Tri-County Prayer Gathering   July 10^th 2010    Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion & Powys

 The theme of this gathering was “The Power of God” and from the time we first came together in a café in the centre of Llandovery, to the time we parted from each other overlooking the dam at the Llyn Brianne reservoir, God was with the twelve of us in a powerful way.  From the café we made our way some twenty miles or so up to the isolated but historic chapel called Soar y Mynydd.  We had made this our first prayer stop so as to miss a service that was taking place in the chapel later. However, not long after we had begun a few more people arrived for their afternoon service and joined in with us as we worshiped, prayed and listened to a short  account of past revivals in the area and chapel.  We then moved onto our second stop at a lovely spot in Powys which overlooked Llyn Brianne reservoir. The weather soon deteriorated so that we thought we might have to abandon the rest of the programme.  However, we were encouraged to carry on by one of our group, and almost immediately the rain stopped and we were able to leave our cars and head for a suitable place where we took communion and prayed for those representing that county. We then drove down to another car park which was close to the bottom of the lake. We crossed over the weir in order to stand in Ceredigion and enjoyed the beautiful view over Ceredigion. One of our group had brought a couple of flags and a shofar and so we held up the flags as we prayed,  then used them as a covering for other members of the group we prayed for. The shofar was blown. The final prayer stop was a short drive away to a parking place that faced the dam and which was now situated in Carmarthenshire. There I sensed in the Spirit that the dam represented the people’s rebellion and the church’s resistance to God moving once again in the region, and that He was longing to pour down His Spirit on the valley below. We sang the song “Show Your Power, O Lord” and some other appropriate songs before praying for those of us who were representing that county. We were by the end of the afternoon somewhat wet but refreshed by God’s presence and the increasing unity we had been experiencing with each other throughout the day.

Photos from our June visit

Prayer Point 1 - View from Powys	Prayer Point 2 - View from Ceredigion	Prayer Point 3 - From Carmarthenshire

                                          Tri-County Prayer Gathering - Conwy, Gwynedd and Anglesey - 5^th June 2010

 This is the first gathering we have co-ordinated in North Wales. We started the day in Llanfairfechan, a town on the north coast near the Conwy-Gwynedd border, where there was a revival in 1904/05. However, before setting out for the three counties, we spent time in the Upper Room of the Town Hall. Worship included the singing of Psalm 33 as the Lord led each one, followed by a moving presentation of how the 1904/05 revival started and then progressed in the town and at the slate quarry in particular.  After a time of prayer and consecration, we set off to the first prayer point in Conwy at Llanfairfechan’s seafront. There we shared communion on the beach and cast some of the bread on to the water (see Ecclesiastes 11:1), as a prophetic sign that Christ’s body was not only broken for us but also for the people of Conwy.  Some of the remainder of the grape juice was then poured out on to the sand and the sea, for the healing and cleansing of the land and the water. A shofar was blown and those in the group living in Conwy were prayed for. We then drove the couple of miles down the coast into Gwynedd where we parked at a picnic area for lunch before walking along a coastal path to a point which gave us excellent views of Anglesey and Conwy. The bread and “wine” were again cast on to the waters of nearby Aber river close to its entry in to the sea, with similar declarations for the people of Gwynedd as we had previously made for those in Conwy.  After praying for each county we could see, the shofar was sounded out into the Menai Strait and we then prayed for those of the group who were living in Gwynedd, both in rural and town areas. Our final destination was Anglesey and the picturesque town of Beaumaris, where more of the bread was cast in to the sea, before we climbed up to the cliff top which provided a good view of North Wales and the mountains of Snowdonia. Here we worshipped again and the shofar was blown. We prayed for those in the group who were living in Anglesey, ending our time praying in a circle of unity. 

During the day we prayed not only for the land but also for the divisions in the community to be healed.  This led to a moving time where two of our number representing different people groups, repented and embraced each other on behalf of those down the years who had caused pain and resentment to both camps.

There were prayers for the sound of singing to break out again in Wales and that God would move in the seemingly insignificant places again as He did in the 1904-05 revival. There were times when God’s presence was very evident. We were grateful to the local members of the group for their knowledge and encouragement over the course of the day.   
  

