On Tuesday morning the leaders of Kristent Fellesskap in Bergen area come together to seek the Lord and to enjoy fellowship as we have breakfast together. Solveig rises early morning at 0500 to prepare the breakfast for the brothers and friends praying together. We have a wonderful time praying together, but the time of fellowship as we enjoy the delicious breakfast only Solveig can make, is even more precious to us. The brothers always give praise to God for Solveig, they really appreciate her - and her breakfast!
Tuesday and Wednesday mornings are times of prayer and fellowship. This week I have been able to enjoy both of them. I really enjoy coming together with brother and friends for prayer. I will try to explain why it is such a wonderful time for me when I am able to be part of these two special prayer meetings!
This combination of praying and eating together is a powerful experience for all of us. Normally we are twelve to fifteen people that meet at 0600 in the morning. We give shorts reports from our work and ouir walk with the Lord, we share some "hot" Scriptures, and then we enter the courts of heaven with praise and thanksgiving. Sometimes we are totally lost in the presence of God and we just love him. Sometimes the Spirit leads us in deep intercession. Sometimes the Spirit direct us to pray for specific situations or people. Sometimes we just give thanks for family and friends and the network of covenant communities we are part of. Sometimes we pray for the city, the political leaders and those in the market place. Sometimes we pray for the churches and sometimes we mainly pray for world mission. Irrespectively of how the Spirit directs us in prayer, it is always good to pray together.
When we share the meal together we joke and laugh and have a lot of fun. Sometimes we can have a hot discussion. Sometimes we have a deep theological dialog. Sometime we ask for advice, sometimes we give advice. Sometimes we just chat and enjoy one another's company - with the food. Always there is a lot of joy at the table! Always we eat in the presence of God. Always the meal lasts a long time! Only as the duties are calling us to work we leave.
The Wednesday morning prayer meeting is a gathering of about twelve to fifteen pastors and Christian leaders from many different congregations in the city coming together to seek the welfare of the city through praying and blessing the entire city. Some of us try to come early and leave late to be able to have some fellowship as well in addition to praying together. Since we have been praying regularly together this way for several years, many of us have developed a close friendship as well. Actually we don't meet as pastors or colleagues any more, we come together to pray as friends!
I always enjoy praying together with my friends. There is something special in entering the presence of God together with your friends. It helps me to forget about myself and the work I am doing. It helps me to appreciate that the Church of God is bigger than the congregation I meet with on a Sunday morning. It helps me to understand that what we normally call a local church, acctually is not a local church in the real Biblical sense, but only a modern time congregation that is having a meeting, - a service. Even the leaders I meet with do not represent the local church of Bergen, - only a part of it.
So I realize that our special prayer meetings actually are more than prayer meetings. That is why I value them so highly!
Visit my websites:
http://erling.typepad.com/somebody
http://erling.typepad.com/norsk