Last night I was on babysitting duty but my wife tells me that our evening prayer meeting focussed once more on our nation, but also the nations of West Africa. One of the most exciting things that happened in 2005 was us as a church beginning a partnership with the newfrontiers churches in West Africa. John Kpikpi is a real man of faith and prayer who heads up that whole region. His gentleness and devotion to the cause of Christ impacted us greatly when he came to London and preached at Jubilee.

The church is the hope for the nations of this world. There is no plan B. One of the most amazing passages in the bible is found in Ephesians 3. It proclaims that God has determined to use the CHURCH to spread everywhere the knowledge of the manifold (multi-coloured) wisdom and glory of God.

It is though individual churches are like diamonds scattered throughout the world designed not to have glory of their own but to reflect the beauty of the Son of God as surely as diamonds reflect the light of the sun which God made to light our day. A morning prayer meeting like todays brings light to the start of the day as surely as the sunrises we love to photograph. I need somehow to capture the light that I viewed this morning and take it with me throughout all that I have to do today.

Thank God with me for these wonderful words from Ephesians:

Eph 3: "Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."