Lets face it.  Prayer is difficult.

So why do it?  

Because our hearts are aching for an authentic relationship with God and prayer is our only connection.  Our prayers and worship dance together taking us on a lifechanging journey that will last for eternity.  Our identity, our desires, our gifts, our joy, our purpose is hidden in God and revealed through prayer.  Miracles happen when we pray.  Lives are changed forever including our own.  Once we have tasted the goodness of the love of God we will never be the same again.

Learning to hear God's voice is the key, being in tune with the Holy Spirit, so when we pray we begin to discern God's will.  Like Mary we sit at the feet of Jesus listening to his heart, his desires to share his love, his compassion to those in need.  Our hearts break with what breaks his.  We recieve deep healing, our lives are transformed, our characters are changed to be more Christ like, we find deep joy, we start to see in the supernatural, we see the needs of others.  Our prayers become powerful.  We see things changing.  We begin to live every moment worshipping God, sharing the gospel and bringing healing and justice to the world.

Why Pray?

Because we need miracles more than we need strategies
Because the world is a vacuum waiting to be filled
Because the MTV generation is lost in space
Because we've seen the end of the movie
Because this is not the dress rehearsal
Because the poor are getting poorer
Because we're aliens in the world
Because we're too sensible
Because boredom is sin
Because he's worth it

Try it!

When we run out of things to say that is when we really start to pray.

Try praying for more than 10 minutes.  Take a walk at sunset and talk out loud.  Have a conversation but learn to be still and listen.  God will speak to you.  Guaranteed.

If you are in the location of a prayer room and would like to help or participate in a conference or trip please contact me.

2013:

Karalundi Aboriginal Education Community. Curating a permanent prayer room and a Week of Prayer.

Youth Impact South Africa. Pretoria World Youth Congress. July 1-13 2013.

DECEMBER 2012 / JANUARY 2013:

World Changers Youth Congress. Curating a 24/7 Prayer Room for the South Pacific Division youth. January 1-6. Photos.

JUNE 2012:

Northern Australia Conference Camp Meeting. 24/7 Prayer Tent. June 22-30.

AUGUST 2011:

Brisbane, Australia - August 12 - 16, Curating a 24 Hour Continuous Prayer Room at Move With The Power III Conference (for youth leaders and pastors from 13 different nations). Photos.

JULY 2011:

Chattanooga, TN - July 29-31, Facilitating a True You/Foundations Seminar.

Packing and Moving to Australia. The end of seven years in full time ministry. The beginning of a new season. Thank you for your prayers as God leads in my life.

JUNE 2011:

Washington Camp Meeting - June 16-24, Leading Seminars and Children's Prayer Workshop.

Shakori Hills, NC - June 23-26 Wild Goose Festival Leading a fun Children's Prayer Workshop.

MAY 2011:

Chattanooga, TN - Website Launch www.TeachingChildrentoPray.com

Spiritual Healing Retreat away from Wi-Fi and Cell phone access.

APRIL 2011:

Spiritual Healing Retreat away from Wi-Fi and Cell phone access.

MARCH 2011:

Chattanooga, TN - Foundations 2 Personal Growth Seminar 2.

March 11 Facilitating Women's Workshop 10am at Connect Worship.

JAN - FEB 2011:

Orlando, FL Working. Evensong Speaker - The Blood Covenant of Love.

DECEMBER 2010:

Chattanooga, TN - Foundations 1 Personal Growth Seminar.

NOVEMBER 2010:

Nashville, TN - Youth Specialties NYWC. Helped Lilly Lewin create the Sanctuary Space and host a creative prayer workshop.

OCTOBER 2010:

Mars Hill Graduate School Experience Weekend.

Lecture by Rob Bell - The Art of the Sermon.

AUGUST 2010: Southbend First Church Week of Prayer.

Saturday, Aug 7, 5pm: Learning to Hear the Voice of God.
Sunday, Aug 8, 7.15pm: Movie Night
Monday, Aug 9, 7.15pm: Powerful Prayer
Tuesday, Aug 10, 7.15pm: Children's Prayer Workshop
Wednesday, Aug 11, 7.15pm: Healing Prayer
Thursday, Aug 12, 7.15pm: Understanding the Curses of Africa and Spiritual Warfare
Friday Night, Aug 13, 7.15pm - 9pm: The Blood Covenant Blessing.
Saturday, Aug 14, 7pm - Aug 14, 7pm: 24 Hour Prayer Clock in the Prayer Room.
Saturday, Aug 14, 5pm: Quiet Reflection

JULY 2010: Southbend, Indiana - Creating a Permanent Prayer Room.

