Songs from a volcano prayer-walk

It was still dark when I walked to the bus stop for the 2 hour journey to the starting point of today's prayer-walk.

I felt impressed to pray:
"Lord I pray for an open heaven"
I said to the Lord that I didn't understand it, but I prayed it anyways.

Just after I reached the bus stop, the rain started pouring down ...

I feel this is very significant - almost prophetic.

And then I started to sing
"Send your po-o-o-wer
Send your po-o-o-we-e-er
oh Lo-o-o-ord

Send your po-o-o-wer
Send your po-o-o-we-e-er
oh Lo-o-o-ord

Send your po-o-o-wer
oh Lo-o-o-ord my God"
(repeat repeat repeat)

The rain stopped a little while I was in the bus. While traveling, I felt convicted of the sinful state we, as mortal beings are in. And how we need to be cleansed by the blood of the Lamb on a daily basis. That was why it was important for me to just start this prayer-walk in right standing with God.

And then, by grace can I come boldly to the throne to make prayers and petitions, prayer-walks and intercession as a righteous child of God.

"Send your po-o-o-wer
Send your po-o-o-we-e-er

Send your po-o-o-wer
Send your po-o-o-we-e-er

Send your po-o-o-wer
Send your po-o-o-we-e-er

oh Lo-o-o-ord my God"
(repeat repeat repeat)


One Tree Hill

• The Lord prompted in my heart to pray for the many GEMS He has (even though they are hidden within the New Zealand society)
  The many people and ministries which are close to His heart and intimately known to Him.
  
  I pray Lord that You will bring these people who love You and are in intimate relationship with You, into the fullness which You have for them and their ministries. That they be recognised and respected and upheld so they can function in all areas which You have and made ready for them.
  
  
• Oh and then I saw a fig tree ... and I thought - That's interesting, winter isn't even here properly, and the leaves have come out already.
  
  
  
  Matthew 24:32-33 (Amplified Bible)
  32 From the fig tree learn this lesson: as soon as its [a] young shoots become soft and tender and it puts out its leaves, you know [b] of a surety that summer is near.
  33 So also when you see these signs, [m] all taken together, coming to pass, you may know [n] of a surety that He is near, at the very doors.
  
  And my point is ... It is only autumn here in Auckland!!
  
  Joel 2:22-24 (Amplified Bible)
  22 Be not afraid, you wild beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness have sprung up and are green; the tree bears its fruit, and the fig tree and the vine yield their [full] strength.
  23 Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord, your God; for He gives you the former or early rain in just measure and in righteousness, and He causes to come down for you the rain, the former rain and the latter rain, as before.
  24 And the [threshing] floors shall be full of grain and the vats shall overflow with juice [of the grape] and oil.
  

One tree hill

• How good and pleasant it is
  when brothers live together in unity!
  Psalm 133:1 (New International Version)
  That was my prayer for the churches in New Zealand as I walked up this volcano.
  
  
  
  
• I felt impressed to pray for a holiness of God to prevail over this area of Auckland. That christians would become more and more holy as they draw closer and closer to God. Because, under the shadow of His wings, there is shelter. Shelter from the storms. And by living under the shadow of His wings, holiness will come.
  
  
• "With ro-y-al robes
  we crown thee King"
  (repeat repeat repeat)
  
  And now in those areas of my life where only I know the thoughts of my heart ...
  
  "With ro-y-al robes
  we crown thee King"
  (repeat repeat repeat)
  
  And now in those areas in my heart where I almost don't let anybody else come in ...
  
  "With ro-y-al robes
  we crown thee King"
  (repeat repeat repeat)
  
  And now in this city ...
  
  "With ro-y-al robes
  we crown thee King"
  (repeat repeat repeat)
  
  In this nation ...
  
  "With ro-y-al robes
  we crown thee King"
  (repeat repeat repeat)
  

Mount Eden

• Again - here the emphasis was on personal holiness.
  A personal right standing before God.
  A personal responsibility to maintain a Godly life
  
  
• "With ro-y-al robes
  I crown thee King"
  (repeat repeat repeat)
  
  Over my relationships ...
  
  "With ro-y-al robes
  we crown thee King"
  (repeat repeat repeat)
  

Auckland domain

• In Outhwaite Park I easily walked the smallest volcano in Auckland.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Here I started thanking God for how good He is
  And for what He is going to do in New Zealand
  
  
  
  On the "Hill of bitter memories" my prayer was that God will bring some notable good memories to this nation. Things that will excite people and draw us closer to Him - because everybody will know He has done it.
  
