Words, Pictures, Prophecies and Promises
At the ‘Prayer
for Reading’ meeting Tuesday 24th September 1996, people were asked to
give in words or prophecies that they had been given for the town of
Reading and the Thames Valley.
This next section
is a sample of those prayers, pictures, words and promises for our area.
“At the end of
the evening whilst we were quiet before God, I saw a layer of clouds over
Reading that were getting thinner and beginning to break up and no longer
a complete layer. Then the
sun started to light up the edges of some of the clouds as dawn was just
beginning to break.
Our coming
together and praying is and will affect the spiritual atmosphere over
Reading and create a much more ‘open heaven’ over the town, with more
of God’s influence and blessing being felt in the town rather than held
back by enemy opposition.”
Member
of Kings Church
“Dear Father,
We are desperate
to see more of your glory in our region.
Please help your people, leaders and others, to trust each other.
Help us to lay aside suspicion and past experiences, and to
cultivate friendship and acceptance.
Please heal the wounds of past divisions and lead us into genuine
repentance where it is necessary. May
we see, in our generation, far greater evidence of Jesus in His church and
The Holy Spirit working in and through the lives of ordinary people,
whatever their age, colour, sex, background or intellect.
Please help us
into real unity, where you can pour out blessing that will greatly impact
the lives of the lost. Please
usher thousands into your kingdom, so that the darkness that overwhelms
the communities might be dispelled. May
Reading and the Thames Valley echo with the praises of the Living God!”
Member of Kings Church
“That there
would be a unity amongst Churches and leaders based on what Jesus prayed
for in John 17 v17-23. i.e. the truth of the whole counsel of God as the
early church knew it and practised it.
That Evangelical leaders and pastors would truly be the ‘elder at
the gates’ weighing and judging doctrines against the scriptures.
That all members of the body of Christ would be secure in
‘flocks’ across the town under good solid biblical leadership. That the church would address moral key issues of the day
unitedly and be the Lord’s prophetic voice to the town.
That we would recognise, understand and preach about the signs of
the times clearly predicted in scripture and the near return of Christ
spurring us to LOCAL evangelism as directed by the Holy Spirit.
That we would pray for the Jewish Community in Reading.”
Member of South of Reading Christian Fellowship
“I thank Father
God for the church in Reading. I
pray what Jesus prayed in john 17 v22,23 that ‘we will be one’ just as
He and His Father are one. That we will be brought to complete unity by
Jesus’ glory which has been given to us so that the people of Reading
will know that He sent Jesus to them because He loves them.”
Member
of Faith fellowship
“To be driven
by vision and NOT resources with a heart to reach OUT of our buildings to
the Poor and Deprived with servant hearts.”
Member
of CCA
“Father, thank
you for the move of Your Spirit in these days.
I ask that you poor out more of Your Holy Spirit on your church in
Reading, that you will anoint us with more power and love so that we can
make Jesus clearly known to those who don't know you.
Lord, show us how
to break dividing walls. We
confess our arrogance and pride. We
acknowledge that our words and action have built up walls of division
between our people. We're
really sorry Lord. Help us to break down walls of mistrust, walls of
denominationalism and any walls that separate us from each other.
And Lord, give us a spirit of unity, so that with one heart and
mouth we glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.”
Member
of Life Spring
“That God's
people may be fully restored to the image of Christ and through that be
powerful witnesses for God the Father in the community by the full supply
of the Holy Spirit.
Ps 85:4 Col
3:10”
Member of Norcot Mission.
“Whilst we were
praying on Tuesday I saw a straight line.
On either side of this line was a row of people.
In one row the folk were all dirty and dusty and in the other row
the people were white and clean. In
the middle of these two rows was a clear perspex board standing upright,
dividing the two groups of people. Every
so often there were holes punched in the clear board, not round holes but
jagged ones. At these holes
the people who were dirty and dusty were being helped through by those who
were clean and white. As I
waited, God showed me that these straight lines were in fact roads, the
first one being the Oxford Road, then Broad Street, Friar Street and so on
throughout Reading.
I believe that as
we pray and go out we are breaking down the barriers that have been formed
over the years. Barriers
between churches and denominations.
