Celebrating Unity and Transformation: The Evolution of Prayer in UChurch

Jodie Cardoza: 0:00

The way that I want to begin is well, first of all, a question over the past five years, let's say I'm shaking too much. I love it. So how many have been to a time where you gather to pray for a specific thing at someone's house, where there's this sense of you know whether it's intercession or called prayer, but it's a gathering where you come to hear something that God is saying or you come to pray for someone, that kind of thing, and when you arrive, you kind of sit down and you gather and everything that's said. Sometimes you ask a history, how did this start happening? What's going on? And you get a bit of the story and then you maybe spend some time to listen and you start to pray. And so I would just invite you now into a moment like that where we're going to share a bit of history, but it's not just a four-year information kind of history, although maybe it'll be informative but to listen because we want to. We're doing something together, right, intercession or prayer, when we step into it together, it does something beyond. Just you know, inform us, or you know God will answer a prayer, but there's something that in stepping into something, it actually shifts the atmosphere. So that doesn't make sense to you at this point in time. That's totally fine. This will begin to unfold in our midst.

Jodie Cardoza: 1:27

Like Grant was saying, we're in this place where the Kingdom is here, and we're just discovering it in new and delightful ways, and so I just invite you in to hear the story. First, we want to lead out by just sharing a bit of the history of prayer and intercession in you church. The reason for that is where we want to go is to hear God together about what this looks like as a community in this new territory that we're in in the Kingdom, and it'll be really interesting. As I took some time to just jot this all down in preparation for today, I was like, wow, it's really neat how God's built. Just like when we're young, you can only learn so much, like you can't get the whole thing on.

Jodie Cardoza: 2:11

What is repentance or forgiveness? It's very basic with young ones say your story, say your story, you know that kind of thing. But as you grow, there's something in the heart that needs to exist alongside that repentance that you are starting to draw out. And so I think, just as a community we have been, and the body of Christ as a whole, of course, but we're just going to focus on you, church. It's been on this journey of maturing and growing, and so I just want to share that with you so that when we kind of get to just what we sensed is a real key for us of stepping in together, we'll all be on the same page, right? And so just to preface this all I think Brent mentioned it, but there's Donna Jen and I had been just praying over this Like, what does intercession and prayer look like, and what is the season, what is he revealing?

Jodie Cardoza: 3:02

And so we got together a number of times and we ended up talking to a lot of different people or just picked up in conversations with each of you, just what is God actually doing. And so this time together is really it's not the result of, because it's just one step of many as we go, because as you look at the history, you kind of go, oh wow, that was a significant moment, but it was really just part of a bigger narrative that God was laying out. So I'm going to start back to don't worry it won't take too long, but I do want to, just so you can hear. I'm going back to the 90s of the 1900s and 90s, and so I was really young yes, I was a teenager, and so I just I'm going to start at that beginning and I'm going to call this phase the beginnings and I'll just share what was going on at that time as it pertains to prayer. Back in that time I remember that I so wish Catherine was here. I don't know if her car was, whatever ended up happening, but you'll hear her name throughout this weaving.

Jodie Cardoza: 4:09

She is such a gift to this community as a watchman, as someone who has just held prayer in her heart. But back in the early 90s I remember coming and she had this giant book and it was the prayer book, and what it was is it would sit at the back of any kind of gathering and you could write down your prayer request in it, and so people would, and then she would take that book home and, whether she or she would gather, a couple of other people who were the prayer team would pray over the things in there, and that was kind of the first thing that I recall as being a significant, you know, just like beyond, just yeah, we say grace or yeah, we open in prayer at the beginning of the meeting, but she really had this heart to pray over the community and the family and pray for needs. We also at that time had you know, in the gatherings we would pray and that sort of thing, and that was it at the very beginning that I recall, as we headed into like the late 90s and early 2000s, there was a surgeon, there's a lot of students that began coming to the campus and then at that season there was also a number of people who felt called into full time, to be a full time missionary to the University of Calgary. Carl, chauvin were some of those Tash at the time Me, who else? Bruce, lenore, rowena, john.

Jodie Cardoza: 5:31

So this is that era of where we were all like we had no idea what we're doing but we were raising support and going out there on campus for the Lord. And this is a time of growth in prayer, not only just people but in prayer. And so I remember, carl, you being at the middle of some of the leading these prayer things. There was also an international focus and so our prayer focus went from just our community to the nations. We started praying over nations and praying over Canada and praying over campuses, and so our scope expanded significantly and I recall some prayer meetings where we would pack out houses where you honestly thought the floor might cave in and we would just be praying and a lot of the praying was like yelling in tongues. A lot of it was like praying just loud and groups, and I remember just like you can't even hear what the person across from me was praying because there's just so much. And then you'd like we all come together and like try to report on it and it was just like mayhem, but awesome. But also what is happening?

Jodie Cardoza: 6:31

We also had in that time in our culture what was called this was just in, as we were young and some of the structures we were given were super helpful to like learn and grow, and one of them was the hour of power. So this was where you were encouraged like your first morning or first waking hour would be with the Lord. And so I remember, like 6 am or 7, whatever time you had to wake up, you minus an hour and you wake up then and then you like try to focus on the words in your Bible and you pray and you spend time with the Lord. And as wonky as that was and as structured as it was, don't worry, we've prayed through all of the negative impacts of that. The positive is that this was establishing that this is important, like no matter what you do it. If you're going cross-eyed, falling asleep, I woke up so many times with highlighter on my pillow and a line across my forehead, but I was there in spirit for the hour of power. Also at that time on campus there were some key things Carl again was central to that, as well as Grandpa John Brant of just bringing prayer to like a corporate sense of prayer to the clubs, the Christian clubs on campus, and so there was just this growing sense of the importance of prayer and the breadth of it, heading into probably 2005, 6, 7, I don't know exactly. It's just kind of the order and I'm giving you general dates. You can correct me, yell it out if you think it's important.

