Thurrock’s Nutcracker week of prayer for London concluded on Sunday afternoon (30 May) when Tim Harrold was joined by Andy Blakey of Thurrock Christian Fellowship (left), Colin Baker of Grays Baptist Church (right) and Aveley Christian Centre’s pastor Alan Field (centre) on the bridge over the M25 on the A1355 Stifford Road between South Ockendon and Aveley.
Although quite windy, the weather was clear. And although the M25 wasn’t particularly, it was still very noisy.
Tim had brought some mustard seeds (right) which symbolise both the seeding and growth of faith but also, Andy felt, had that sense being ‘cracked’ open like a nut would be – and a nut, like a seed, is 
planted in order to bring new growth. Nuts and seeds are symbolic of potential and germination.
We threw them on the grass central reservation and on the land on either side (below right).
Colin made the observation that the north stretch of M25 is built along the approximate line of World War 2’s outer London defence ring. We prayed accordingly, placing protection over the capital.
Colin declared Psalm 46 over the City of London:
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Come and see the works of the LORD,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
he burns the shields with fire.
“Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
We walked over to the Aveley side of the bridge, and so entering the western end of the borough that’s inside the M25, that ‘toehold’ into London. We brought Alan greetings from the central and eastern parts of the borough and prayed for Aveley and Purfleet, and Aveley’s relationship with South Ockendon, and that the M25 wouldn’t be a dividing line but, with the bridge, a means of unity.
Alan (left) said, “The M25’s not a marginal line, not a Maginot line, but a Majesty line”.
We also prayed a blessing on the Mardyke Fellowship – the western Thurrock area’s equivalent of Grays Leaders Prayer or East Thurrock Prayer. We prayed for all leaders of the churches in the Aveley-Purfleet-South Ockendon area to be able to work and pray together and for the people of those churches to come together in unity.
We also noticed a field with about five or six tethered shire horses next to where we stood (right), and discussed the fact that so many believers are tethered in various ways. Unbelief, pride and religiosity all contribute to restricting Thurrock’s Christians to low expectation in Christ; a small circle of influence for Jesus; and limited sustenance from the Holy Spirit.
For the unchurched, it’s the borough’s negative self-esteem; a sense of abandonment; and the uselessness of futurelessness.
The ‘Gideon complex’ of crushing apathy is the consequence. And so we interceded for the captives to be set free in the name of Jesus.
This bought a satisfactory end a week of M25 Nutcracker events in Thurrock and around the the entire M25 region. Many thanks to all those who helped to make this happen – Colin Baker for hosting the GDOP event at Grays Baptist Church last Sunday; Phil Anderson for the prayer flight on Monday;.the Boiler Room for the day of prayer for London on Tuesday; and to the Grays leaders and others who came along to The Old Tennis Court on Thursday.
Dr Jonathan Oloyede – the convener of Global Day of London – is eager to see the Nutcracker grow and develop as an essential wing to what God is doing in the area of prayer for London and UK in the lead up to the London 2012 Olympics and beyond. The Nutcracker is that outer line of defence for the capital, and what happens to capital affects the rest of the nation. We are in agreement that the nation has just entered a critical period of freedom for the church and a window of opportunity for Kingdom increase – GDOP and the Nutcracker are just two ways in which the Church can access and make happen the prophetic destiny of the UK.
Let’s crack this nut. Together.
