Sunday, 22 October 2023 was no ordinary day in the calendar of Tottenham Lighthouse Church. It was a day set aside by Prayer Ministries & Family Life to host a Prayer Breakfast from 10:00am -12:00 noon. This was then followed by a community event on the Green (the park in front of our Church) organised by Community Services.
The day before (Sabbath, 21 October), the rain showered down from morning until evening. At one point, persons were toying with the idea of cancelling the event in the park. However, spirits were bolstered by a lone voice of faith and wisdom reminding them that it was God’s business they were doing, and He was in control so trust Him. Sunday turned out to be one of the brightest days in October, despite being a bit chilly.
The turnout for the Prayer Breakfast was more than we could have hoped for, considering the weather the day before. It was even more special having brethren from our sister churches Barnet and Wood Green joining us. The atmosphere was electric as people came expecting great things to happen, and God did not disappoint. We feasted spiritually from the start on a warm Christian welcome, beautiful singing, a powerful message by Sis Sindi Mabena and prayer, prayer and more prayer.
Sis Mabena spoke about the power of prayer. She said that this power comes from being connected to God, on our knees. She also shared the importance and power of the congregation united in prayer. As the saying goes, ‘A picture paints a thousand words,’ and she used the illustration of prayer as a key that unlocks the door to the good gifts God has in store for His children. She told us that where she is from people normally leave the key under the doormat or under a very heavy metal bin. This is known by most visitors. On a rare occasion an ‘out of town’ visitor arrives, stays outside even in the rain, waiting for someone to come and open the door. He or she is unaware that the key is in touching distance, waiting to be used to open the door. Many miss out on the blessings God has in store for them for they are not using the key called Prayer. The key under the doormat is easy to access, but the key under the metal bin is more difficult to retrieve. So it is with our prayers. Some are answered immediately and some we have to persevere in prayer until they are answered.
After such a stirring message we went into various prayer groups to petition the Throne of Grace and Mercy. We were all blessed by this encounter with God. We gradually ended the session with testimonies, more singing and prayer over the requests in the Prayer Box. We ended our session with a fellowship breakfast, which was enjoyed by all.
Energised by the Prayer Breakfast, activities were now focused on the community event in the park. With the sun shining, the children and their parents flocked to the park to enjoy the food, bouncy castle, face painting, free slush puppies & popcorn and spiritual books. People could not believe that everything was for free, although they were encouraged give a donation towards the food, if they could.
Sis Lawanda, a member of the Personal Ministries Team reported that before she had completed unpacking and displaying the books on the table, people showed an interest in them. Some persons were very excited about the variety of books available and that they were free. Many took extra copies to give to their family and friends. The Bible, The Great Controversy, Health and Wellness, Hope for Today and Final Hope were the books that were in great demand. Books written in other languages were also snapped up by the eager readers. The table had to be restocked by getting more books from the Church. One young lady signed up for Bible studies. Another lady, who was coming from Church, told Sis Lawanda that she was baptised that very day.She asked her to recommend a book that would be suitable for her as a new believer. Sis Lawanda gave her a copy of The Desire of Ages. Please pray for the Holy Spirit to transform the hearts of the people as they read these books.
Overall, it was a very successful day as we were able to witness and mingle with our community. Thanks to the leaders and their teams for organising both events - Sis Cheryl Simmons & Bro Ordon Simmons (Family Life), Sis Marion Wadibia (Prayer Ministries) and Sis Sophia Charles (Community Services). Special thanks to our loving, Heavenly Father who gave us a beautiful day, so that we could undertake the mission He has given to us to share the gospel message.