Jodie Cardoza: 7:59

But there was a time when I remember Catherine started forming like strategic prayer, like these little groups that would be like well, we'll pray for what we feel like God's doing, and as a watchman, she was the one who would see ahead and she would. She gathered some people to pray. It was wonderful but also really hard for those because we didn't understand some of the other more elements like how to do that in a safe way. You know, if you start railing against the demonic or something like that and you don't have authority in these places, you know it can cause issues. And so it was like a. It was tough. They didn't necessarily feel like they made a lot of progress, but there was something in that gathering again that God was like teaching us and we were leaning into that.

Jodie Cardoza: 8:45

I remember we had priest service prayer at the time and Catherine one time well, on a few occasions would try to get us to like we'd gather and she's like everybody don't say anything for one minute. And do you think we could do it? Someone inevitably, would like have a scripture and have to. Like it was so hard to listen and be quiet. This is when that became evident. Like we were so used to stepping in discerning what we thought God was saying, like come and prepare, and we would just go for it and pray what we thought his will was, and so he was starting to lean into going. Actually, have you checked with me? That that's the thing. And so I remember that and how awkward it was in a corporate environment to be quiet with the Lord.

Jodie Cardoza: 9:25

So this next phase was, I'm just calling it. There's a deepening revelation or a deepening of prayer into our mix. And so this is when, the season when Ante-Olive was with us and she and Grandpa John, we had had this richness of generations like being poured in and what a gift we had. I know that for you and Jen, like Ante-Olive was just like what you needed in a place where there was, like all these young people running amuck and, like you know, like just how this all running amuck in a very godly, non-chaotic, biblical way. But she was such a gift and she actually, I remember she had a few visions and I was, and she would say, I see an angel or I see a big thing snake going through. And that was my first while I knew about the prophetic and I'd had prophetic words, someone who was a seer, who's like literally seeing this, I'm like, so you like, you actually see this. And so we began to grow in our understanding of like the gifts, and in a different way than what we had originally taught, which a prophetic would be a prophetic word that you got versus these other elements that actually help you see and discern the atmosphere.

Jodie Cardoza: 10:43

So in that season, I think that was one of the things that was happening is this broadening of, of. Oh, like God's actually not just talk to us in here, but he's like there's stuff going on out there that some are gifted to see and then we get to discern together Like, what does that mean? And you have to start asking, because now these are issues beyond your understanding. Naturally you can't just go look that up in the Bible and say what does it mean when big angel shows up? And so that was one of the things, and she really had a heart to see some key things like prayer established in our context and at the same time, just as a sidebar, which I think is really interesting is God had us going through a deep dive into restoring the foundations, which was learning about the interhealing and learning about the four ways that our hearts can get blocked and not receive from the Lord all the revelation and this understanding of who we are. And so in this, people would actually say are we an RTF church, and you know the acronym started flying around and and, but nonetheless it was such a profound time. So that understanding of the four doors, of, of, how, like trauma actually affects you, generational curses and blessings like these, these are things that just became generally known, and if you don't know what those things are, that's okay. You could probably look around and, and you know well, over half of the people would know that because God released this into our culture as a family and so that, I think, really affected, that was an important key for us to understand, stepping into the next phases and so In I don't know if it was 2011, 2012, some, or like that Ante-Olive wound up having a stroke and so it was 20,.

Jodie Cardoza: 12:34

Okay, so it was before then. Okay, I just yeah the video, I guess, anyways, so 28, nine, somewhere in this realm. She wound up having a stroke and I remember this Sunday we were all called together to pray. By the way, our church at that time was also very good at like something's happening. We would get into small groups in the big Amphitheater, like the theater at the university, and we would like on the awkward stairs and form groups around chairs, and a few people fell over and not slain in the spirit, like literally tripped on the stairs, it was. But we would like gather, and so we were really good at these moments of like gathering. I remember I was really sick, I had the H1N1, I was pregnant and I, just like, that morning, everyone gathered and prayed and I literally was like healed that day, you know, and there was an impact.

Jodie Cardoza: 13:26

But what happened with Aunt Olive is she was well into her 90s, 96, I believe, at this time, and a stroke is nothing you bounce back from quickly, generally in the natural. And so we gathered together to pray for her that morning and she, like long story short, asked Brandt about this story. It's quite cool. But she walked out of the hospital like the day after, and the day after we prayed like she's, like I'm good, I'm out, and they're like what are you doing? And so, and in that she had said that she believed that that all happened because God had something that we needed to learn about prayer that we didn't know and we thought like we kind of knew, like we looked what happened there, you know, and that we were just in that culture of praying and groups together.

Jodie Cardoza: 14:16

But there was more, because right after that, I remember in 2000, I think 13, early in the year, someone named Dennis Wedrick came and it was a connection through Bruce I believe Bruce Martin, for those of you who know they'd met at some conference and somehow he ended up coming and he was talking on the birthrights of nations and I just wanna find my notes here because this is cool. And so at that time he shared this thing about birthrights and I remember just being like this is so cool, like, again, this expansion of like that God would actually put something unique in a nation and in a person or in you know, like it just blew my mind. But he said at the end of that he said so I honor the intercessors in this house. I honor the part of this body that deals with the offenses and the disappointments and the accusations, the part that oils the wheels and keeps the toxic stuff from building up so that this can be actually a healthy church that the unsaved can come in and feel the presence of God and recognize something is happening here. You know that something is happening here. You're a healthy church and I'm thrilled that you're here. And I was like intercessor Catherine's used that word before. She might be an intercessor, but I don't know what that is, but I remember him using the word and I just kind of like merged it in my lack of understanding into prayer and cool, he's, prayer's going on. That's kind of what I recall thinking A year or so later.

Jodie Cardoza: 15:51

I don't know again the exact connections, but I know Brent and Jen were chatting with him about some stuff that was going on in our community. I think it was around that time that he actually moved to Calgary and he began to say he gave us this word, this amazing word, that we can share it with you. But it just talked about where, like the future direction of you church and some of these things were beginning to see and others wondering how on earth that will ever happen. But there's something in it that really sat. But he said you must prepare, you have to dig down deep for a foundation, you have to have the power lines. It was just all this prophetic picture. But saying you are nowhere near the intercession and prayer that's required for what God wants to unfold in your midst is the gist of it. And so we're like all right time to learn.

