Bunmi Adekeye

Why we need to build a watchtower of prayer

When City Gates, llford, began a prayer vigil for a hospitalised worship leader a whole new season began, writes Bunmi Adekeye.

Not only are there various groups promoting ideologies, values and beliefs opposed to the teachings of the Bible, but it appears many are actively trying to exterminate the Christian voice. These are challenging, possibly dangerous times for the Christian who wants to stand unwaveringly on the truth of the Word of God.

This challenge, however, exposes a significant opportunity; the harvest fields are enormous, hence there is no better time than now for Christians to rise up in unity and be in the forefront of pushing back the darkness and sharing the good news of Jesus.

It is against this backdrop that the Lord stirred some of us up in City Gates, llford, last summer to start a watchtower of continuous prayer; and he has enabled us to continue in constant prayer for our nation, day and night for the last 12 months.

How it began

In June last year, with no prior illness, Velveta Thompson, one of our worship leaders was unexpectedly rushed to the hospital and, within a few days of being hospitalised, she went into a coma. The church's weekly prayer meeting was on the day that the news of the coma broke.

So we prayed for Velveta during the meeting and as we did so I felt a prompting in my spirit to set up a 72-hour continuous prayer vigil for her healing. Velveta woke up from the coma just before the 72- hour period was up and today she is fully restored.

The evolution

During the period when we were waiting on the Lord, a number of us began to sense the need to continue not just until Velveta's full recovery but also beyond and for a wider purpose. We began to grow in confidence that the Lord who healed her physical body from a coma is also able to heal our nation from a spiritual coma.

Our current state

Following a celebration with Velveta and her family at a well-attended thanksgiving service last August, just over 70 of us stepped into a new phase of constant prayer. The new group was aptly dubbed the 'Watchtower' based on the following mandate:

"To stand watch in unity and prayer as soldiers for Christ; to see his kingdom come and to push back the darkness." Isaiah 62:6-7 says, "I have posted watchmen on your walls Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night."

Our mission

• For those who are unsaved to come to know Christ (Matthew 9:37-38)
• For the Church to take back what has been lost (Matthew 5:13-14)
• For the healing of our land and for every agenda of the enemy against the body of Christ to be aborted (2 Chronicles 7:14)
• To cover those standing watch in prayer for inspiration and protection

Our vision

Our heart s cry is to see this tower of prayer replicated all across our nation from east to west and north to south.

A call to action If you feel the Lord is calling you to join this prayer army then reach out to us at info@ theprayertower.com for more details.

I have written a book 'On The Watchtower' that expands upon this article - it details our journey to date and how the watchtower operates. Paperback and Kindle editions are available online at Amazon.co.uk

Bunmi Adekeye is a member of City Gates Church, llford. She is married to Kayode and they have two sons.

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