JUNE 2010: Southbend, Indiana and Atlanta, General Conference Session.

NOVEMBER 2009: Malawi, Africa - Three weeks of praying for the people of Ekwendeni and helping at an evangelistic meeting. Teaching children how to pray simply so no witches came to them again.

OCTOBER 2009: October 1-4 Amsterdam, Kenya. Attending the International Gathering for 24-7 Prayer Leaders Europe
October 9-15 Women's Mission and Safari, Masai Mara, Kenya, Building a 24-7 Prayer Room.

SEPTEMBER 2009: Ireland, signing the Peace Wall in Belfast, visiting Newbold College in the UK.

AUGUST 2009: New Mexico, USA - Mission trip to Tarahumara People in the Copper Canyon Mexico. Sharing the gospel.

JULY 2009: Hawaii, Oahu - Preaching and working with prayer teams at different churches to change the culture of prayer at their church. Blood Covenant Blessing Ceremony at Manoa. Creating a Prayer Tree at Summer Camp.

JUNE 2009: Hawaii, Oahu - Childrens Prayer Rooms and Prayer Workshops, Visioning for a Permanent Prayer Room at Honolulu YWAM base, Preaching on Hearing the Voice of God.

MAY 2009: Hawaii, Oahu - Five week Prayer Room at Hawaiian Mission Academy.

APRIL 2009: Hawaii, Oahu - Unveiled 2009 Women's Retreat Honolulu, Prayer Rooms at Hawaiian Mission Academy.

MARCH 2009: Australia - Prayer Room at Avondale School NSW, Week of Prayer. Workshop at a Worship Conference in Brisbane. Children's Prayer Workshop, Townsville.

FEBRUARY 2009: New Mexico, Corrales - Two Children's Prayer Rooms for NAD Children's Ministries Conference. Visit Navajo Rez to present $30,000 check for a new water filtration system raised by VBS kids.

JANUARY 2009: New Mexico, Corrales - 3 week Prayer Room with Cultiv8ers. Teaching worship art in the Academy Bible Classes.

DECEMBER 2008: Jamaica, Montego Bay - One week 24-7 Prayer Room at West Jamaican Conference Camp Meeting.

Thank you for praying for me as I share the gospel of Jesus Christ and his covenant of love.

What Nicki needs most is a solid covering of prayer as she is frequently involved in intense spiritual warfare as she teaches people how to pray and powerfully connect with their Savior and Creator.

For eight years Nicki has been in full time ministry receiving support from generous donations of those who believe in her ministry.  Money is not her motivation to continue this work but is needed for her ministry to impact more lives.  She often is surprised by God's incredible providence through people giving her free tickets or places to stay or cars to use.  Without these beautiful people following the voice of God she would not be able to continue.

If you believe in the power of this ministry and would like to sponsor a mission trip or a prayer room please contact Nicki. Would you like to partner with her to take the gospel to the ends of the earth?

USA
If you would like a tax deduction please email her for details at BlissfulMinistries@yahoo.com

As of August 2011 Nicki will be living in Australia for a time working to raise money for graduate school. She will also continue to raise money for curating prayer rooms, going on prayer mission trips and working with the GC on a Youth Congress in Pretoria in July 8-20, 2013.

AUSTRALIA
If you would like to make a donation at Westpac Bank:
NAME: Nicola Carleton
BSB: 734-076/4076
Account: 52-4321

Please email me letting me know what the donation is specifically for. Thank you so much!

Thank you to all those generous sponsors who have helped to share the gospel with me to God's precious children around the world.  The children below are in a village near Creel, Chihuahua Mexico.  We took the gospel in their language Tarahumara to villages throughout the Copper Canyon.

EMAIL: BlissfulMinistries@yahoo.com
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/nickicarleton
BLOG: https://www.adoredandtreasured.blogspot.com/

NEWSLETTER: Sign up to receive an 'every now and then' newsletter with miraculous stories of her adventures with God by emailing Nicki at the address above.

AUSTRALIAN POSTAL ADDRESS:
21 St James Ct
Eagle Heights Queensland 4271

For Nicki's current location please see Events Page.

Almost since the beginning of time the Blood Covenant has been the symbol of redemption.  Why all the blood and gore?  It is a profound mystery why God chose this incredibly deep ceremony to illustrate his love for us.  The Blood Covenant is divided into three parts.