Jodie Cardoza: 16:42

And so at that time he introduced us to Marlon, who many of you know. He came in and he said well, I'll help you establish intercession, but the very first thing that's absolutely key is the lead pastors have to actually cover this and participate, and they are showing up at every meeting kind of thing where in many churches there's a prayer ministry kind of out there that's developed. It's not, it's connected to like they kind of report to the pastors. But both Dennis and Marlon said no, like you guys have to go, all in which they did, and we're so thankful because it opened up this journey of learning on a new level. So in 2015-ish, I remember Jen, who has this amazing gift to establish things and activate things and make a way, and so, like this intercession, you can't just suddenly go from not really understanding how to listen corporately, how to do all of this, to like, oh, it's established like what does that path look like?

Jodie Cardoza: 17:44

And so at that time, the pattern given was that each of the team leads would now like because we had at that time in New Church like a worship team and kids ministry and hospitality. We had all of these teams and the starting point was each of those need to start following the pattern that we were given, which would be I'll share that in a second but it was kind of structured so if you are a part of a team, you are invited into learning intercession, and we started using the word intercession to delineate from what we knew, but that was actually, in and of itself, part of some of the issues that we had later on, because intercession became this word that now it suddenly sounds like it's something very special and specialized and unique and if you don't know, if you're not an intercessor, you can't participate. But really what we were learning is how to corporately listen. Back to that comment, I said well, catherine tried to let us make us be quiet for a while, and we couldn't do it. This was now like next level.

Jodie Cardoza: 18:45

Marlon actually laid out a pattern that he had learned from Dennis and of actually we all get in the room together and you share, like okay, we're gonna listen for whatever context you church or for the worship or kids or whatever and then you would like literally be quiet for 10 to 15 minutes. Not that that equates intercession, now I think we know, but sometimes you just need like the stopwatch to help your heart like settle into something, and so we had these for a couple of years. That was the nature. So we followed this pattern of listening and then sharing what God revealed and then discerning together what that looked like and what that meant, and that became to be. That style became known as intercession, whereas intercession is actually just the word. It means to stand in the gap between.

Jodie Cardoza: 19:34

So we learned some tools for doing that, but listening prayer was, like, I think, the number one thing that we learned and then what to do with it. And then, once you discern that God's saying, hey, participate with me in the kingdom, and now we'll actually shift the atmosphere, make changes, or we'll pray into something to actually see, because you're now praying from his heart and he's revealed what the issue is. And so now you pray a little differently than we would have back 10, 15 years ago, where you come to the prayer meeting, obviously God's saying this and you just go at it and you pray. How delightful to have done that, honestly. But it's a better way when you're aligned to what he's saying, right? And so we had a few years of that where we developed the system of being able to report back and actually begin to hear what God was saying in all of these areas.

Jodie Cardoza: 20:26

And then I recall, and we also learned how to repent and actually clean up the past. So when and this kind of ties back to that lesson from restoring the foundations how do you be free from something that happens in the past, that was hurt, like that was harmful to you is. Often you'll go back to that place and forgive or repent of your pardon, forgive the people who hurt you, and then God actually has an amazing way, outside of time and space, of undoing the impact of that, where you can actually say that season doesn't necessarily cause pain in the present any longer. You can actually see it as almost as a gift that formed who you are and deepened your relationship with him, and when you can have that perspective, he's healing the past. And so we actually did that corporately.

Jodie Cardoza: 21:17

Over all of the thing, we started repenting and forgiving and praying for everything, right back from the beginning of the of you church and again following some of the that, restoring the foundations, like looking at the generation, who where did we come out of as a family? Like we went there, like we had we just and we. When I say we, that's not just like me, brent and Jen, or like there would be different groups of people and so we is just a. It needs to be a broader term because it was different people at different times, depending on what their pardon, the experience was, or if it affected them, or just God would just reveal names because we began listening Now almost there. So there's this maturing.

Jodie Cardoza: 22:08

That's happened where, in 2018, 2019, I remember, we were in a room like just a packed out living room at your house, with all the team leads, and we were listening and suddenly we were like, I think it just felt like the repentance was done and we were listening and not really getting any sense to go back, because there was a lot that God was wanting to do in our midst. He actually revealed no, there's a maturity coming where this can now look different the structures that had been established to build something. We saw a scaffolding that they were meant to come down and it was meant to be released into a broader group in a broader way, and not we didn't have to follow the exact pattern that we'd been given, where you listen For 15 minutes or 20 or whatever, and then you share and etc. So we felt a freedom to flow in it a little bit more In that time. It was around the time when 2020, when suddenly we couldn't gather corporately, etc.

Jodie Cardoza: 23:11

But what started happening was intercession was going on every night of the week, sometime in some ways in places where people in homes would say man, I'm going through something really tough. Can you gather and pray and let's listen to hear what God is saying. So that is a beautiful thing that came from the time. There was also some strategic prayer. Yeah, it was all on Zoom or sneak meetings and living rooms, but it was something that well, I mean, this went beyond. This wasn't just for that year, but the sense of like wow, this has now infiltrated our culture a little bit more.

Jodie Cardoza: 23:45

Now some I know felt that perhaps left out of that because they weren't called into all the ongoing intercession that was happening, which is part of the growing pains of the process, which we actually want to address very shortly. Just some of the things that happen as you're growing and as God is revealing. You're not necessarily great about communicating or ensuring people aren't left out. There's stuff that happened with all of the good. That was also maybe hard for some because it's like what is this intercession? Like I mentioned earlier, if I'm not part of that, maybe am I actually praying? It might have brought some questions in that season, but more on that in a second.

Jodie Cardoza: 24:27

So, basically, over the last couple of months well, since last year's summer for sure, we began sensing well, and it's been said continuously that we're stepping into new territory, that there's a shift going on the body of Christ and, of course, in you church.

Jodie Cardoza: 24:45

So what does that look like for intercession and prayer? Because we were feeling again that sense of the patterns that we had. We would have a weekly meeting, that sorry, not weekly monthly intercession time where everyone was invited but it was like the same people that we're showing. Then we started hearing like oh, I didn't know I could be included or whatever. So we're like I think something needs to shift because it's natural, like, as you've seen, prayer and intercession has shifted and changed all through the years. You grow and then God's like and here's a new thing, you're ready now to build on the revelation. So this is where we're at now and I want to invite Donna up just to share a little bit about what's been going on in this. The last, I don't know probably five, six months or so, and then we'll go from there.

