Clothed v Nakedness.

“Cloth us Lord with your power!” This is my prayer at the moment.

Have you ever had the guts to walk around in public absolutely stark naked? You'll be pleased to know that I haven't – not yet anyway, at least not since I was a little boy. I felt God give me a picture in which I was walking around naked whilst doing our our work at night. Now I know that's an awful thought, yet bear with me. However strange a picture that might be - it wouldn't actually be that weird to see here on the streets of San An; indeed, one is exposed to nakedness on a daily - or in our case nightly - basis.

I felt God was revealing – excuse the pun – something to me. Quite often I just get on and do the work at night without relying on God's power. I know I can do this work, and do it well, yet most of the time I feel comfortable. Am I willing to feel uncomfortable for God? Will I take some risks and dare to look silly? Will I keep safe this summer or get more dangerous? Am I willing to look like a fool?

Yes to all of those questions - but i need God's Spirit to give me the ability to move in power. I'm hungry for it.

Stepping out in Faith

So last night (Monday 21st), I came across a guy on a crutch who had a cast on his foot. It was quite a big cast. I told him, in faith, that God could easily heal his problem, and his friend promised me that if God did heal him, he would 'dedicate' his life to God and become a priest. Suddenly the stakes were raised...I got them to sit down, his friends had front row seats, eager to see God do something, and I prayed.

I told him to get up and walk around....but if I'm being honest, I harboured doubt, unbelief and I lacked faith. He said it felt slightly better when he got up, and after offering some more prayer, he said that he had torn ligaments – as if God couldn't really heal that. I had to suppress my rage at the thought that God isn't able nor bigger than torn ligaments, but I said nothing. It wasn't his fault.

Every time I come across someone with a break, I will endeavour to pray and ask God to reveal his power. I know God is good and His kingdom can break in.

Come Lord.

God is doing some awesome work!

God really is on the move.

Just not sure how to actually articulate what I feel is happening here in San Antonio. Just last week a girl on our team got chatting to a holiday maker who was extremely burdened and after sharing her testimony, this guy wanted to know Jesus himself, so she led him in a prayer and he said he felt 'light.' How awesome is that?

This all happened whilst we were praying that those out on the streets would get the chance to pray for someone for freedom and to help them break free from their problems. There seemed such a strong connection to what we were praying and what was happening out on the streets.

I really love it when these prayers seem to hit the bullseye so clearly and quickly.

When I came back into the Prayer room and heard the exciting news that someone had decided to accept what Jesus had done, I was totally overjoyed. I think Dan (from the American team) summed up what I was feeling the next day by saying just how much God used all of us in what happened and it wasn't just one person, and I hope that isn't taking anything away from the girl who stepped out in faith and obedience – as that was a key step. But feeling like you've played a part in that happening is so exciting!

Prayer Team 2010

OH MY LIFE!!!!!

We've had the Prayer team out here with us until Saturday, and they were AMAZING! 5 of them are currently undertaking TRANSIT, a year-out with 24-7 Prayer, doing training and living in community and learning about the Bible and Christianity. The other person (Casey) has been to Ibiza on a prayer team 3 times before, so it's great to have her back again.

On Tuesday night we spent 6 hours in prayer and worship, having signed up to 24-7 'Prayer for Europe'. During the evening, we spent time worshipping God and lifting up Jesus and then we gathered together to pray for the nations of Europe that were on the list that week; Ukraine and Iceland respectively. I invited several people from the Anglican church and around 8 or so people turned up which was ace! They joined us for an hour in prayer for our Island of Ibiza and we were all very encouraged. This prayer for Ibiza will take place once a fortnight and I am well excited at the thought that every fortnight we'll be gathering in our Centre to pray for Ibiza.

On Wednesday we spent some time with Roy and Catherine Dixon on their land, praying over their vision to dedicate their land to God for His work. They bought the land many years ago with the hope to build on it, but the guy who sold it stitched them up and the planning permission they thought they had was a complete lie. We all went up to the land – which is beautiful – and prayed with them and asked God to bless them and the land and dedicate it to the Lord.

