Can the atmosphere over a city be shifted by 40 hours of worship and prayer? Yes, undoubtedly, if God is in it.
And as the final arrangements are being put in place for the Burn 24/7 40 Hours of Blazing Worship weekend at Walmer West Primary School, Port Elizabeth, organisers are filled with joyful expectancy because of a strong conviction that God is indeed the architect of the event.
Worship, prayer, food and family fun
So if you are in PE this weekend, why not come and soak in the presence of God as music groups representative of all the communities of the city lead worship and intercessors fellowship with the Lord in an interactive prayer boiler room in a gallery above the worshipers? There will be an array of food stalls offering tasty treats at bargain prices all day on Saturday and a secure play and games area for children. At 10am on Saturday there will be a prophetic dance demonstration and workshop for the young and young at heart. Friday and Saturday nights are being positioned as big, end-of-term celebration events. Polokwane-based Gospel artist Dewald Gouws has caught the fire as well and will be leading the worship slot from 17h30 to 18h30 on Saturday. And throughout the 40 hours police will be present for the peace-of-mind of worshipers and intercessors who press into the late night and early morning hours — and a few intrepid souls who aspire to partake of the full 40 hours. The Walmer West Primary School is on William Moffet Expressway close to the Figtree Shopping Centre and there will be ample parking on a school sports field.
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‘Godincidences’
The 40 hours worship event — to my knowledge (please educate me if I am wrong) a record for South Africa — has an interesting history. Sandy Peasnell, a PE woman, whose vision of a prayer day for matrics sparked a historic citywide prayer event at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium last October, felt led to do something special for youth in the city before the matric examinations this year. As she shared her heart with others people readily warmed to the idea of a 40 hours of worship event. When the PE Burn 24-7 team, whose mission is to arrange citywide worship events, were asked for help they were excited — at their last Burn (worship event) there was a prophesy that the next Burn in the city would be a 40-hours event. The ‘Godincidences’ go on — The Walmer West Primary School was selected as a venue for the event for a number of practical reasons: it’s central location, easy access, lack of residential neighbours who might be disturbed by 40 hours of music, its involvement in a growing prayer movement involving pupils and teachers in several city schools, and the gracious response of the school and a church that meets there on Sundays to the organisers’ request to hold the event there. But there is more — Sandy was a pupil at Walmer West Primary School 40 years ago and for years has had a recurring dream featuring steps leading up to the music room at the school. Sandy and intercessor friends believe the dream of the event has been on God’s heart for 40 years. Sandy will be celebrating her 50th birthday at the Burn where she intends to spend the whole 40 hours!
So if you are in the area, do come to God’s awesome celebration party and by faith join in releasing a joyful sound that will shift many hearts to line up with God’s glorious Kingdom purposes for the metro.
Excitingly, another key non-stop event is taking place in the city at the same time at the Salvation Army Church in Central to mark the international weekend of prayer and fasting for victims of sex trafficking. City Christians are invited to participate in the prayer for trafficking victims and for the city from Friday night until Sunday morning.
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Keep up the great work! Thanks a billion!