Donna Chyz: 25:34

Okay, yeah, we've been praying that today would be led by him, and this verse just came up to me and I'm going to share it Ephesians 4, verse three to six be faithful to guard the sweet harmony of the Holy Spirit among you in the bonds of peace, being one body and one spirit, as you were all called into the same glorious hope of divine destiny. For the Lord God is one, and so are we, for we share in one faith, one baptism and one father, and he is the perfect father who leads us all, works through us all and lives in us all. So I just felt to start there and, yeah, I think, starting back in September, we just felt to pray about where we were going and Jen, jody and I would meet and we would pray, and we'd pray on our own and we'd get pictures. I've got a half a book of things that he downloaded to me, so I'm going to try and make it very short, but the one thing that I kept hearing was I want you to grow in prayer. And then, a month later, right here, I want you all to grow in prayer. So it was just very subtle, but just bringing us all together and I'd say to Jen and Jody, like how is this sitting with you? Because that's what I'm getting? And I just felt that what we had been doing on Zoom was very precious. So it was down to just a few of us towards the end, but it was precious.

Donna Chyz: 27:36

But there seemed to be life not flowing as much as it was and he just was bringing to us that. Don't think of it as a bad thing. I want you to honor the past and you can't step into the new if you don't have a past. You have to come from the past. And there was. He was calling us to just look at our past and honor it and then he would do the rest. And I heard him say come and I'll reveal my heart to you. And then again there'd be a couple of months later come to me, I want to reveal my heart for all of you. So there was always. It started out with me and it would end with all of you. So we would just keep praying and meeting and I had this picture of him wanting to reveal to us something together. And I said to Jody and Jen I don't know what this is and I'll share the picture right away but then we were praying and we started getting a bunch of names and like, yeah, I can look around this room and there was a lot of names we were given and we just thought what are these names for? And we just sensed that they were a part of a puzzle or we are a part of the body and we're not going to figure this out the three of us because we're sort of some intercession team. That's not what it was, but we were just listening and wanting to hear what he was saying and we got names and we either met in person I phoned I don't know how many people and Jen and Jody did the same and we just sensed that there was a lot of things being shared.

Donna Chyz: 29:37

Some things were like, yeah, that was good, but I feel like we need to go somewhere else. There was hurt. I felt left out. I felt that I wasn't heard. There were things about hey, I'm already doing prayer. There were so many things shared.

Donna Chyz: 29:54

So we got together a couple more times and just prayed about what people said to us and asked Father about what does this all mean? And the more I prayed, I got this picture that I was telling you about and there was champagne, there was cream puffs. And we were all in this room around these beautiful tables that were set, and I heard him say it's a reveal party and I thought what the heck is that Like? I've never been to a baby reveal party. But I think it must have been something like that, because behind a curtain he wanted to reveal something to us, but it wasn't for just a few people, it was for everybody. And I just feel so strongly that he put in my spirit that no one is to be left behind. This isn't for just some people, this isn't for adults, this is for kids, this is for everybody. So we just kept praying more into it and he just said I want you to grow in prayer individually and corporately. And he said come and I'll reveal my heart to you all, but I want you to come in unity and trust.

Donna Chyz: 31:39

So before I even go on about a little bit more, I'm just sensing that some of the things shared were about hurt and I feel like this is a time where we can say that if there was anything done by any one of us, we only did what we thought was the best at the time and we really, truly want to say we're sorry if anybody was hurt or left out, that they felt left out, because that was never our intention. So we just I think publicly and wholeheartedly want to say we're sorry because that was never an intention by anybody doing corporate prayer, intercession whatever, because he calls each one of us to prayer and we're a body. So we are sorry. And then I would get more pictures, and the last picture that I got was we were kind of like in a semi-circle and we had our arms around each other. Some people had their arms around backs, some people had arms around shoulders, but we were all together and we were being called.

Donna Chyz: 33:18

Because he said he's going to show us the way he's going to reveal this task, but he's calling us to come together because we're one body. So I believe we can step into this together. And you can tell the Stephen Hill books were out over Consecration Week, because I have a quote from one of his books and he says the Father has no problem with us experimenting. He loves to see it. So we are experimenting with this. So I'm going to give this back to Jody.

Jodie Cardoza: 33:58

So good Donna.

Jackie: 33:59

Thank you.

Jodie Cardoza: 34:05

One of the things that we learned as an important key in intercession and, like I said at the beginning, it's like we've been all invited together to establish something in the spirit and this is what Donna shared this sense of like prayers for all and then just a grace that we can step into that in the new territory and as we move forward from this point where it's just part of everything and we have all the resources we need, if we need to learn something, it's there. You don't feel like I'm clued out and I just you know, I guess it's not for me Like those things are all a thing of the past. However, one of the important keys that we've learned is that, as Donna just said before, you like a repentance on behalf of us to say sorry where you did feel left out or anything that was sort of felt off in it, where you didn't feel equipped or included, etc. So that's the forgiveness. And to give sorry again or intimidated by even the term intercession, you know where that would. You know that's not for me, and so where we created that atmosphere, we want to repent.

Jodie Cardoza: 35:14

But the other thing that's important in intercession is then to say for you to be able to release that. Or let's just take a moment where you know, okay, it's not like we just launched a repentance over the fence and like, okay, we're good, we're moving on. But let's just give a moment, because where we want to go from here is that if you can forgive or if there's anything else, just we'll let the Lord reveal it and then, once that's cleaned up, if you will, then there's this element of celebrating the past and stepping into the new together. Right, that's what Donna said and that's what we're representing where we can come on behalf of the family and say this is how it's going to be moving forward, because God has led this and so we want to do that. So let's just take a couple of minutes and reflect on your own journey in this release whatever needs to bring up before the Lord, and then maybe one of you will like sense to pray something in terms of the just expressing forgiveness, and then we'll see what happens there after that, all right, so let's just take a minute Father, we thank you for what has been shared, and right now, reveal to your kids, your people, what's on your heart in this moment.

