Growing Christian prayer network seeks to Cover every UK street in prayer

NEATH, England – Seven years after Christian doctor Rebekah Brettle launched the Neighbourhood Prayer Network many lives have been impacted through this ambitious initiative to mobilize believers to pray for every street in the UK as well as reach out with Christ’s love to their neighbors.

At a time when countless people across the nation are dealing with depression and isolation this growing movement is seeking to see the country turned around through loving Christian community action and prayer.

In September 2012 Christian doctor Rebekah Brettle took to the main stage of the National Day of Prayer and Worship at London’s Wembley Stadium to share a vision God has given her as a child to launch the Neighbourhood Prayer Network.

“We want to see every single street in the whole of the UK covered in Christian prayer and we want to see people taking responsibility for where they live praying for their neighbors, caring for their neighbors and sharing the Gospel with their neighbors. Can you imagine how our nation would change if everybody even in this room did that.”

Seven years later countless lives have been transformed through this initiative and thousands of UK streets are now covered in prayer.

Speaking at a recent event at Lambeth Palace to celebrate this 7 year milestone Rebekah explained more about the practicalities of this initiative.

“We ask people to pray for their immediate neighbor on their left and on their right and across the way. So that’s three houses or three families. We ask people to prayer walk their streets as their walking up and down their streets, but we also hope that as time goes on that people will start to get to know their neighbors, so through the year we give people different suggestions.”

Rebekah’s husband Carl, CEO of the Neighbourhood Prayer Network gives one example of how one of their prayer practitioners literally helped save the life of their neighbors.

“She had a vision from God of her neighbor that they’d recently met, they been living next to each other for years but that morning she saw in a vision him laying on the floor. So she immediately went around to check if he was okay and he said yes I’m fine, invited him round for food that evening and he didn’t arrive. So very quickly she remembered what she’d seen in the vision that morning and rushed over to the house. And sure enough he was lying on the floor with a stroke. The doctors then said if she hadn’t come at that moment he probably would’ve died. He made a full recovery by the way.”

So what do these Christian leaders think about the significance of this ministry.

Tunde Balogun – Pastor The Kingsborough Centre, Hayes

“The result is staggering. So I certainly believe that God has a great purpose for what we’re doing and especially what we have seen here today.”

Carl Knightly – Director Faith In Later Life

“Of course this Neighbourhood Prayer Network people and colleagues and those on the frontlines go out and pray for their street and love their street. Hopefully they then potentially encounter those older people who might not know the Lord. So I’m looking forward to seeing how that works itself out and particularly working with Faith In Later Life.”

Jean Dobson – Hope Community Church, Liverpool