Prayer-Walking Time #38: Artsy Fartsy

Thank you to Michael, Eri, Bo (first time!), and Stephen for the prayer walk on Saturday night. We had four nations represented and five people with one heart beating for justice and for the city of Kanazawa.  

This time we met at the Kanazawa 21st Century Contemporary Museum of Art, which worked well in the heavy rain and with the building's circular shape. We walked once around outside and a couple times inside. It's a popular tourist destination during the day, but at night we had almost the whole place to ourselves. 

As we prayed in the Turrell Room, which has an open roof in the middle with marble benches all around and out of the rain, I felt God's Spirit strongly and actually wanted to stay all night (I don't know if I've ever felt that way before about prayer, honestly). Stephen had started us off with Isaiah 61: 1-3 in English, then Eri read it in Japanese and Bo in Chinese. 

It was a wonderful start to our new year of praying and walking together in the Holy Spirit. 

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
    and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3     and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
    instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor.