A lot of what we're doing is people just by themselves, but I felt that God wanted us to gather to pray and seek His face. The timing of it seemed to be right to do that at the beginning of May before the whole Olympic torch run, the Jubilee and everything else starts to break out in the nation. I felt that there was something that we were going to do that would maybe increase the pace of God's Kingdom coming in the nation; so we don't really know exactly what's going to happen during those three days. We're going to have very fluid times of worship, prayer and people discovering more of their own faith, but also inspiring each other as we seek God together.

Jonathan: The date of this gathering is the 6th - 9th of May. Who can come along?

Will: Anyone who's a local Christian who would like to come and feel free to join us in a morning session, afternoon, evening. It covers the bank holiday so people are off work and its come and go as you wish, but it's with a heart to say Lord we want to see more of you in this nation. If you've got a heart to see that and you want to join with other Christians that have got a similar heart then come and join us.

Jonathan: If people want to find out more what's the best way to get in touch?

Will: The best way is to email us if they want to at thebeaconhop@btconnect.com they can go on the website or phone us on 01782 827238 if they want to phone in for personal prayer. We welcome people to come and find us particularly during the daytime hours. We're certainly well staffed form ten o'clock 'til three o'clock, daytime hours, school time hours and also from seven until ten in the evening. Other times it's generally by appointment, but people are welcome to come, find it, explore the place; we'll show you around and hopefully you'll find you'll connect with God.

You can buy Lighting A Flame Of Prayer by Karen Porter, the story of the Beacon House of Prayer, for only £5 from Cross Rhythms Direct.