Linger in the Presence of God

Written by James Shafto

For the first time in my life, I spent an hour with God… alone. I was 14 years old, and I woke early to climb the hill near the village where my parents’ summer mission team ministered in Northern Ghana. I remember watching the sun rise as I pulled my Bible and leather journal from my Jansport backpack. In the past, I’d felt the spirit moving through the music of worship or a sermon at a youth conference, but here, for the first time, God met me one to one. I longed to linger in the LORD’s presence like Joshua, who did not leave the tabernacle, even after Moses had returned to camp. Like with Elijah, He whispered in the breeze, which rustled the leaves of the tree I leaned against. No words were spoken, yet I was awe struck that Jesus would come to me, and speak truths to me as I sat in nature and read my Bible.

I’d like to say my lingering impulse stuck around; it did not. I have tasted the delicacies of the Lord’s table, yet still I find myself grasping after the corn-syrupy slop of the world. Most mornings, I choose to wake up late and say a hasty prayer over my meal. With luck, I cram Lectio 365 or the Bible Recap with Tara Leigh Cobble into my 10-minute commute. Often I forget both. Mid-morning, my phone reminds me that screen time for Chrome, has more than doubled my spiritual efforts for the day. I beg the Lord to increase my faithfulness, making me a man of prayer and humility, “worthy of the calling I’ve received.”

Enter “24-7 Prayer,” an organization which champions Mission, Justice and Faithfulness, through facilitating 24-7 prayer rooms across the globe. Such prayer rooms provide a space to reset my heart and reorient towards intimacy with Jesus. They capture the heart of Lent in a single room, inviting us to turn our eyes to the cross. Furthermore, 24-7 has picked up the baton of 100 years of non-stop prayer, which fueled the Moravian Missionary Movement in the 1700s.

In October, some Waypoint members attended the 24-7 USA conference, and we decided we want to join their work of global, non-stop prayer. At the start of Lent, Waypoint will open our own 4-day prayer room, and take our stand as “watchmen on the walls”.

The room is a creative space designed to allow us to meet with Jesus and transform our hearts towards his mission. There will be creative stations for poetry, music and art, along with guided reflections and a wall for capturing the prayers of the people. You can sign up as an individual, or with a friend, spouse, or even come in as a whole community group.

If the idea of sixty minutes of prayer feels daunting, I’m with you! But I’ve heard the testimonies of the folks who began this movement. They talked about how the creative stations do the work of drawing us into the presence of God, and how often one hour feels like ten minutes.

The Ancient Celts used the phrase “thin places” to describe locations where the veil between heaven and earth becomes so fine that prayer flows easily. We hope Waypoint’s Prayer room can be that kind of place for you. I am eager to meet with God here, and I hope you will join me!

To find out more, check out the 24-7 prayer website.

Sign up for a slot here.