                                                              

                                                   Tri-County Prayer Gathering  near Ammanford - 22nd May 2010

This is not going to be a long report but just a few highlights of the day and how the Lord led us. The group met initially at Ammanford Bible Church, about five miles from the three counties meeting point, and we started off with a time of worship and consecration, before making our way to Bethany Methodist Chapel nearby. This is where the  revivalist Nantlais Williams ministered for over 40 years after his life-changing conversion during the 1904 revival and the chapel, which can seat over 800 people, was often packed even after it was rebuilt in 1928. The chapel organist gave us a short historical talk and tour of Bethany and she recalled as a child with fondness meeting Nantlais in the 1950s. After our visit to the chapel we drove up the Betws mountain road and to a point just beyond where the three counties of Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea meet. There we walked a short distance to a 13^th century hill fort (Penlle’r Castell) where we took communion followed by a time of worship, and scriptures were shared by different people which were later planted in the ground. 

We had very good views of the land around the fort and “land” was very much our focus – ".... Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever” (Gen 13:14 & 15 and 2 Samuel 24:25).  One of the scriptures planted was “The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world and all who live in it.” (Psalm 24: 1).  Another focus at the fort was the claiming of the high places, as in when “He (Hezekiah) did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done.  He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles” (2 Kings 18:3 & 4).  Click here for a short video clip O Land ...  

Afterwards we made our way down to where the three counties meet, and those representing each county were prayed over as they stood in their actual counties. Finally as a group we prayed for among other things the two street pastors in our midst at the mid-point itself.  We returned for lunch at Ammanford Bible Church and then some of our number drove down to Peniel Elim Church in Pantyffynnon a mile away, to pray for its building plans and its outreach to the community. It was interesting to learn that Peniel was originally a Sunday school “plant” of Bethany Chapel.  Click  here for video clip Swansea

We were blessed with lovely weather during the whole day, the tangible unity of the saints and a real sense of God’s favour on our gathering and what we through Him had achieved in the spiritual realm

                                                                            Redigging the Well in Trefecca  4^th November 2009

The theme for the final prayer gathering of 2009 at Coleg Trefeca near Brecon was “Revive  Your work in the midst of the years” (Hab 3:2 NKJV).  After refreshments, provided by the college, we began the day at 10.30am with a time of praise and worship followed by a prayer of consecration. After that at 11am we looked at the meaning of “Redigging the Well”, referring back to Isaac in Genesis 26:18, and then were given an historical account of Howell Harris’ life and that of the College, with particular emphasis on Harris’ Spirit Baptism in 1735 in the belfry of Llangasty church. It was this that fuelled his passion to witness to the lost  people of his area and beyond.  An account of a visitation of the Spirit among the College students and Principal in the winter of 1857 was then given. There then followed an up to date account of a current work in Brecon to reach mainly the young people there with the Gospel.  Following this at about 11.30 we spent some time in open prayer for ourselves and the college  to be revived and revisited, before splitting up into three groups. These groups prayed for  issues of local and regional importance (i.e.young people and education; the church and its  involvement in the community; health; tourism, and the army).

We broke for lunch at 12.45 when we had the opportunity to visit the small Howell Harris museum in an adjoining room to the one in which we were meeting. We started the afternoon session with a short time of worship followed by a talk on rural issues which play a big part  of life in mid Wales. We heard about the need to recognise the role of farmers and the difficult and often lonely 24-7 job they do in the midst of animal disease and falling milk  prices.  Howell Harris had set up a Christian community in his enlarged home before it became a college and the many people who joined him there and in leased farms nearby 
needed feeding. This caused him to form the Brecknock Agricultural Society in 1755, the first of its kind in Wales. We then prayed briefly for the farmers in their current situation  before moving out into the college grounds at 2pm to regroup by a wooden cross on a grass mound to pray for the college. We had learned that the large weather vane on the college roof depicting a golden angel blowing a trumpet was erected by Howell Harris to symbolise a warning to the nation and a calling back to God in repentance.  In view of this, one of the group blew a shofar to the west (Brecon and beyond) as a prophetic action before we set out to prayer walk the village. We first walked to the south end where there was a small modern estate and prayed at the edge of it for the people there. Then we walked to the other end where we spent some time praying outside a very old building which used to be a college that the Countess of Huntingdon, a friend of Howell Harris and other “Methodist” revivalists of that time, founded in 1768.  The tradespeople at Harris’ community helped to renovate the building for it to be fit for her students, and Howell Harris preached to them two or three times a week. We stood in the front gardens of the near derelict building (now called College Farm) facing a plaque with four engraved angels above the entrance which we thought were significant. There we prayed again especially for the Welsh Presbyterian Church which one of our group said had nobody in training for that denomination at the present time.