Member
of Kings Church
“Recently God
has reminded me about the ditches of 2 Kings 3:16 as for the original
Ditchdigger basis. I feel
strongly that now is the time to see the seed that was buried begin to
grow dramatically and it is time to dig ditches of reconciliation and
prayer across the churches.”
Member of Kings Church
“I walked into
Arthur Newbury Park on Wednesday 23rd October 1996 at 5.pm. to walk my
dog. As I entered the park
there was a stillness and the words...’My cup runs over’... kept
coming into my mind, over and over again.
I couldn't make out why these words were going round in my mind.
As I looked up
into the sky my breath was taken away by the unusual cloud formation.
I thought then, Lord, what are you wanting to say to me?
The sky behind
the clouds was bright blue and the white clouds had formed themselves into
bowl shapes. Out of the bowl
shaped clouds came what looked like running water.
This seemed to cover the whole of Reading. I couldn't believe what
I saw!
As I walked on
under the trees I made my way up the steep slope as I wanted to get
another view of the sky. As I
reached the top of the slope I looked up into the sky and the cloud
formation had been totally covered. I
thought this was strange because on a day which had no wind it was unusual
for clouds to move so fast.
I walked on
further and as I got to the exit of the park I thought I would take one
more look into the sky. My
breath was taken away again as I looked.
I could see the thick grey cloud cover had totally gone and the
bowl shaped clouds were back. I
asked God, 'What are you saying?' I
felt God was saying, 'l want to pour out my blessing on Reading, but it
depends on your prayers. I
need your persistent, consistent prayers so that I can then release my
power and blessing over this town. It
depends on your prayers. If
your prayers cease then I cannot do this.
The thick grey
cloud cover indicated that if we stop praying God cannot empty the bowls
of blessing on this town of Reading.
We need to play our part and pray if God is going to bless this
town.
Please, please,
please keep praying.”
Member
of Tilehurst Free Church
About twenty
years ago at a conference in Woking a word for Reading was brought, by a
visiting speaker, that God would do something different in Reading than
anywhere else.
“The Oxford
Road will be awash with the Spirit and revival will come...” This word was confirmed by completely independent visitors.
Member of Grovelands Christian Fellowship
I do not have a
prophecy concerning Reading but I have these verses regarding intercession
which were given to me. Isaiah
62 v 6-7 “I have posted watchmen on your walls O Jerusalem, they will
never be silent day or night. You
who call on the name of the Lord. Give
yourselves no rest and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and
makes her the praise of the earth.”
Lamentations 2 v
18-19 “The hearts of the people cry out to the Lord.
O wall of the daughter of Zion (wailing wall/wall of prayer) let
your tears flow like a river day and night. Give yourselves no rest.
Arise, cry out on the night. As
the watches of the night begin, pour out your hearts like water in the
presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children who
faint from hunger at the head of every street.”
Member of Tilehurst Free Church
Promise from
Jeremiah 32 “When God instructed Jeremiah to buy a field the deeds were
sealed in a clay jar to preserve them.”
I believe God has said that there are deeds and covenants in
Reading which have been sealed up in clay jars and that the time has come
for the jars to be broken and those things belonging to God will be
restored to Him. This was confirmed when I read about the Dead Sea Scrolls
recently. The scrolls were
from the book of Isaiah which hold the promises of restoration of Israel
and turning the desert into a fertile place.
These scrolls were in clay jars which were found and broken one
year before the establishment of Israel as a nation.
I believe God will restore his people and his places.”
Member
of Tilehurst Free Church
Psalm 133 Dew
from Mount Hermon 18/5/96 It is as if the dew of Herman were falling on
Mount Zion for there the Lord bestows His blessing.
As Rachel was
saying ‘we need to go up to the mountain and soak ourselves in the dew
that will plant us out in strategic places like oak trees in a fertile
orchard.’ God said this to me...
‘Reading town
and surrounding area is to be the Sea of Galilee that will collect the dew
from the people who have been deluged from the mountain top experience.
There it will be collected by placing men and women who are oak
trees in the right place. From there it will be distributed in channels of living water
right down through the Thames Valley.
This is so vital for our nation as the move of the Spirit goes
nation-wide. The whole of the
Thames Valley will become fertile from the falling dew.’ I believe Reading is the starting point… the sea of
Galilee. It is not going to
be drenched but fed consistently by the falling dew.
