Fast Day #8

As we begin our second week of fasting, we are eager to encounter the Lord and hear his direction for us.  Last night we talked about the activity of ministering to God and the fact that being thankful before Him was a powerful way to align ourselves with who He is and what He is doing.  He has great desire in His heart for us, even when we are weak and easily distracted.  When we struggle and begin to complain about our circumstances, it pulls us into a bad way of thinking.  Accusation against Him and the way He has been leading us begins to grow.  Soon, we are believing lies that God is not really concerned about us at all.  It is a dangerous place to be.

Being grateful and expressing thanks to Him, on the other hand, sets us free from the deceptions and allows us to see Him as He truly is...filled with goodness and love, and eager to encounter us.  Even the smallest move toward Him in love brings delight to His heart.  We are bringing pleasure to God with our weak attempts to follow Him in love!  Grumbling and complaining can steal this reality from our hearts and it is an area we want to fight against with diligence. 

As we continue on this week, we are asking for grace to fast, open access to hear His word to us, hearts filled with thankfulness and a willingness to search this out and speak it out with devotion. 

Blessings,

Brian
Ministry Director

Fasting information

Its Day #2 of our 14-day fast and I was alerted to a good resource for us.  The IHOP website has some excellent information on fasting and how to enter in to this discipline in a safe and effective way.  It is worth reading!  In this two-week time of consecration and turning aside to listen, we want to see fasting as a way to align our will with the divine order of Heaven and to walk in step with the One we love. 

Here is an excellent point from the IHOP site:

"Breakthroughs often come after a fast, not during it. Do not listen to the lie that nothing is happening. It is our conviction that every fast done in faith will be rewarded"

We are pressing forward in our weakness with faith and confidence that God is ahead of us in this, and that even when we are hearing little and feeling a bit worn out He is definitely going to meet us in our efforts.  This is an exciting time for us and what He is doing through SHOP in our city. 

Blessings and grace to all of you!

Brian

Corporate Fast

Beginning Monday, September 5th we are calling the SHOP community and all friends of our prayer
community to join in fasting and prayer until September 18th.  This is an important season for us, a season initiated by God and one that we want to press into with integrity.  Recently, we have been hearing that God is going to speak to our house and we are going to take the next 2 weeks to embrace weakness and really listen.  Please join us in this or pray for grace that we grow in love with Jesus.

Brian
Ministry Director

Happy Birthday SHOP!

On May 7th of 2006 Sanctuary House of Prayer began with a handful of people, lots of zeal and faith for the future.  This past weekend we celebrated our 5th birthday and it gave us all cause to reflect and be thankful.  I remember that first day well.  We were excited to be on our own and going for it, but in my own heart I was unclear on what to next and nervous that it might not come together so well.  The building was new, the worship teams were mostly inexperienced and we were learning on the fly.  But, the Lord determined to bless our efforts. 

We are convinced more than ever that God is doing something on the earth related to prayer.  It is not given to one group more than the others.  He is raising up a generation that will seek Him and agree with Him  wholeheartedly.  His judgements are coming to the earth and there are very serious days ahead.  Jesus is preparing to return to the Earth and He is raising up something wonderful in preparation.  SHOP is pressing to make a place for everyone who wants to be before the Lord in wholehearted pursuit.  All are invited.  For many, this will be your primary calling in the kingdom.  Things are changing right now and Jesus is looking for those who will really make Him the central focus of their lives.  We are on the journey together to see this happen.

It has been said many times that a house of prayer is established through the combination of three key elements:  the sovereignty of God,  the agreement of humans and the activity of angels.  In the past 5 years we have had all three in operation.  It was a season filled with challenges and required so much effort at times, but it was the grace of God and His activity among us that made it all work together.  He has established this house for His pleasure and purpose.  We are so grateful to be on this journey and partnering with Him.  He is worth this and SO MUCH more!  May the next 5 years be filled with endless hours of worship and prayer before the only audience that matters...

Blessings,

Brian
Ministry Director

Final Day at the University of Winnipeg

I'm sitting in an almost empty prayer room on the U of W campus. It's the first of four hours we will gather before the Lord today and it is a wonderful feeling just to be here. The larger group has not yet arrived and our worship leader for this hour, Paige, is singing the scriptures back to the Lord in affectionate agreement to Him. We have been here for 4 weeks now and today is the final day. I can't believe how great this was. I can't believe it's almost over....

Thank-you, God! You are worthy of so much more but it was a great pleasure to have been able to do even this much.

Brian
Ministry Director

Sent from my iPhone

Prayer on Campus

For the next three weeks, during exam time, there will be a lot more prayer on campus! Janelle, the director of our local chapter of Luke 18 ministries, has booked the chapel on the University of Winnipeg campus and we are going for it. Meeting times are Monday-Friday from 8am-noon, with a combination of intercession for the campus, personal prayer for students and devotional worship designed to minister to the Lord. There will be incense rising before the throne in Heaven from this campus! Come and be part of it if you are in the area. Let's call out to the Lord on behalf of this emerging generation of leaders in our nation.

Feel free to email at info@sanctuaryhop.com if you require further info or directions to the meetings.

Blessings!

Brian
Ministry Director

Schedule Change

Sometimes you are part of something that is just so right, not just in this realm but in an eternal way, that you just know that you have to make it happen.  As we approach the 5 year mark for SHOP, we have seen the Lord build into us this internal knowing that we need to be before Him in ministry to His heart just because it is right in heaven and on the earth.  The four living creatures around the throne in Revelation 4 are unceasing in their declaration toward Him.  It is, in His presence, exactly as He wants it to be...and it never ends.  That strikes our hearts more and more as we give ourselves to this activity.  We know it is God Himself capturing us for something "other-worldly" and we are ruined for anything else. 

So, beginning this Sunday, February 20th, we are launching a new set.  It will begin at 9:30pm and run for one hour.  It is for all those who love to connect with God in the late hours of the day, with very few in the prayer room and the Spirit of God very present in the room.  We will be focusing on the Song of Solomon for the next number of months, using passages from this book as a springboard into singing about intimacy with Jesus and how He feels about us.  All are welcome to come and encounter the Lord.  Go deep for yourself!

One day, all of us will see Him as He is and the natural response of our heart will be unceasing devotion.  We want a taste of that today as well.  Join us...

Blessings,

Brian
Ministry Director