Jodie Cardoza: 36:37

All right, I know that was quick and if some of you need more time. You can actually, if there's something really brewing, continue to listen and pray. You don't have to tune into me right now, but yeah, I just so in giving that space. Does anyone have, like, I just have one or two people. If anyone is like, what did God show you in that in that moment, you can come and share if you want. I won't belabor it for long, but if somebody does, it would be great to hear from you.

Jodie Cardoza: 37:09

Okay, so basically, from this point of releasing and forgiving assuming that's what would happen if not, please hands up and let us know, because another thing we learned as we go through this corporately is you like, you literally need to make space to hear what's going on for everyone and so you know for you. If you're like, all I heard was the kids having so much fun and you didn't get to focus on it, that's okay. That's why we're a community and a family. You know We'll tune in at different times and moments, but yeah, and so from this point, we just wanted to together say the past is the past and we celebrate. Can I say this yet, or does anyone have a check that they need to come up? You want to make the space Go in once. All right, come on up. I felt like there was something.

Sandy: 38:06

I think when we were just taking a minute there.

Sandy: 38:09

I am profoundly grateful to belong to a church family where there is such an enormous amount of kindness and humility and grace and I am so grateful to you guys that have gone before us in intercession and whatever that has looked like, whatever that has felt like to some of us, or how that's morphed and emerged and evolved over the years.

Sandy: 38:36

And to hear the story again of you church and to have you break it down to really tell the story of specifically prayer in this house has been so humbling to think that you guys not only plowed the field for us but now you're asking our forgiveness for not doing it right and for the things that you missed. And I just want to tell you how grateful I am and I'm sure I'm not alone and I was excited when I read in our email somebody who ever wrote the email for us this past week they said that we declare 2024 to be a year of prayer. And that just resounds in my heart because in that consecration week the thing that the Lord was saying to me or not saying to me, the thing that my heart was saying to the Lord, was Father, teach me how to pray. Jesus, teach me how to pray, and even though I'm on this journey of actually learning how to pray, even after all these years, I really need to learn how to pray corporately with you guys, and so I'm looking to you to teach me.

Sandy: 39:54

Thank you, guys. We love you. Oh, one more. All right, the Kiles are as one.

Dave: 40:16

So I've been busy analytically over there. Yeah, it's a new word. I made it up it's a verb version of analyzing, because that's what I do and I've got a little background to this. Donaphone was I don't know how many months ago and was talking about intercession, and as we were talking on the phone, I said to myself what the heck is intercession? Actually, I've been around the church for 40 years. What is it? So I went to my little Apple Bible and typed in a search for intercession and one of the translations I have no idea what, and about eight of them came up and as I looked through, in every case it was somebody moved with compassion, emotion, their heart to pray for someone else. That's it. That's really, really simple. And as you're recounting this journey, I'm sitting here watching a picture painted of how this comes about. Like he stepped you through and I feel like the last step has been Father Heart, where we have been moving towards connecting with God so that the love that's placed in us falls out of us.

Dave: 41:28

James said it gets to the point where God's love actually falls out of you and half the time you don't even know it. That was a really significant thing. And then I'm looking up something that I just lost here. Oh, come on, see, that's what happens when you drop your phone too many times. And there we go.

Dave: 41:55

Second Corinthians this, to me, closed the gap. Meanwhile, moved by the extravagance of God in your lives, they'll respond by praying for you in passionate intercession. The one doesn't come without the other. The first part is moved by the extravagance of God. So this isn't something we drum up ourselves, and I think we have all been in that place before, where we're trying to drum up within our hearts what we think we should be like and it just is death. And so this closes up. Moved by the extravagance of God, they'll respond by praying for you in passionate intercession, and I feel like he's been stepping you guys through for years because he's not in a rush, and now we're moved into connection with our Father, who fills us with our love, and this will just flow out of us. This is amazing and you guys have put in the footwork of all of those years. So thank you. And then I get to come in at the end with one little verse, and here's my contribution to the cause. But thank you so much.

Jodie Cardoza: 43:05

That's so good. So just one second here, that's awesome. So where I would? You can tell where you want to step in or not here, jen. But what I sense to do next is say, like I began before Dave came up, which was awesome.

Jodie Cardoza: 43:32

I think the definition of intercession will begin to unfold and I'm glad you brought up that journey of sonship, because the perspective from which we pray had to shift. We're not like these people on earth, kind of looking up to heaven trying to get God to do our will. He's actually bringing us to the place of being seated with him, seeing from his perspective as he reveals, and then our prayer becomes more strategic. Our intercession, whatever. Dennis Weedrick spoke on 21 different kinds of prayer and I was like, oh my gosh, I'll never learn them all, only to discover I actually do them all. They just named, they just got named, you know, like it's one of these things. But he's going to reveal this more and more in our midst.

Jodie Cardoza: 44:12

Can we together just maybe take? Well, first of all, what we want to do is declare that that past season, for all of its like I think you guys just did that saying for all of its foibles along the way, and that kind of thing, that it was good. It brought us to the revelation that we're at now. It brought us to this phase where we can now step in together into prayer and when we say 2024 is a year, declare that to be a year of prayer. It does not mean the same thing as it would have back 24 years ago at all. Right, there was elements of it, but it's a fuller picture now, and so, together, we want to step into that place and declare the past is the past and pull with us to. This is me praying and, if you're agreeing, this is intercession. This is us declaring together that there's a shift happening and we're all part of it.

Jodie Cardoza: 45:01

And so, father, we thank you that the past is the past and we pull into the present and into the future all of the beautiful blessings that you instilled, that you deposited in us as a family throughout those seasons. We thank you for the revelation, the growing revelation, that you brought us to this point, and we expect so much more to come that you will reveal more as we step in, as we now, as a community, make space to hear your voice together. This will also affect how we hear you in our own personal time and we just thank you that you have now created a foundation for exponential growth and revelation that you just as we're in your presence you will reveal so much more. And so we thank you and we're just grateful and declare that we are grateful for all those who went before us, all of the people who deposited things in our hearts, for all of the journeys. We thank you for Brent and Jen, for opening the door and all along the way, but especially in that 2015 time, to say yes, we are all in.

