Pastors lead ‘prophetic act’ for Norfolk revival
More than 30 Norfolk pastors helped lead an unusual and united ‘prophetic act’ to usher in spiritual renewal and revival across the region. Mike Wiltshire reports.
Following the example of various ‘prophetic acts’ recorded in the Bible, Christians from many churches in Norwich on Monday night took take a step of united faith and accepted a symbolic tent peg to use in the ground of their own localities - based on the well-known Scriptural command to “enlarge the place of your tent.”
Each hand-made wooden peg was inscribed with the reference to Isaiah 54, verses 2-3, which says:
“Enlarge the place of your tent,
stretch your tent curtains wide,
do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
strengthen your stakes.
For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
your descendants will dispossess nations
and settle in their desolate cities.”
In recent months, churches large and small in the region have begun prayer meetings for national spiritual revival.
Even before Monday night’s united meeting at Norwich Family Life Church, “there was real buzz of anticipation that something new is happening,” said Pastor Kingsley Armstrong, who noted that several well-known prophetic leaders have spoken about a spiritual awakening coming to East Anglia.
With this in mind, Kingsley spoke briefly about the Bible story in Luke (chapter five) where four friends tore the tiles off a roof to lower their paraplegic friend down in front of Jesus, so that the man could be healed. “These men had one purpose – they showed a collective determination for breakthrough,” he said.
There was applause from the audience as he declared “we, too, in our own way are showing a collective sense of determination to see God move in this region and beyond, as we respond to His prophetic word.”
The leader of the meeting, Pastor Phil Thorne of City Church, Norwich, said: “I don’t think we’ve ever known such a sense of unity.” He also thanked Alan Perkins, a retired carpenter and a member of Fakenham Baptist Community Church for providing a large number of symbolic tent pegs.
With a team of 12 musicians, Richard Lewis, the UK songwriter and former director of music at London’s Kensington Temple, led the meeting in a time of vibrant worship – “it was a glorious experience...I was astounded by the sheer energy of it all,” said one local leader.
The next united revival prayer in Norwich is on Monday, November 7 at the Ramada Hotel at 7.30pm.