Pioneer Boiler Room closes after 6 long, hard, happy years of prayers

Published: July 11th, 2006

 

"Almost 6 years ago here in Reading, UK, we were running around getting excited about opening a 24 hour house of prayer, with dreams of exploring the old monastic values and engaging with our town in new and powerful ways," 24-7's Pete Ward writes. "God answered our prayers miraculously, and brought from them more than we could ever have hoped or imagined. After these six long, hard, happy years, we saw the end of this stage of our journey with the closure of the Reading Boiler Room.

Around 40 of us gathered 2 weeks ago for a time of worship, thanksgiving, story telling and prayer, and although there was a sense of sadness due to the closure of the building, I felt that we had done our job; hopefully as good and faithful servants.

As we looked back, it was so encouraging to remember the times of being right in the centre of God's grace, the times of hardship and challenge, the times when the place was so filled with the presence of God that the air felt as if it were the consistency of treacle. Our God is a truly awesome God, and I'm so glad that he took us on the journey He did with the Reading Boiler Room. I'm just so amazed at the things he has taught me through the years, and as I prepared for our time of storytelling, I looked out a couple of prayers that represented significant points on my pilgrimage.

If you haven't heard the story of the beginings of the Reading Boiler Room, be sure to pick up a copy of Red Moon Rising.

Here's  prayer from my time looking back at our time with the Reading Boiler Room. God had been teaching me about being thankful in all circumstances. I'd known what that meant in my head for a long time, but this prayer was written just after the head knowledge migrated down to my heart...

Thank you Father,
Thank you Son,
Thank you Spirit,
Thank you Three in One, for the Boiler Room.

Thank you for the prayers,
Which you have heard from heaven and answered,
Thank you for restored lives,
Thank you for healed lives,
Thank you for changed lives,
Thank you for saved lives,
Thank you that you love every one.

Thank you, Lord, for speaking to us,
Guiding, directing, instructing, teaching, and whispering your love to us.
Thank you for your peace,
Thank you for your comfort,
Thank you for your rest,
Coming swiftly, as calm after the storm.

Thank you for creativity,
Expressions of praise to The Almighty,
Thank you for artwork, poetry and prose,
Thank you for the simple drawings of the young,
Thank you for the masterpieces of the artistic,
Thank you for all these works of the Spirit.

Thank you for our relationships with the poor,
For the homeless and destitute,
For young people with little hope,
Thank you for strength to love the unlovely,
Thank you, Jesus, that you are hope.

Thank you for those you have brought to us from near or far,
Pilgrims on the way of the Lord,
Thank you for those willing to serve,
And those who have been difficult to serve,
Thank you for new friends,
And the networks you are building,
Thank you for staff and volunteer.


Thank you for this town you have placed us in,
Reading the beautiful,
Thank you for her streets, her people,
Her rivers, her industries,
Thank you for your people here.

Thank you for the seasons,
For meals on the balcony in summer,
For praying in the sunshine,
And gifts to warm the building in winter.

Thank you for this place,
For granting us a palace when we were praying for a shed,
Thank you for giving us a building that realised your dreams
When we had only a little faith,
Thank you for turning a dark dank shell,
Into a building filled with the light and fragrance of Christ,
Thank you for showing yourself as the great I AM.

Thank you for the times of testing,
Thank you for lifting us during illness and loss,
Thank you for giving us grace when we strove too much,
And when our persistence was flagging,
Thank you for moving us to the point of surrender,
Thank you for bearing with us,
When we would not bear with each other.

Thank you, gracious Lord,
that we have so much to be thankful for.

Thank you Father,
Thank you Son,
Thank you Spirit,
Thank you Three in One, for the Boiler Room."

 
 
 

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