Jodie Cardoza: 46:02

We want to learn what this looks like and to make space for it in the community to grow, and so we, together and maybe just stand up for a moment we want to declare. Are we ready to declare or do you have something to share? Yeah, what do we declare? Yeah, so together, can we agree? Can we declare together? So declaration is saying something that God has given us to say and we establish it. We establish it through our words. Words have power. Right Words actually establish things, and so when we speak the words that are in God's heart and he's done the work to clear out the past to whatever degree, now there may be more, god will take care of that, but together, as a family, we declare that 2024 is a year of prayer. We're going to go, yeah.

Donna Chyz: 46:53

And I just really feel strongly, too, that all those pictures that I was getting and the words that we were getting, he is going to reveal to each one of us. We're not going to tell you what to do. He is going to reveal to us, but remember to step into what he's revealing to you. Okay.

Katie: 47:14

I missed the moment because the kiles came up, but I did want to encourage you guys that, yeah, just repenting on behalf, like that really did resonate with me because it was interesting hearing Jody talk and, having been a part of you church for so many years, I was having, I was laughing with Matt, I was having memories of like when I was a kid, witnessing some of those things and then being a part of some of them in different capacities. But I do think there was something that God needed to do in my heart and hopefully others too, probably for people that aren't maybe physically here this morning. But and then when Donna said, like everyone's included, I know like I'm caring that for myself, but for my kids, you know like, and all the kids that are part of this community, the ones that aren't here, but this excitement of what's this going to look like for their little hearts and their little spirits and to understand prayer and start to understand at that age. Anyway, that is something that, when we took that moment, was coming up for me. And then the picture God gave me which I hope this is an encouragement because it was for me Just I felt someone said, oh, and Brent and Jen opened the door and it's funny because I got the picture.

Katie: 48:35

I heard like a door click behind me, kind of like not just me, but after what we did today that we're stepping in, we're in, we're included, we're all a part of this. Like some of us were standing outside of the building or the room, whatever it was, but we've stepped in and the door is not a scary way where you're stuck, but it's shut behind you, it's closed behind you and you're a part of it and you're always supposed to be, and in some capacity you still were, but no-transcript. And when you're a part of the family, like there's no, you can just fully be yourself and be a part and participate.

Donna Chyz: 49:15

So anyway, I'm sorry, I totally missed the boat earlier but I just sense that there's some people who still maybe want to share something, so I'm just gonna do okay.

Jackie: 49:31

Okay, I think Doug and I and he's not here, he's not the robot we've been interceding for decades and I think we're just fatigued and I'm very encouraged that there is like outcome, and I think we're just fatigued from having to do it's such an intensive type of intercession we did in the 80s and then in the 90s and now we feel free that we can do. You know, from such good teaching, you know stepping out, coming to intercession, leaving your stuff behind. You know doing that, repenting it really is effective. But I think we just need to repent that we've kind of fatigued and not participated to this point and I think our fatigue was from not seeing any fruit at the end of our time interceding. And I think we're really encouraged that there's champagne and not that we need to do that specifically, but just that we can then celebrate the fruit of our intercession time.

Jodie Cardoza: 50:49

So wonderful. Yeah, oh, okay. So I'm just going to let you know like it's. Obviously we've gone over and we have kiddos to pick up or whatever, but also we want to hear from you in this moment. So if you need to go, just slip out quietly. If we'll keep it here for a couple more people to share briefly.

Christine: 51:18

Yeah, yeah, thank you guys for doing that this morning and just yeah, it was really beautiful.

Christine: 51:24

I just felt in that too. I don't like I'm just feeling emotional this morning for whatever reason, but I think in that, like I was feeling like there was going to be this big thing that I needed to let out. But God just, and I just want to share this too because I feel like it might encourage others as well. So that's why I'm sharing. But I feel like it was just like a little thing to let go of, and let go of the past and maybe any hurts that were in my heart too about feeling left out and just I don't know, like that we're a family and I could hear the kids playing and that might have been a distraction for some, but I just felt like it was like, okay, we get to enter in and play now and like this is just yeah, it was just very encouraging to me. So I wanted to share that to hopefully encourage others as well, that like we all get to enter in and play now. And yeah, I want to enter into that too.

Jodie Cardoza: 52:25

Thanks, Christine.

Jenna: 52:28

I will try to be brief. I prayed with Donna probably I guess it was in November, when she was just asking, I guess, to pray about intercession, and right away I just really sensed that the kids are so significant to this. And you know, you keep hearing like it's the next generation that's going to unlock the new thing and it's just so powerful. And I grew up in a church that was so small where you felt insignificant. But you kids aren't insignificant, you're very significant and you hear and see things in the spirit that we, that you teach us in ways that we don't even know. A while ago my daughter's not here, but she had just heard from God like something about two paths and there was a better path. And I was like Freya, that's actually in the Bible and she was like what? And it's amazing, these kids are getting revelation but they need space to be seen and to be heard. And it's not that we haven't done that, but it's in a way we haven't. It's looked differently, right, and not because we didn't want to, we just didn't know. But I really sense God is moving us into a place where we are going to be inviting the kids, not on a different level but on the same level, because we're all sons and daughters.

Jenna: 53:42

At the Consecration Week we hosted the end of the night, and I just want to share a quick picture because I feel like this is where we're going. So I saw this picture of. It was adults, kind of. There was a massive wall and adults were like climbing, kind of like they do in the circus right, one on top of the other to make a ladder, and then I saw a person climbing that ladder and then, when I looked closer, I realized it was a child, and it was the child that was let down on the other side of the wall that opened the gate, and so, when that gate was open, we were all able to enter into this new era, this promised land, this place of freedom, and so the revelation that it got was that it was two-fold. You know, it says in the Bible in order to enter the kingdom of heaven, you need to be like a child. So it was one that we are meant to have the posture, the heart of a child, but also the significance of it's the children that are going to be leading the way as well, and so I just have this sense to start bringing the kids.

