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2021 Week of Prayer reflections

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Reflections on the MB family’s online Week of Prayer gatherings, January 17-23, 2021

Emerging themes

Joining my fellow MBs from across Canada for The Week of Prayer was an excellent way to begin a new year. A representative from each of our provinces and partners led the daily gatherings. It was a great way to hear about their unique opportunities and challenges and pray for them together. It was very unifying, and I left the week feeling like I got to know some people in meaningful ways, even though there was no “visiting” time. Praying together with people is an excellent way to connect and hear from each other’s hearts. And that is what we did: we prayed, not getting caught in the all-too-familiar pattern of talking much and praying little. 

I noticed themes emerge in our prayers. The desire for unity in our personal relationships, in our churches and our MB family went deep. We prayed for those in leadership roles who are fatigued and fighting burnout amid COVID-19 realities and restrictions. The need for God’s creativity and his Holy Spirit to lead were two more forefront requests. And last but certainly not least, hearing God’s voice and obeying it was our heart’s cry. I imagined God hearing and receiving these prayers, and as our Father, what delight it must have brought him to see his kids with their eyes and ears focused on Him. 

I hope we have another virtual prayer week at the start of 2022 and see the screen filled with more and more of us praying and seeking God together. 

Lori Nickel, Multiply member care team leader and church council member, South Abbotsford Church

Gathering in our father’s house

I love getting on a plane on a rainy day, eager to break through the clouds into the glorious, brilliant sun and blue skies, soaring above the tops of white fluffy clouds. Sure, all the dreary rain is our current visible reality – but we get the real story at 20,000 feet!

This week in prayer, we were invited to the 20,000-foot level to the great I AM’s throne room; to set our eyes again on him, piling up our cares and concerns, laments and longings, at the foot of the cross. To take a deep breath and step back from them.

As Peter said: Where else can we turn? For hope, direction, and even the capacity to change? To the King of Glory! The great I AM. He who is making all things new.

This week was so rich, reuniting with brothers and sisters from sea to shining sea, to see the faces and hear the prayers. This is our wonderful MB family! Our prayer time was all the more remarkable, in this season of endless isolation, a large gathering in our father’s house.

As we tied it all together on the last day with a focus on Multiply, it served as a reminder of the mantle we have been given, individually and collectively, to be and multiply disciples of the King.

Thank you, CCMBC, for setting this table for us!

Selwyn Uittenbosch attends The Life Centre in Abotsford, B.C., and recently completed 15 years serving as CFO for Multiply, formerly MB Mission.

NFLT director’s reflection

Each January the national Conference invites the MB churches to join together in prayer. We pray for the MB churches in Canada, for our church leaders, for Seminary, for Multiply and for whatever else the Spirit lays on our hearts.

In January 2021, besides inviting our churches to pray using the written daily prayer guide, we also decided to host live prayer session. For seven days, we met on zoom, for 45 minutes of prayer. 

Each day brought a new geographical focus and a new Scripture focus. We prayed around the I AM statements of Jesus, praying the truth and power of who Jesus is and what he is doing, into our personal lives and into the lives of our churches and ministries.

We started on the East Coast, on Sunday, January 17 and prayed through to the West Coast. We held up Multiply, the MB Seminary, our schools, retirement homes, camps and other ministries in the process as well.

Regardless of the day or the Scripture focus, the Spirit led us to pray along these themes:

  1. Unity – amongst our people, our churches, across provinces and ministries, with the larger body of Christ;
  2. The desire for Jesus – a strong desire for Christ’s kingship in our personal lives and in our churches; desire for the primacy of Christ and the wisdom to recognize and remove idols in our lives, in our churches, and in our society;  desire to know the Lord’s will and to hear his voice over other voices;
  3. New life – a sense that God is doing a new thing, to be in tune and willing to embrace the new, discernment what from the past needs to be nurtured and carried forward and what needs to be released;
  4. Leaders –a renewed sense of call, wisdom to lead in challenging times, clarity of vision, encouragement and new strength for those who are discouraged and depleted;
  5. Leadership development – new urgency to call out leaders from the young generation in our churches
  6. First Nations and the world – power of our gospel witness to our neighbours near and far.

I was personally encouraged and strengthen as I saw leaders from around our country show up to pray and as I saw people I don’t personally know come to add their voices to corporate prayer. I was touched to see people from Ontario show up to pray for Manitoba and people from Saskatchewan show up to pray for BC.

Prayer is a deep work and I’m glad that we came together for it.

Ingrid Reichard is the National Faith and Life team director for CCMBC

Gathering at our father’s house

I love getting on a plane on a rainy day, eager to break through the clouds into the glorious, brilliant sun and blue skies, soaring above the tops of white fluffy clouds. Sure, all the dreary rain is our current visible reality – but we get the real story at 20,000 feet!

This week in prayer, we were invited to the 20,000-foot level to the great I AM’s throne room; to set our eyes again on him, piling up our cares and concerns, laments and longings, at the foot of the cross. To take a deep breath and step back from them.

As Peter said: Where else can we turn? For hope, direction, and even the capacity to change? To the King of Glory! The great I AM. He who is making all things new.

This week was so rich, reuniting with brothers and sisters from sea to shining sea, to see the faces and hear the prayers. This is our wonderful MB family! Our prayer time was all the more remarkable, in this season of endless isolation, a large gathering in our father’s house. 

As we tied it all together on the last day with a focus on Multiply, it served as a reminder of the mantle we have been given, individually and collectively, to be and multiply disciples of the King.

Thank you, CCMBC, for setting this table for us!

Selwyn Uittenbosch attends The Life Centre in Abotsford, and recently completed 15 years serving as CFO for Multiply, formerly MB Mission.

Day 2 of the National Prayer Week – Ed Willms, ED of ONMB is holding up a loaf of bread as he brings our attention to Jesus, the Bread of Life.

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