Pray For Scotland

"THE BIG IF"

‘The Big IF’………Transforming our nation together  –  through prayer.
 On 17 September and 10 December 2009 over 80 leaders of churches and ministries from all over Scotland met to consider ‘The Big IF….’   (2 Chron. 7:14). 
The meetings were jointly hosted by the Directors of Pray for Scotland, Alpha, Evangelical Alliance and CARE for Scotland, who came together in a personal response to a call for prayer for the nation from one of Scotland’s leading businessmen. The purpose of the meetings was not to present a grand ‘master plan’ but to present a heart-felt vision for prayer and to seek God, through the responses of those present, as to whether this was indeed ‘of Him’ or just another ‘good idea’.
 
Pete Grieg, who has been used by God to found the international 24/7 prayer movement and who now also heads prayer and intercession for all Alpha courses, spoke at both meetings on developing intimacy with God and ‘Can a nation be changed?’  His talks are available from:   www.thetalkofscotland.org/thebigif
It was recognised that there is already a ‘rising tide’ of prayer all over the country – but much more is needed.  Leaders were encouraged, and challenged, to increase their own intimacy with God, and from that place to lead their people into a deeper relationship with Him.  There was an exciting and encouraging degree of unity across denominations and between church leaders and leaders of ministries.
The consensus was that this was God’s timing for the nation, but the response had in the main to be ‘bottom-up’ rather than ‘top-down’, i.e. the Christians in each community, village, town and city should work out locally how best they could participate.  It was felt that a key factor would be the ‘coming together’ from time to time of folk from different church backgrounds to pray for their areas and the nation.
Those present were invited to take what they had heard back to their churches, colleagues, ministries and begin to work out what it could mean for them in their communities.  There were also some specific suggestions that received general support:
 
Synchronise your watches!
Set your watch or mobile phone alarm for 12 noon daily, or in some other way remind yourself, and as near to 12 noon as you can, stop what you are doing for a couple of minutes and pray the Lord’s Prayer.  Please pass this on to all your church and contacts.  This is a simple but powerful way we can connect throughout the nation.  Can you imagine the effect if all over the nation around the same time each day thousands of us are joined in the same prayer, petitioning the Throne Room of heaven with –  ‘Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven’!!!
 
Pray for Scotland have set up a Facebook page so folk can sign up for this and in the first 3 days around 200 have joined up here: PfS Facebook page.

24/7 prayer for the nation throughout 2010
Pete Greig mentioned this idea at the second meeting and there was an immediate positive response from several ministers/pastors present.  The idea is that churches ‘sign up’ for 1 day, several days or a week of prayer – 24 hours each day in 1 hour slots – covering the whole of 2010.
 The first 2 weeks in January are already filled, as are other weeks throughout the year but it would be great if more than 1 church was praying each week (or parts of a week).  A dedicated webpage has been set up where you can sign up your church, your prayer group, for your chosen dates here:  scotlandprayer2010
 
 St Andrew’s Day – 30 November 2010
This will be the second national focus for prayer.  We will keep you advised as ideas and plans progress.
 
 It is not our intention to set up yet another ‘organisation’ to co-ordinate this initiative.  There will be news and publicity sent out through our networks from time to time but the primary goal is for the local church to mobilise in prayer however, wherever and whenever it suits each congregation, fellowship or group  – knowing that wherever they are and whatever you are doing you are part of a national prayer momentum developing throughout 2010 and beyond!

Our God is faithful!  And prayer changes things!  So may we all take this opportunity to make 2010 a year of prayer for this nation!
If you have any thoughts, suggestions, comments on any of the above, please email us at:  admin@prayforscotland.org.uk

Leaders:
Jean Black – Pray for Scotland, Paul Davie – Alpha Scotland, Fred Drummond – Evangelical Alliance,  Bill Baird – Care for Scotland,

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