Member
of Bracknell Family Church
“I came as a
visiting preacher to TFC one Sunday in the autumn of 1987. As I stood before the evening congregation, prior to speaking
and with the praise and worship still proceeding, I suddenly saw a vision.
Liquid fire was pouring down from heaven, rolling down through the
night sky and settling on Tilehurst.
It affected Tilehurst and then rolled on down to the centre of
Reading. Liquid fire from
heaven! I sensed that it was
now joined by more liquid fire moving in from other parts of the town.
Then, having filled the town centre, it began to move eastwards
along the Thames Valley... or maybe following the railway line, because it
moved on up to Maidenhead... and Slough... right on to London itself.
(I have no doubt that fire from other parts of England was
converging on London at the same time) I felt overwhelmed: I knew that the
Lord was speaking about what He was going to do, and the implicit question
was, “Do you want to be a part of this?”
It only took a moment to see it all, but it had a profound effect
on me. I see it as clearly
today as I did those nine years ago. Personally I have no doubt that it indicated God's heart
towards this town, and also His heart for London, our capital city.
For some reason, Reading is key in God's strategy to turn London,
and then our whole nation, back to Himself.
Only the fire from heaven will accomplish it.
What’s more, it will only come about if my people... (2 Chron
7:14)”
Member
of Tilehurst Free Church
God gave me a
dream shortly after I was born again.
I think the dream was given some time in 1988 and I was not versed
in Christian things at that time.
In the dream I
was in a small back garden, watching the news on a television set.
Suddenly the words REVIVAL REVIVAL REVIVAL came onto the set,
sliding onto the screen from left to right, one REVIVAL at a time. “How
interesting”, I thought, “I wonder what this means?”
I opened the door, and immediately found myself looking out onto a
street which was packed with men (I can't remember seeing any women or
children at all). My
overwhelming impression was of men in their twenties and thirties.
The other thing
that caught my attention was that they were all wearing cream coloured
shirts and grey flannel trousers. I
have no idea what significance (if any) that had.
As the men were walking down the street a hand would shoot up of
its own volition in a gesture of praise - much to its owner's surprise –
or someone would fall onto the pavement.
No one seemed to mind, or to pay any attention.
I have since
found out that this is called “being slain in the Spirit”. I was amazed at what I was seeing and thought
“I wonder where this is?”
and went back to the television set just as the word READING came
onto the screen.
Member
of Greyfriars
The following are
all insights from prayer walks made during 1992:
“In 1986 I had
a strong feeling during a meeting that Reading Football ground would be
used by Christians from all over Reading.
I prayed that the roar of delight from a football crowd would
change to a roar of praise from God's people.
This seemed to take root and I saw His roar of praise going up to
form into a thick cloud which spread over Reading.
Then it started to rain and drops of blessing were falling all over
Reading.”
“That church
buildings will NORMALLY be open everyday and evening but for a purpose -
offering welcome, quiet places for prayer/reflection, attractive
activities, meeting places for the community.
Message: “Come in”, NOT “Keep out!” (especially for the
young)
That churches
which have been like a tightly closed bud will become fully open flowers
releasing seed in all directions.
That there will
be a significant number of churches of every tradition where the life of
the Spirit will abound within the existing tradition.”
FOR THE TOWN: a
change towards wholesome entertainment.
A change of attitude towards good manners, e.g. courtesy and
patience from drivers or when using buildings/shops, holding doors open
for others. Small things that
make a big difference.
That ‘psychic
fairs’ and the like will wither away.
Biblical text
which might be used, slightly adapted for every Church in the area.
1 Kings Ch 8 v28-30
Hear the cry and
the prayer that your servants are praying in your presence this day.
May your eyes be open towards this place/church (temple) night and
day, this place of which we say “Your name shall be there” (original
of which you said ‘My name shall be there’), so that you will hear the
prayer your servants pray towards this place.
Hear the supplication of your servants and of your people in
Reading when they pray towards this place.
Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.
1066 - 1540 The Middle Ages including Reading Abbey
1540-1700 including The Civil War
Historical Streets and Places in Reading
Praying together for Reading - What is God doing?
Words, Pictures, Prophecies and Promises
Principle Sources and Further Reading