On Thursday we walked along the coast at Cala Comte (gorgeous beach) up to the watch tower there. We then clambered across the rocks and sat at the very tip and looked towards San Antonio. From there we prayed for San An. It was a special moment, and we read Isaiah 62 once again. This chapter of scripture has just been such a key part of this week, giving us an idea of God's heart for his world.

Prayer for Europe

Have you seen the move to pray for Europe by 24-7 Prayer? It looks like that the focus is back on this awesome continent with fresh vigour and us guys in Spain want to get involved.

We've got our Prayer team here in the last week of April and we're hoping to kick off the summer with some focused prayer. It'll be great having a team of up-for-it volunteers helping and aiding us in praying.

We'll be praying for San Antonio - for all the people that we know who live and work in this great place; for God to visit people and reveal himself; for God's power to be shown; for strength and courage for all of us living and working out here. We'll also be praying for the nation of Spain too.

We've signed up for a slot on Tuesday 27th. Sign up here If you've got the heart and the time to help us pray, then do get involved and contact one of us.

An Empty Prayer Wall

Our Prayer Wall: EMPTY!

But think of this: In a matter of weeks, we'll have our first few prayers up there, written by random strangers, tourists and workers alike. By October of this year the Wall will be full of prayer requests and there'll be no room for us to put any more prayers up. What a great problem to have? We've got the Prayer team arriving in about 3 weeks and i hope that this wall gets covered in prayers and words that scripture that lays a really strong foundation for the summer ahead.

We've already had some prayers via our new website, but we won't be putting them up here as they're slightly more private. We will also continue to enable people to pop their prayers in bottles in the prayer room so that no one else can read their private message to God.

Elderly Prayers

I've been wondering recently at why it seems, in my opinion, that all the really amazing prayer warriors are the elderly? How many times have you heard it said...'Old people are amazing at praying, really faithful. They have all the time in the world to pray, so let's get them on board.'

I've heard that many times, and sad to say that i've used that line myself too during the run up to some important work or event.

But i wonder what we can learn from the older, more wiser generation of prayer warriors? What drives them? What motivates them? Does prayer become easier as you get older? Are they answered quicker?

I just sense the call to prayer even deeper...I think i'd like to 'get on it' in prayer NOW, rather than when i'm 70!

Who will answer the Call to prayer?

Am hearing the Call to prayer ring in my ears...like I've never heard before. But it's a call to be part of an army; a military call. At least that is what i am hearing.

Your country DOES need you...and it needs you to pray like you've never prayed before!

I read this quote about the definition of the task of priestly intercession (from The Prophetic Intercessor by James W. Goll) and it's based from Isaiah 62:6-7

"An intercessor is one who reminds the Lord of promises and appointments not yet fulfilled."

"On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen; all day and all night they will never keep silent. You who remind the Lord, take no rest for yourselves; and give Him no rest until He establishes and makes Jerusalem praise in the earth."

Isn't that amazing? We're to be God's secretary, reminding God to fulfil His Word to us. Wow! Are you hearing His call to prayer? For your country or for another country?

PRAY PRAY PRAY

About a month ago, Brian (our 24-7 Ibiza leader) got stopped by the police in our 24-7 Ibiza van one night and was accused of being an illegal taxi. This was not good, as for one, we're so not a taxi service, even though we do take back drunks to their hotel, and two, it's a €6000 fine.

Jog on!

Brian and Tracy have been going to the Spanish authorities and also the British consulate, but have been met with no success. It looks like we (24-7 Ibiza) will have to pay this fine.

I'm not having that! This is just not acceptable. It's not fair, as we're not a taxi service that takes money - it's a free service - everyone knows this. We do it because we're being kind and offering a service that no one else does. It's a massive blow to everything we do and all that we stand for. We need to sort this as if we pay, we're owning up to being illegal and it could jeopardise our future work.