  
  
  
  
• And under the high rustic trees I reflected on God's goodness. His majestic greatness ...
  
  
  
  
  

Albert park

• On this barely recognisable volcano, I was again impressed to pray for holiness.
  and it soon grew into a song (those of you who know me will know how I love break out singing):
  "Ohh Lord, You are ho-o-o-ly-y-y
  Ho-o-o-ly-y-y
  ...
  Ho-o-o-ly-y-y
  ...
  Ho-o-o-ly-y-y
  
  mmm mm mmmm mmm mmm
  mm mm mmm mmmm mmm
  mmm mmm mmmm mmmmm
  m mmm mmm mmmm mmmm m
  ... ... ... Ho-o-o-ly-y-y"
  
  
• And at the end of this prayer-walk, I enjoyed seeing this - in comparison with our own lives:
  
  
  
  
  
  Trust in the LORD with all your heart
  and lean not on your own understanding
  Proverbs 3:5 (New International Version)
  

Now Lord I pray that You will send Your spiritual rain
in Jesus name
amen

Volcano-crawl prayer-walk

A prayer-walk on the high places ... I will need hinds' feet

"The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet , and he will make me to walk upon mine high places." [Hab 3:19 (KJV)]

Wednesday 23 May will see the sun rise, as it did for many many years, over the 53 volcanic sites in Auckland ... a city so ethnically diverse ... with 181 different ethnic groups.
This day there will be prayer from 5 of those high places ... intercession for the people of New Zealand.

Will you pray too? (Right there at your workplace, as the Holy Spirit reminds you of this prayer-walk ... and as you ask God to lead you in prayer for New Zealand)

On this "Volcano-crawl" prayer-walk I will start from Onehunga Lagoon in the South, climbing up 5 (inactive) volcanoes along the way to Auckland's Viaduct Harbour.

Along the way we find landmarks, significant in its own way for the direction of my prayers:

• One Tree Hill
  This 183 metre volcano has three craters and a lava field that extends to the Manukau foreshore. Starting off from Manukau Harbour and Onehunga Lagoon, I will pass the Onehunga Blockhouse (one of 10 small forts) built in 1860, and a replica of cottages built for military settlers in 1847. One Tree Hill is the largest and most complex volcanic and cone site in the southern hemisphere. It has hundreds of terraces, food store pits, defensive ditches and banks that for centuries supported a population of 5,000 people. Acacia Cottage located in Cornwall Park, built in 1841, is Auckland's oldest wooden house.
  It is also significant to me that we find the Stardome Observatory here.
  
• Mount Eden
  This is the tallest volcano in Auckland (196m). The slopes were once densely populated by Maori that shaped the hills steep scarps, terraces and kumara pits; and also referred to the crater as the food bowl of Mataoho.
  I plan to spend quite some time in prayer and intercession enjoying the 360° views from here.
  
• Auckland Domain
  Here we find 2 smaller "hills". The Auckland Museum is located on the "hill of bitter memories", which mourns the many slain in the 1820s musket wars as well as those who died in the first world war. On this part I will prayer-walk on the 2 small cones- one here and one in the adjacent Outhwaite Park.
  This is a tranquil area with large trees dating from the 1840's - great for long quiet prayer-walking before entering the busy-ness of the city centre
  
• Albert Park
  This green shoulder of the Central Business District, is a small, now barely-recognisable volcano. A Meteorological Observatory is situated at the highest point of the park and has been providing recordings of weather information since 1909. The prayer-walk ends at the ferry terminal that has operated since 1912 on the Viaduct Harbour (formerly the home of Aucklands fishing fleet) just after Customs Street along reclaimed land and the neo classic beautifully restored ex-Chief Post Office building, now home to the city's bus and train terminal.

I am preparing my heart for this prayer-walk in a sensitive way for the Lord to speak before-hand to me some of the things I will be praying for.

Will you also prepare with me and let me know if you have any directions for praying.

I will also take with me a list of prayer requests. If you need someone to stand with you in prayer, please write to me and let me know ... I will take it with me on this prayer-walk.

Now Lord I pray that You prepare our hearts
By the indwelling of Your Holy Spirit

Lord I ask that You will reveal to us the things on Your heart
those things we need to prepare our hearts to pray for

In Jesus' name
amen