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Acts 1:14 NLT

'They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus.'

I invite you to join with thousands of other Christians in a Premier Novena. The word Novena comes from the Latin for nine and describes the nine days when the disciples, together with Mary, Jesus‘ mother, waited for the promised Holy Spirit. They united in continuous prayer as Luke records in Acts. It is the nine days from the ascension up to Pentecost.

During these nine days the fledgling Church called out to God for power from on high so they could fulfil Jesus’ command to witness to the very ends of the earth. They had a specific focus given by Jesus and so these nine days are for intentional prayer. In 2018 our reflections and prayers will focus on the words Jesus taught in the Lord’s Prayer, “your Kingdom come”.

By committing to this Novena, we declare our serious intention to call on God for his kingdom to be made manifest throughout the earth. That’s why I encourage each of us to say the Lord’s prayer at the start of each daily prayer during our Novena. Pause and pray that prayer right now: Our Father...

This Novena seeks to draw God’s diverse people into agreement and, with one united voice, to pray for the same objective. There is great power when God’s people come together in agreement in prayer. Every day as I say “Amen” at the conclusion of my prayer, it will be both amplified and multiplied many thousands of times throughout the United Kingdom.

Finally, I pray that each of us, having dedicated ourselves to pray over these next nine days, will experience a fresh visitation of the Holy Spirit.

QUESTION: Will you commit to pray for the next nine days for God’s kingdom to come to the United Kingdom with fresh power?

NOVENA PRAYER: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, may my heart desire your kingdom above my own, your will not my will, and your purpose in all things. Give me eyes to discern your kingdom way, and hands that work in collaboration with your Holy Spirit to build that kingdom here on the earth. I entrust myself to you once more this day.