So - I'm asking if you could stand with us and pray about this pressing issue. We need a breakthrough, and we need the authorities to do a 180 degree about turn. This can only be done if we pray, pray and pray. Thanks.

Prayer Muscles

I want to grow bigger muscles. Spiritual muscles that is, as i have pretty decent guns already, as you must have already noticed ;-)

I was at the 24-7 conference recently, and this guy talked about us growing bigger muscles in certain areas of our lives. A verse that someone read out that instantly struck a chord with me is in Psalm 18:34 'He trains my hands for battle, my arms can bend a bow of bronze.' I really do want to enter into a new season of being trained in prayer, to do battle, to be stronger and fiercer and surer.

Alot of what i do for my work involves praying, so it seems right to learn and develop and grow in this very area. I'm quite excited.

The Prayer Wall

Here are some photos of loads of prayers in our Prayer room at the Centre. As you can see, the prayer wall is full of prayers written by workers and holiday makers alike. We have the wall split into sections; prayers for health and protection; for family and friends; for work and finance; direction and future and for everything else.

Whenever we are out and about on the streets and we take a prayer request from someone, we immediately pray for it before putting it up on the wall. It's great to see the wall so full. Quite often workers pop their heads in and read all the prayers and sometime end up writing one themselves. I can't tell you how great it is to see people connect to God in this simple way. Awesome!

The Highest and The Greatest

I love this song by Tim Hughes, and I'm learning it - hoping that i won't kill it - which i usually do to decent songs! The lyrics are awesome and i think they are totally appropriate to the place that I work in. Young people from all nations gather here in Ibiza to worship, and it'd be amazing to see people lifting up the name of Jesus. It's an amazing cry to all the nations to bow down to God. I do hope that one day people here in Ibiza will cry to God 'You are the greatest'.

Verse 1
Wake ev'ry heart and ev'ry tongue
To sing the new eternal song
And crown Him King of Glory now
Confess Him Lord of all

Chorus
You are the highest
You are the greatest
You are the Lord of all
Angels will worship
Nations will bow down
To the Lord of all

Verse 2

A day will come when all will sing
And glorify our matchless King
Your Name unrivaled stands alone
You are the Lord of all

Oh let ev'ry heart
Let ev'ry tongue
Sing of Your Name
Sing of Your Name
Let ev'ry heart
Let ev'ry tongue
Sing sing sing

Lifting you high, higher and higher

Final Team

At present we have 5 people here who make up our 7th and final summer mission team. Cue the cheesy, emotional music and the tears in the eyes. I can't quite believe that the final team is here and going on Friday! Basically i don't want them to leave.

This team have been flipping great! I told them that last night, but they think i say it to all the teams. I kind of do...but this team are great, and one reason i told them that is because they danced for nearly 8 hours in Space last night - good effort troops!

But the other reason i told them that they're great is that i feel that we've hit a level of intimacy and worship in our prayer room that we've not had all summer. If you've been out on a team and are reading this, it's because of you and all the prayers you've sown - so you can give yourself a pat on the back and take a 'well done' from me for good measure!

Just to give you a fuller picture of what i do, before we begin our streetwork at night we gather together (around 11:30pm) to pray and sing and read scripture - basically breath God in. The prayer and worship times have been on another level! Another level i say again with a shout! It's like God's presence is being poured out in a new way and we're worshipping God with new voices. It's unreal! But you know what's even better? We don't stay in our prayer room - we go out and breath God out, and his presence spills out to the people we talk to and help. I got to pray at least 3 times last week for complete random strangers about various things. It's so exciting!

Tonight I'm supposed to be on a night off, but sack that - I'm getting on it in prayer and am looking forward to seeing people touched by God's presence!

Breathing!

The last few nights out on the streets has been so exciting. Every time that i go out, there are opportunities to witness, to share God's love and to pray for people. But this all happens because we get a chance to breathe God in and to be filled up in our prayer room.

Last week some holiday makers that i met and prayed for last summer came back for 2 weeks of Ibiza madness, and it's been great to have them around. They are our biggest fans, and each night we've bumped into them drinking at their favourite bar, they've written prayer requests for themselves and for their loved ones.

