“My sheep listen to my voice, I know them, and they follow me.”
1 John 10:27
We have recently felt called by God to devote ourselves in prayer at this time. To GATHER together, to LISTEN to what the Lord has to say to us and to INTERCEDE to ask him to answer the big prayers that are on our heart.
So we are going to devote a whole 24 hours to prayer from 7am on Wednesday 10th September to 7am on Thursday 11th September and we would like to get our whole church family to devote some time in those 24 hours to come to church and pray. You can sign up to commit to an hour of prayer on the form below, or you can come to church at anytime during the day to pray. If you would like to come and pray overnight you will need to sign up in advance for security reasons.
Throughout the day there will be some specific gathered times of prayer where we will gather behind me in the chancel and we will have some Lectio style prayers and some musical worship times.
Gathered Prayer Times
There will be several optional times of gathered prayer in the chancel:
| 7:00am – 7:15am | Morning Lectio and dedication of 24 hours |
| 12:00pm – 12:10pm | Midday Lectio |
| 1:00pm – 1:30pm | Musical Worship and Prayer |
| 3:30pm – 4:30pm | Family Prayer Time (A great time for children!) |
| 6.30pm – 7.00pm | Youth led session – reflective prayer |
| 8:00pm – 9:00pm | Prayer At The Centre – in church |
| 9:00pm – 11:00pm | Musical Worship and Prayer |
| 12:00pm – 12:10pm | Midnight Evening Lectio |
| 6:45am – 7:00am | Morning Lectio and final prayers |
SIGN UP ON THIS FORM TO COMMIT TO PRAY!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are we hosting the 24 hours of prayer?
As we start the new academic year, we sense that the Lord is calling us to come together, to listen to what he wants to say to us as a church and as individuals. To dedicate ourselves to Him, for the year ahead. To pray for the World, our nation, Croydon, Emmanuel and ourselves.
The vision is that for the 24 hours from 7am on Wednesday until 7am on Thursday we will always have at least one person in church praying.
Where is 24 hours of prayer taking place?
It is in church. You can access via the door at the top of the stairs / mobility ramp. During some hours you will need to ring the office bell on the keypad.
Do I have to book to attend during the daytime hours?
No, you can just turn up and stay as long as you like. If you arrive between 7am and 10pm on Wednesday 10 September.
There is a booking form on Church Suite. This was to ensure that we had 24 hours of prayer cover. We do. So now you are welcome to just turn up, or you can book to make sure that you have the commitment firmly in your diary.
Do I have to book to attend during the evening?
Yes. For security, we need to know if you want to attend from 10pm on Wednesday 10th until 6am on Thursday 11th.
If you want to attend during these hours please book on church suite. You will then be sent the access instructions.
Is there a particular way that I will be asked to pray?
No! You are welcome to come and sit quietly and pray on your own. As you want.
However, there will be many suggestion for ways to pray that you can use.
Do I need to be experienced and proficient in prayer?
Absolutely not! Everyone is so welcome. Prayer at its most simple is a conversation with the Lord. Using any language that you are comfortable with.
There will be people around if you want to chat about prayer. Each stand will have suggestions and guidance for you to use of you find it helpful.
Will church be silent during the 24 hours?
No! Church is a workplace for the team. People will be carrying on their everyday work during the day. There will be quiet instrumental background dmmusic playing. In addition, as you see below, there will be times of gathered prayer and groups are being encouraged to come together to pray together.
Will there be any time when we all join together to pray?
Yes there will be! It’s great to gather together and pray! See the timetable above.
What are some of the prayer themes?
Listen
We want to start the academic year by spending time listening to God, to hear what He wants to say to us for Emmanuel and individuals.
Intercede
We will be praying for ourselves, Emmanuel, the parish, Croydon, the nation and the world. There are a variety of prayer opportunities.
I’ve been asked to come and pray with my team. Why?
If you are involved in one of the teams at church, working with young people, hospitality, adults, the grounds and anything else, we have suggested that you might like to come as a team and pray.
Our desire is that everything we do at Emmanuel is underpinned by prayer. We hope that many teams can come together to pray together for the academic year ahead.
There is a prayer of dedication that we can use as individuals and as teams.
Prayer at the Centre
PATC is scheduled for the 10th from 8-9pm. We will be running this as part of the 24 hours. Come and join us in the front pews of church as we pray for our Mission Partners the Winterburns, and ministry areas at Emmanuel.
Can I share my prayers?
Yes! We hope that you will share what you think the Lord is saying to us, your prayers of thanksgiving, adoration, your prayers for Emmanuel, the world and anything else. There is great encouragement from shared prayers. After the 24 hours we will collate the prayers and share some via church suite.
Can I share my prayer requests?
There will be a space for you to add any prayers that you would like people to pray on your behalf.
Can I bring my children?
Yes! Everyone is welcome. There will be a specific family friendly time from 3.30 – 4.30pm. But if you can’t make this time you are welcome to come whenever is convenient.
Will there be refreshments available?
You are welcome to make yourself a drink. Tea, coffee, herbal tea and squash will be available. We would be grateful if you wash up your cup and put it away at the end. There will some biscuits. We will not be providing food.
Can I make this a day of prayer and fasting?
If you would choose to fast during the 24 hours please feel free to do so. This will be left to personal choice.
What if I can’t make the date?
If you are not available for these 24 hours but would like to join us set aside another time to pray. If you find it difficult getting to church, you can pray from your home. We will share some of the prayers after the event.
How do I find out more, or get answers to other questions?
You can ask Stuart or Alison. Catch us after church or contact us by email: