Report on Maidstone SEV hearing: Pray for those in authority

Thank you for praying and acting around last Thursday’s public hearing on the application to renew the Sexual Entertainment Venue licence for Players. At the hearing, Neil Pattison and I gave evidence on the positive character of Maidstone’s town centre and the event was an opportunity to bless the town, its leaders and businesses.

Neil collaborated with church leaders from across Maidstone to make sure that the voice of members of several congregations was represented at the hearing by a lawyer from the Christian Legal Centre.

In the end, the licence was granted for another year. But more than the immediate outcome of the hearing, I sense that ground was taken in the heavenly realm as you prayed and spoke peace over Maidstone.

I cannot put this better than Neil does in the video below, so click the video to hear him explain:

Here’s an extract from what Neil says in the video above:

“…whatever happened we wanted to make sure that the heart of God was at the centre of the proceedings.

“We wanted to make sure that it didn’t feel like ‘us and them’… We wanted to make sure that they felt something of the character and the heart of God. And so even though this might be a mini battle that’s been lost, overall, we trust that it will be good for the town, and that as we continue to support and pray and speak the voice of God on His behalf to the Council and to the town, we will see the town improve…”

Neil says it’s important for Christians to be aware, and to act and pray:

“It’s a matter of making Christians aware of what’s going on… there’s a lot of people who do want to see change, to do good, but often they are not aware how to go about it.

“It’s about mobilising people, so they can understand what’s going on, getting them to pray for the good of the town, to catch what God’s heart is for the town – all of these things about the bigger picture are so vital: pray for those in authority; pray that those who are in places of authority have a heart for the town, that they catch the bigger picture too.”

Be encouraged: as we pray and bless the town, we keep gaining ground.