What is a Prayer Truck? - den Boer

A prayer truck is parked in an alley in downtown Hamilton. This is a rented U-Haul truck, the walls of the box papered with blank sheet on which people can scribble, print and draw with marker or crayon or pen their prayers, praises, and requests. Or they can sit on pillows or stretch out on the carpeted floor. Or play the drum or guitar. A small fridge is packed with bottled water. Volunteers at the truck give away hundreds of bottles of water over the course of several weeks.

The open box of the truck faces out onto Hughson Street where several chairs and a sandwich board litter the sidewalk. The sandwich board asks, "Need prayer?"

Christians from across the city have signed up to be part of this GOHOP (Greater Ontario House of Prayer) initiative. I signed up for last Wednesday afternoon.

Other years I spent my time inside the truck praying for the city, particularly the youth in the city. This time I  sat out on the chairs with three other volunteers next to the sandwich board. A fellow with a guitar dropped by. Pretty soon we had two guitars going and someone on the drums.

Another fellow skate-boarded up with a banged-up guitar, "Here you guys can have this." He asked for prayer about an upcoming court date to do with custody of his young son.

A girl with a wrist brace came over.

We prayed for her wrist to be healed. "On a scale of one to ten, how much pain do you feel now?"

"It never hurt."

"Do something you couldn't do before."

"I can already do everything. See." She swung her arm around.

We prayed for someone with a girl's name and stretch pants. He had long grey hair and a bald head.

I talked to a young fellow who had just broken up with his boyfriend. He didn't want prayer about anything. He was simply waiting for a friend who was being prayed for inside the truck.

At the end of the hour and a half I wondered if my being at the prayer truck had made any difference. What did I do besides be there and join in the prayer that would have happened even if I wasn't there? I was probably redundant.  After all Jesus sent out his disciples two-by-two.

That evening three people gave their hearts to the Lord. The angels in heaven are singing.

"So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labour. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building." I Corinthians 3:7-9 NIV