Jenna: 54:39

Oh, and then I heard God say shake things up, try something new. Kids sharing their hearts in church in intercession, matthew 1914. And then this morning I just happened to be reading in Timothy, where he says don't let anyone look down on you because you're young. And so just to remind us, these kids are carrying revelation and it's up to us, because we are the parents, to give them space and a place to be seen and heard. And I, lastly, will finish with this We've been soaking with our kids for years, since I first learned about what soaking was, and it's been cool to hear what they've gotten over the years and to try and teach them, when I feel like I'm still learning all of this as well.

Jenna: 55:26

But I know Rob's a Big Mark Burglar fan. This is a great book. There's one for adults, but this is also a teen edition. I am reading it with all of my kids. So, though we've been soaking for years, this is also giving practical tools, and so what I was just hearing this morning is bringing back practical tools for all of us, because what is intercession? What does that look like for the kids and the adults? So, anyways, that's it. And just to say I just honor you guys. From where my faith started to where it is now is just because of the vulnerability. You guys have all walked in to hear from God and do a new thing and even when it's hard, even when our church has flexed, it's amazing because this is the foundation. I really feel like this is a strong foundation that he's building on. That's awesome.

Jodie Cardoza: 56:23

Alright, let's do a little dance up here, shiva, okay, and then after.

Siobhan: 56:34

I'll just be real quick. But I, just as I was sitting there, I just felt just the Lord saying that there's many of you that maybe haven't been involved in corporate prayer but you've been praying and he's seeing you and those prayers are so valid and I just felt like, yeah, I just felt Him saying like I see you, I saw you, I heard your prayers. Those were a beautiful incense, those shifted things. So don't stop, because I got that scripture. And when you pray, don't be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray, standing in the synagogues, on the street corners to be seen by men and I tell you the truth, they've received their award. But when you pray, go in your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who's unseen. And so I just sensed the weight on that. You know, I know God's bringing us into more of a corporate and hearing the history of the corporate and it's powerful. But the hidden place of the prayers of the saints is really what's shifting the atmosphere. Whether you're seen or unseen, God sees.

Jodie Cardoza: 57:39

Oh, so great, All right. So I know some of you may have more to share and I don't know how like write it down. We'll send out an email with any joint things or joint thoughts. We would love to capture those things, but I just want to summarize now. I think it's so cool.

Jodie Cardoza: 58:00

I wanted to share just some of the key things that we do know that God has revealed, and I think everyone who came up touched on one of them. So one is corporate, is important, but so is the secret place. We know that God is going to be birthing or growing both of those things and that's really important. The other thing is the importance of teaching. We know that in many ways that this needs to be taught and we need to actually bring it to the forefront and talk about it and help us to grow and mature through teaching. We know that it's generational, so I love that. We know that the kids, all the way to the oldest, need to be involved together in ways and whether it's like in every single meeting or there's certain times for kids and other but just that all generations have a part to play in this and that there's more that we have to learn about like this. You know they're just words, but intercession and prayer and listening together, and so I guess it's kind of tied to teaching, but all of these things are what God's revealed. And then the last point is that he's going to give things to you to do, and they don't have to be corporate, put on the UChurch website, though obviously that's practical if you need the help to do it, but it's more just like let's see how this unfolds and share what's in your heart, because connections can be made. We're not going to just start a bunch of initiatives that are like the corporate UChurch initiatives. They all come from all of us hearing this and stepping in. So what we're going to do now is the last part of what we always do in these meetings together, and that is just close it.

Jodie Cardoza: 59:37

And well, just join me together, because this is also an important thing that we've learned through the years, when we gather together to pray.

Jodie Cardoza: 59:44

So, father, we thank you for what you have done in this time and in this space that you set aside, as when we opened up, we just sensed that we were stepping into a place to do business with you, and so we thank you that what you have established in the Spirit will remain, and that anything that is not of you, that it can just fall to the ground. But we thank you, father, that the seeds that have been planted would grow to fruition. The things that you are going to bring forth out of this will come to fruition. We also now just pray over every person here and everything associated to their name. We just bind down any retaliation, anything that would come against because of the time of prayer and intercession today. We thank you, father, that we are hidden under your wing. Your word says that, that we are hidden in a safe place when we come to do business with you, and so we thank you for today. We thank you for what you've established. We thank you for every person here, amen.

Donna Chyz: 1:00:41

But I know he's put some things on Jen's heart and she's gonna share those with you. But remember to step into what he's revealing to you, Okay.

Jennifer Reding: 1:00:53

I totally, and I was gonna say that, donna, but I do. That was really a special moment, like what Jodi led us into. Just there's a solemnly about. I Think there's something about the power we learned about the power of the prayer, of agreement and declarations, and I think in my heart, as we were saying, 2024 is the year of prayer, it's also we want to see prayer grow and an increase in our community and with each other is. Are we in agreement with that as well? Like, I mean, obviously 20 year without means that, but just breaking it down, that we want to be involved and see it grow in each one of us and each one of us with each other. And you know, this has been so beautiful listening to Jodi and Donna and I think they've said most of it.

Jennifer Reding: 1:01:44

I had of some practical things because I got to pray with them maybe four times this fall and then into the new year. And you know, because the Bible is isn't a teaching, but the Bible does say Colossians 4, to devote yourselves to prayer. And and in First Timothy 2a says, therefore, I want a holy man everywhere to lift up hands in prayer, without disputing it. Says later in Colossians 4, 12 that epiphras. I don't know who he is, but he's always wrestling for you in prayer, like how much do we do that for each other? I know we do. I'm not trying to speak a good naming word, but it's like the importance. The Bible is peppered With exhortations and encouragement that there needs to be lots of prayer and pray continually, right first, thessalonians 5 17 pray continually, and that it's easy and that we're all to do it. And I think that's just the point that I was wanting to emphasize but it's already been said is that I think prayer has to get out there, everyone all the time, in different ways, not just our monthly zoom call thing. That was what we actually felt and it was, I'll be honest. But don't have got the picture in September that it was done. I struggled initially that the once a month zoom prayer was because there was beautiful, precious times, presence, but yet you could see how God's hand wasn't on it any longer because we were down to maybe four people or three people and so.