One of them even wanted to pray for us whilst out on the street, so we all got in a huddle and he prayed protection over us. It was a genuine and heartfelt prayer that rocked! We all met up with them and had a drink to say good bye before they got their flight. They'll be missed, and i hope to see them again.

The Prayer Team

I cannot believe that the summer madness is about to begin here in Ibiza. I don't feel well prepared nor equipped for anything that lies ahead, so it's with a huge sigh of relief that we have a Prayer team here for 6 days to help us get ready.

I feel that i have 1001 things to do still and we open our Centre this coming Monday, and on top of being behind, I don't feel mentally nor spiritually prepared.

Yet having these fantastic people here to pray and work has been such a huge blessing for me. They've been an immense team, and have already made an impact that i believe will last for a much longer time than they can imagine. Not only have they physically worked up on the farm, but have also shared their prayers and thoughts and words of encouragement with us.

Having them around has brought strength of purpose and encouragement to me and i think i can now put the key in the ignition and start the engine!

God's answer to prayer

Over the last 6 weeks i have been praying alot about finding a solution to our housing situation. As many of you know, Helen and i live together in a rented house, which we began in April of last year. You might also have heard of our 'Finca' that we're moving into this Wednesday 14th January. If not, where have you been?

The 4 of us signed the contract to the 'Finca' at the start of December knowing that there was a level of risk to our commitment, namely the fact that Helen and i were signed up for a whole year on our current location. I suppose it was our step of faith! The risk for me meant moving into a new place with new rent and still honouring the contract to my old house. This would have been totally impossible.

But today i received the best news! Someone is going to be moving into mine and Helen's house and wants to be in THIS Thursday (15th January)! Talk about perfect timing!?! I mean, there have been times that i've been very stressed and worried about this situation - but once again i've been humbly reminded that God is my provider and knows the right time to remind me of that! I'm so happy and so thankful. I have no words right now of just how thankful i am for God's provision.

'Give us today our daily bread'

It's both tough and exciting living by faith...however, I'm still trying to work it out. How does one live by faith? I think it means believing and trusting in God and His Word that He provides for us in every way. The Bible says in the book of Hebrews that 'Faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see.'

This Wednesday I'm gathering all my friends together to share all the great stories of the summer. That's the main reason for the night, to allow people a glimpse into my roller-coaster life that living and working in Ibiza brings. I know that at some point in the evening I'm going to ask people to consider 'investing in me' (to use my friend Brian Heasley's words).

My house mate Helen and I need to raise a staggering €2600 to pay our landlord so as we can move to the farm. We're going to move anyway, but it means that we'll both have to pay 2 lots of rent each month. YIKES! As it is, i don't receive enough to get by at the moment...and you know what? - at present, I cannot 'see' where the money will come from, apart from God's amazing kindness. At times I'm most definitely NOT certain, yet today, i believe.

My prayer is 'God, please provide us with our daily bread.'

Anglican Retreat

On Saturday i went to a retreat down by the South coast at a place called Es Cubells. It was held at a Nun's Convent, housing Carmelite Sisters, and it was such a beautiful setting - right by the sea.

It was hosted by The Anglican Church here on the Island, which is led by a man called Bob. I have met him (and his lovely wife) many times over the years during my summer visits to the Island, but now that i live here, i am looking forward to getting to know him, and indeed his church members, much better.

The day was run by one of Bob's friends, also a minister in a church in Edinburgh, Scotland, and the theme of the day was centered on 'Treasure in jars of clay', a sentence direct from the Bible. It was an excellent day reminding me that human beings, although weak and fickle can contain such treasure just by knowing God through Jesus.

For me, the best part of the day was gaining a stronger connection to the wider Church on the Island, and meeting the many amazing people that have been living here for decades, all doing or having done such different and interesting things here with there lives. It always fascinates me meeting people that have moved to Ibiza to set up home. I am looking forward to building relationships with alot of these people during my time here.