On arriving back at our meeting room at 3.15pm we sang a couple of worship songs before dividing into three groups again, this time to pray for Wales and beyond (i.e. the Welsh Assembly; law and order; the Welsh speaking community; the rest of UK and Europe; the persecuted church, and Israel and the Middle East).  We finished at 4.15 having sensed the Lord’s presence with us throughout the day and His Spirit moving among and around us as well.   

                   

                                             Tri-County Prayer Gathering near Swffryd  23^rd September 2009

Our gathering this time was focussed around the point where the three counties of Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly and Torfaen meet. There was a real sense of God’s presence and unity among us from an early stage when we first assembled at the Rugby Club high up on a hill in Brynithel near Abertillery and, after having refreshments, we entered in to a lively time of worship. Two scriptures were read out after this, both from the book of Psalms – Psalm 84: 4-6 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.  As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs;  the autumn rains also cover it with pools. and Psalm 122: 1 & 4.  Brian our host, who moved to the village with his wife Gill seven years ago, shared about what he was doing on the estate with the young people and about his vision of a 24/7 “boiler room” for prayer.  In response to this, a further scripture was read out – Isaiah 54:3.  After a time of worship, prayer and sharing in the club, we set off up to St Illtyd where we prayed over Abertillery at the back of  the cemetery before walking up further for an even better view of the valleys below. There we prayed for Wales and for the local leaders. 

On the way down we spent some time in St Illtyd’s church where we listened to a CD of the history of St Illtyd’s.  Later on some of our group prayed by the stone in the cemetery which John Wesley used to stand on to preach 250 years ago.

Our next stop was the tri-county mid-point just above Swffryd. We started by praying for Torfaen before crossing the lane into Blaenau Gwent where we took communion. This included prayer for each other followed by a time of prayer for Brian and Gill, who were representing Blaenau Gwent, and for a young Swiss church planter from Lucerne who was staying with them. We then walked a short distance into Caerphilly, prayed for a representative from that county who was given a verse of Scripture - Hebrews 12:12, Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees, 

We then assembled at the actual mid-point to pray.

At this spot there took place a symbolic repentance and reconciliation between Cardiff and Caerphilly which had been divided following warfare between the castles of the two towns many centuries ago. We finally returned to the Rugby Club at 4pm for our packed “lunch” and fellowship, knowing we had had God’s favour and blessing on all our endeavours of the day.

                     

                                                      

                                                    Digging the Llangeitho Well - 4^th August 2009

After a very wet start for most of us in South Wales, the clouds had largely lifted by the time we reached Llangeitho in Ceredigion. We first had a time of fellowship in the old chapel vestry followed by a lively time of praise and worship. After that there was a time of consecration and a report of God’s dealings with the people of the village over the last 250 years. This culminated in the amazing scenes that took place in a field near the chapel when 18,000 people gathered to pray on 4^th August 1859 at the height of the revival. Amazing though this was, we realised that we were here to open up a well with our prayers in a new season for Wales. Scriptures were read out at this point including Genesis 26:18 and Jeremiah 2:13 followed by a relevant passage from the book “Digging the Wells of Revival” (Engle), explaining that it was easier to re-dig an old well than to dig a new one and explaining the difference between a well and a cistern.

We then prayed for the reopening of the well at Llangeitho and for two in our midst who were involved in going in to the local school, that the children of the village would hear the gospel and respond.

We then left the chapel vestry for a time of prayer walking the village, speaking blessings and more scriptures over those living there and their activities. We also prayed in the chapel itself and in the church where Daniel Rowland began his ministry. Finally we gathered on the field in the late afternoon, where we took communion, and afterwards, as an act of unity, stood shoulder to shoulder in a circle while we prayed for a new move of the Spirit to sweep the village, the area and Wales. Numbers 21:16–18 was read out.

The day ended with a late lunch and further fellowship back at the chapel vestry.

I believe that our praise, prayers, intercession and scriptural declarations that day will have played a significant part in preparing the way for revival to break out in Llangeitho once again.