Jennifer Reding: 1:03:18

But the sense is that prayer needs to happen everywhere, lots of ways, what. Lots of different places. And In some ways I'm not saying you have to do anything by any means. This is what God be, what God puts on your heart, but that everyone involved, not just for a few who you might view as elite intercession Sessors. And how can I do that right? So this isn't a teaching on prayer. I've had these scriptures come to me over this fall, so I hope I'll get to do a teaching on prayer and intercession in the different at some time.

Jennifer Reding: 1:03:49

But we need prayer. And then I I even heard Bill Johnson say about a week ago, like you can think, I don't know how to pray, the Holy Spirit teaches us. We all have Holy Spirit. Romans 8, 26 we don't know how to pray, he teaches us. So it's really simple. And the word that was coming to me and it also came to Catherine Williams when I talked with her on the phone for about an hour Was grassroots. I was getting that off, grassroots level and to me this means Like again, like I said, not just for elite few who gonna commit to want some, but everyone in some way, whether it's an hour zoom call once a month or it's Praying more in your home groups, making sure prayers incorporated into your home groups or a prayer meeting at night.

Jennifer Reding: 1:04:32

But After Donna shared the reveal and I, you know, like I said, I had to just like get witness from Holy Spirit. Yeah, we got a drop what we were doing, because there's new. Then, all of a sudden, father started populating me with ideas. And you know he's in us, we're in him, but it wasn't like I was in deep prayer and getting these ideas. But you know he's in us, weren't him? So as I prayed, it's like I bore witness. So I'm not saying that any of you have to do any of these things, as Donna said, but these are just things that came to me as different ways we could get prayer out there more and be more involved in prayer.

Jennifer Reding: 1:05:13

One hour a week, zoom calls. Maybe you're a business person downtown, but you could devote a lunch hour. Doesn't even matter if you don't work downtown, you can still devote a lunch hour. And I had this thought you know, instead of one some months, three hours of prayer. If we had this is just a thought, not saying this is gonna happen or I know but if we had four different people initiate that one hour a week there's four weeks in a month if four different people at least in issue, we'd have four hours of prayer for each other and the church and whatever our neighbors going on in a month.

Jennifer Reding: 1:05:56

So just an idea moms with young kids Meeting in living rooms while your kids are playing if they're preschoolers, you know, or not even preschoolers, I know. Our previous pastor and I did that for a whole year on a Wednesday, but our kids were all really compatible. We would pray. You could meet on a playground and pray. I was looking and thinking I just added this the junior hire and the teenagers like this isn't just for us grown-ups like there's so many of you with a heart for God that can initiate a one-hour prayer time with your friends and and maybe that's over zoom too, you know, or maybe it's your parents have to drive you to get together. I don't know, but there's so many ways. Imperson prayer meetings in a home in an evening. I Mean we're just, I'm just thinking like groups of four or five, it doesn't matter the number, right?

Jennifer Reding: 1:06:52

Pre-service prayer this we used to have this when Catherine Williams led it, and Lance has been sharing with me how he really notices when he wants to lead us and the anointing on him and lead us into presence. He would really appreciate that we meet, be, have beforehand and pray, so, and then there's another one there. The two things that came to my mind were the one-hour zoom prayer, one hour a week, different people, initially those. But the other thing was the 24-7 prayer. Have you heard about that? So let's see if I can explain it. If there's 24 hours in a day and there's seven days in a week, so you have a sign-up shoot, and our church did this for a period of time. Brandt, how long was it? Six months, we did it. And you sign up to take a one-hour time slot.

Jennifer Reding: 1:07:45

Now, I know that could sound a little overwhelming. What do I pray for for an hour? But you do. You take a night and one away, maybe after your kids go to bed. Some people took the middle of the night, during the day. If you're not working and If we had enough people, which I don't think we will right now, but it still would be very significant. You have so much prayer for our church, for our communities, going on in a week.

Jennifer Reding: 1:08:10

So just an idea, and I'm just gonna say the topics, like. We won't dictate, but Of course it's like for each other, of course it's for needs, it's for Our community, our community of faith, our leaders. It says to pray for your leaders in our community. I know I feel ill-silly, that's me, but you know, for a co-worker, for a neighbor, you have a heart for that, doesn't know the Lord, a family member and I mean these were not gonna dictate, of course, but there's the whole gamut. But I even had this thought wouldn't it be neat if just in this one hour time you covered those three areas? Wow, what a blessing.

Jennifer Reding: 1:08:54

So I'm gonna say, because I present, have felt to present this, I'm been praying about this all fall. I can't say these things and not ask all what I'm to do. So I am actually feeling quite strongly led to start a one-hour zoom call once a month over a noon hour Right now. I think it'll be the second Thursday of the month and so I love people to join, but I'd also love you know I realize that you may not be ready to say I'm gonna commit to this right now, but I'm hoping that through this time this morning, as we've shared, that your hearts have been stirred. I can tell your hearts have been stirred, but stirred to start saying what's my part or how am I involved? And I get it like you, maybe you're already running leading a home group Just to be. Maybe it's already happening that you're gonna incorporate prayers part of it. So that's about it.

Jennifer Reding: 1:09:55

I do want to say I am a teacher type who breaks Difficult things. Oh, I just wanted to give one practical. Do you want to share Mm-hmm, us me, yeah, or Jody or Donna? I Wanted. That kind of relates to what I was gonna say. I don't expect people to know necessarily today, but I have sign-up sheets at the back and that is only so that you don't just we end and you just forget. But I made all kinds of things like I like to initiate a group. I'd like to start an evening prayer group. I'd like to be part of one. I'm interested in this 24-7 thing and we're not saying we're gonna start it, but I Would really appreciate if you could, yes, visit and pray for each other, but go look at those and just See what the Lord has for you.

Jennifer Reding: 1:10:53

I have one more thing to say and I thank you so much for sharing that this is like Gotta come from us, and that was confirmation and answer to Tara's question. I did want to just share, like you don't have to tell us that you're initiating a prayer, like we just want this to happen, but in some ways it would be beautiful if so we would know. That would encourage us. Okay, hey, you know it would encourage us who have felt this, but it would also allow us to let others know. So Do you understand what I'm saying? We're not telling you what to do. We're not saying you have to tell us, but it's just beautiful if you do. In some ways, cuz is encouragement that people can get directed to those groups as well.