Maranatha Pointers – May 2026

Pointers from the Maranatha Online Gathering on 3^rd May 2026

For those who were unable to join our gathering, a recording is available on the watch page of this website.

With so much happening in the world and so many areas of concern that could occupy our minds and be a subject for prayer, we were reminded again, at the start of our gathering, that the Lord continues to call us to ‘ASCEND’ before we consider how He wants us to ‘ADVANCE’.  The Lord has been speaking to us about the need to pay more attention to our heart.

Jesus says, ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me…. I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” (Jn 14.1, 27).

In the context of our spiritual walk, it is important to differentiate between our heart, mind and gut.

• Mind – this is the major battleground in our lives. Our minds are vulnerable to worry, anxiety, oppression and more. Scripture makes clear that our minds need to be renewed. Living from our minds is a strain. Faith based in the mind is a conscious belief, but probably not able to move mountains!
• Gut – the seat of our emotions, which is vulnerable to circumstances, good or bad news, environmental factors and so much more.
• Heart – is the command and control centre of our lives. It is the seat of our will. When we are born again as believers in Jesus we get a new heart on which God’s Word is written. Jesus lives in our hearts through His Spirit. Our hearts, therefore, are the place of God’s Word, Counsel and Presence in our lives.  Our heart can be at peace when our minds are troubled and our hearts have the capacity to bring turbulent feelings into the control of Jesus.  Living from our hearts anchors us in a secure place where Jesus is the centre. It is where our feelings and thoughts can be sifted and brought into alignment with Him. Our hearts are wounded, but we can unite them with the wounded heart of Jesus and enter into a healing heart relationship with Him. It is in our hearts that we truly hear Jesus’ voice. Worship from our hearts is key in our relationship with Him. 

Our oneness in Christ is forged through the living presence of Jesus in every heart. As our hearts are joined, so the heart of the Body of Christ is expanded and, as we respond with oneness of heart to troubles and challenges, the heart of Christ’s Body is stretched and increased in capacity. In a world beset with crisis and fragmentation, the enemy seeks to instill dismay and discouragement, causing hearts to fail. We are called to be ambassadors of Christ, with hearts full of confident hope and expectation. The word encouragement means to strengthen one’s heart. We should intentionally encourage ourselves through God’s Word and actively encourage one another.

Spending time in God’s presence, taking His Word into our hearts and offering Him the worship of our hearts should be a priority in our personal lives and in our corporate journey together. In this way our hearts are synchronised with the heart of Christ and our will aligned with His will. Research has shown that the hearts of those singing together in a choir become synchronised – a deeper level of harmony!

Our hearts are also nourished by beauty – the beauty of creation, music. A word was given: ‘You are surrounded completely by My beauty. Such perfection. This is My creation. You are My creation. I am perfecting you for My glory.’

We are encouraged to pray regularly for our own hearts and for the heart of the Bride of Christ: Lord, strengthen and heal my heart. A further prayer for our hearts may be found in a NEW Maranatha Prayer Folder: ‘Prayers for Ascended Worship’ – available on our website here.

A song was given to one of our members: ‘Don’t be afraid, I will not forsake you. Don’t be afraid, I will never leave you. For I’ve set you free. Come walk with Me and we shall always be together.’

Resolutions & Declarations
A small group has been working on the preparation of a new ‘Maranatha Prayer Manual’, based on the ‘Resolutions’ given to the Community at a special gathering last November. This new publication is now being finalised and will be circulated very soon. It sets out the way in which the Lord is calling us to ADVANCE and includes a daily pattern of Declarations, prayers and practical action to be taken. These Resolutions and Declarations are already being used during our weekday times of worship – ‘Morning Ascent’.

Prayer for our Jewish neighbours
The final prayer of our gathering was for God’s people – the Jewish people, especially in the UK. We prayed for their protection, using Psalm 91, and blessed them, using Num 6.24-26. Let’s continue to pray in this way daily.

For details about forthcoming Maranatha Day Gatherings and Weekends see the Calendar page.