                                   Redigging the Wells of Revival in Cwmystwyth  20^th June 2009

A year ago we used the village chapel vestry as a base for walking up to the geographical midpoint of Wales to pray for the Principality and for the local area (see last year’s report.. This year we decided to hold an anniversary service in the main chapel (Siloam) in the evening in order to commemorate the 150^th anniversary of the 1859 revival. At short notice the Lord opened doors for us to book the Aberystwyth Male Voice Choir as well as a Welsh speaking evangelical preacher, Rev Meirion Morris.

In the afternoon we gathered in the vestry to worship, pray and to prepare for the evening service. After about an hour we made our way down to the older chapel where the local revivalist Dafydd Morgan was converted in 1836. The ruin of that chapel, now without windows or roof, has been converted into a garden, and the peaceful atmosphere there was almost tangible. We prayed, took communion and shared scripture verses. Before the meeting we had been given Numbers 21:16-18 and Zechariah 13:1-2, and the wells springing up became our main focus.  After taking communion the remainder of the grape juice was poured on the ground, symbolic of Jesus blood poured out for the people of this land.

We then made our way to the silver/lead mine ruins just outside the village where we once again prayed and read scriptures. One of these was Isaiah 51:3 “The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins…”.  We prayed for restoration in the valley and for the evening meeting again, that many of the villagers would come and that they would be touched by God during the singing or preaching.

 The evening service was mostly bilingual, starting with the well known Welsh revival hymn “Dyma Gariad fel y Moroedd”.  The service included an account of the 1859 revival’s origins in the Cwmystwth area, six items from the choir, a history of the chapels in the village and a reading in Welsh of Psalm 85.

We were treated to an excellent sermon by Meirion Morris who preached on the memorial stones of Joshua 4, and stated that it was good to remember what God did one hundred and fifty years ago, but that He was in the business of transforming lives this present day, and cited a young member of his congregation back in Llansannan whose life had been very recently changed by the transforming power of the gospel.  After prayer the service finished with the well known final hymn “Guide me O Thou great Jehovah”- to the tune of “Cwm Rhondda” before Meirion closed the service with the blessing.    The congregation of about seventy in all were attentive throughout, and afterwards many expressed their appreciation of the choir and especially the speaker.  Who knows what seeds were sown that night and what hearts were prepared and warmed by the revival accounts and the gospel message?   It was interesting to hear during the course of the evening that the membership of Siloam chapel, although still small, has doubled in the last year.
 

                                                               Tri-County Prayer Gathering  April 25th 2009

                                                          Bridgend – Neath Port Talbot - Rhondda Cynon Taff

Our base for this gathering was St David’s church hall in Wyndham, a village half way up the Ogmore valley.  About 30 of us gathered for an initial time of worship, consecration and briefing and then made our way up to the mountains above the valley to the initial point just inside Neath Port Talbot and overlooking the Afan valley. We were challenged by blustery, frequent showers, one of which was of hail as we sang and prayed over the valleys. The wind turbines were in full view and reminded us of the wind of the Spirit blowing down from the hills through the valleys towards the sea. There was a picture of rivers flowing down the valley also.  Those who lived in Neath Port Talbot were anointed with oil for a fresh or new anointing of their roles as intercessors, prophets and watchmen and a shofar was blown.  clip: Neath Port Talbot 

We then moved on to the actual point where the three counties meet, and those from counties other than the three mentioned were prayed for and the shofar blown again. At this point the sound of a siren was heard by one of the group, possibly, he thought, from a couple of radio masts on the hill opposite.   clip: Midpoint

Following this we drove down to the next county of Rhondda Cynon Taff where we declared in unison  Ps 24:7,8 – “Lift up your heads, O you gates;  be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle”. We began to pray in prosperity to the Rhondda, some of which we could see below us.  It was raining quite heavily at this point and then, a little later, a double rainbow appeared over the valley, one in the sky and the other actually on the land. We felt this was really significant.  Someone shared Joshua 1:3 (NIV) “I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses”.  clip:  Rhondda

We then climbed up to a vantage point overlooking the Ogmore Valley. There was a calling out to the Lord for the Spirit to move over the Bridgend area, and a number of the group representing the county were anointed and prayed for there.  clip: Bridgend    The shofar was sounded again.

At each praying point we sang “O the valleys shall ring with the sound of praise” which was a very appropriate prophetic song for the three valleys we had gathered above.

                                 
                                 West Wales Tri-County Prayer Gathering 14th March 2009
  
  Following on from last June's Mid-Point Prayer Gathering near Cwmystwyth, Saturday 14th March saw  the first of a number  of  prayer      
   gatherings that we will be co-ordinating this year, the 150th anniversary of the 1859-60 Welsh Revival.  
   This last gathering took place at the point where the three West Wales counties of Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire meet  
   and  where two rivers, the Teifi and Cych, converge. In contrast to last June, the weather couldn't have been better and twenty of us set out  
   for the midpoint from the vestry of Cilfowyr Chapel near Cilgerran, where Dick and Gladys Funnell have been praying every day for revival, for      a number of years. A report of how the day went can be found on their website ( Wales Awakening  click on Updates)
   To see some short Video clips click on  Prayer Gathering 1  Prayer Gathering 2                                            
                                                                          

                                                                  21st June Midpoint Prayer Gathering        

On Saturday 21st June, seventeen intercessors, revivalists and seers gathered together from different parts of Wales and Hereford (England) to climb up to the official midpoint of Wales. We were there to pray for and prophesy over the land of Wales. The actual spot is located in a stream near the top of mountains, 3km (about 2 miles) south of the village of Cwmystwyth, 22km (15 miles) east of Aberystwyth.

Before setting off on our walk we had assembled in the vestry of a large chapel in the centre of the village where we enjoyed refreshments followed by a time of praise, worship and briefing etc. From there it took us about an hour and a half to get up to the midpoint as our group consisted of people of various ages and climbing experiences. However, there was a real sense of purpose and unity as we fellowshipped on the way up. Poor weather conditions did not deter us from our goal and, when we finally reached our destination, we were rewarded with a good view of the valley below.

On Arrival (12 noon GMT)
We first gathered round for a time of personal consecration in readiness to receive communion and to enter into spiritual warfare and contention for the land of Wales – see Joel 2:15-16a. We then had a short time of worship before we partook of the bread and the wine together.

THE CLEANSING OF THE LAND

A bottle of red wine from Jerusalem was then poured out over the ground and into the stream to symbolise the cleansing of the land. It had been given to the group leader a few days before by a pastor from South Wales.
The sight of the red wine carried by the fast moving stream down the mountain to the Ystwyth river and eventually into Cardigan Bay, reminded us of Jesus’ blood being poured out for us and for the world.

One member of the group had brought some olive oil and that was also 
poured on to the ground for the healing of the land.

                                                                        THE BLOWING OF TRUMPETS

Judgment Warning

We then enacted Joel 2:1 after it was first read out.
“Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand.”

Shofars were then sounded towards the North, South, East and West.


Declaration of Victory

We then read and enacted Joshua 6:20
“When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed.”

The shofars were blown seven times to signify victory over the enemy – seven indicating the completeness of Jesus’ triumph over the powers and principalities of this world (Col.2:15). This was followed by victory shouts and proclamations by the group.

There was a final blowing of a shofar towards Israel.


CLAIMING THE LAND 

The group then faced outwards in every direction while Genesis 13:14-15 was read out. 
"Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west.  All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.” 
As Abraham’s descendents, this scripture was very apt for us as representatives of the Church here in Wales. The devil had stolen what should have rightfully been ours under God (i.e.the land of Wales).

    A time of intercession intermingled with celebratory praise followed, together with the sharing of scriptures, words and visions/pictures by    
    various members of the group. A common theme of the latter was the shaking of the earth and the splitting of rocks.

Some of the scriptures that were read out included Isaiah 43:18-21, Isaiah 52:7 and Isaiah 66: 9

     

                                                                                              CHAPEL REPORT 

A similar programme was followed by the couple of ladies who remained at the chapel. At lunch, however, they visited the ruins of the old chapel in the village, where they sensed a very special atmosphere. The Ystwyth valley was greatly impacted by the 1859 revival through the ministry of a local man by the name of Dafydd Morgan. He was converted in Cwmystwyth and later came to preach in this chapel. On returning to the “new” chapel, the ladies found the grave of Joseph Jenkins who was influential in the lead up to the 1904 revival. They had been told by the owner of the ruined old chapel that he (Jenkins) had been born in 1860, attended the old chapel as a boy and was instrumental in starting revival fires in his chapel in New Quay on the South Cardiganshire coast.

We would like to thank all of those who have prayed for this venture, and especially to a dear intercessory couple in Maesteg who have stood with us from the beginning.

We give God the glory.