The Hebrew Blood Covenant represents the Old Covenant found in the Old Testament.  The first Blood Covenant is found in the garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sinned and God killed an animal for their covering.  A detailed description is found in the story of David and Jonathan - and ends beautifully in Davids commitment to take care of Jonathans family forever inviting Mephibosheth to eat at his table instead of hiding in a cave.  Abram and Sarai entered into a covenant with God changing their names to Abraham and Sarah. There were rules associated with this covenant and if you entered into this covenant the sign was circumcision.  The Sanctuary and Ten Commandments were also symbolising how the Old Covenant would be fulfilled.

Jesus fulfilled the Old Covenant completely at the cross.  The reason Jesus had to die was because Adam had broken the covenant and because we were his decendants so had we - so we were all supposed to die becuase we have broken the covenant.  If someone broke the covenant they had to die - it was as simple as that.  If you turned your back on the agreement of the covenant and rejected it - you had died.  So he took the blame on behalf of all his created people and shed his blood to fulfill the agreement because of God's great love for us.  This finalized the old covenant.

As Jesus died on the cross a New Covenant was established that we, as his creation could enter into also.  Again as Jesus was 100% human he could establish a covenant on our behalf.  To enter into this New Covenant is our free choice and all we have to do is believe in what Jesus has done for us to enter into this covenant and recieve all the benefits of what this means including eternal life.  The seal of the New Covenant is the Holy Spirit.

The Nine Steps of the Hebrew Blood Covenant paralleled with the Marriage Covenant of today:

Step 1
Old: Exchange Robes representing everything that you are. You give your life to the other.
Jesus: He gave everything for us, his very life.
Marriage: You exchange your old life for a new one.
New: Recieve a Robe of righteousness in exchange for our filthy rags.  Even though we are broken and sin and have nothing to offer he covers us completely.  God does not see us as we are but through Jesus who wears a white robe of purity.

Step 2
Old: Exchange weapon belts which represents you pledging to protect the other person.
Jesus: He protected us from death by dying for us, He fought the ultimate battle with the Devil so we don't have to.
Marriage: You promise to protect and fight for one another.
New: God is our rock and strength and when we call for help he will protect us.

Step 3
Old: Cut the Covenant by walking through the blood of an animal and you vow never to break the covenant. As you walk around each half of the animal it is a death and rebirth process.  You die to the old ways and start a new walk with the new person.
Jesus: He died for us because we broke the Old Covenant and someone had to die on our behalf otherwise we would have been lost forever. He loved us enough to provide a replacement.
Marriage: The only way out of the covenant is to commit adultery or die.  Adultery is the same as death - it means you have died to the old covenant and created a new one with another person.
New: We are baptised and die to our old ways and are born again into the New Covenant.  We are aware that the only way out is to commit adultery/idolatry which is to turn our back on God.  Everything else can be forgiven but we cannot reject God for another.

Step 4
Old: The sign was circumcision. In some traditional ceremonies both arms are raised and the palms cut and the blood intermingles - you now become one life. In today's society we shake hands.
Jesus: You believe the blood was shed for your sins. He was your substitute.
Marriage: The beauty of sex is the profound symbol - two virgins on their wedding night. You promise not to commit adultery with another.
New: You are filled with the Holy Spirit.

Step 5
Old: You exchange names. Abram became Abraham.  He had God's name added to his own.
Jesus: He had many names. The Son of God. Christ. The Messiah.
Marriage: You are known by the same name.
New: We are known as Christians, disciples.

Step 6
Old: Make a scar in the wound as a permanent testimony to the covenant. Circumcision was a scar.
Jesus: He has scars in his hands, feet and side, that will last for eternity - as long as the New Covenant is in effect.
Marriage: You are no longer a virgin, in todays society some people wear a wedding band as a sign you are married or taken or 'in covenant'.
New: Being filled with the Holy Spirit is the sign of the New Covenant.

Step 7
Old: The Covenant Terms are read similar to the Last Will and Testament.
Jesus: He stood before witnesses and gave his life.
Marriage: You promise that all your wealth, assets, liabilities, children and property will be combined as one.
New: You receive the wealth of God for your liabilities.  You recieve eternal life.  You also have access to the power that created the universe that is now living in you in the form of the Holy Spirit.

Step 8
Old: Eat a memorial meal of the sacrificed animal.
Jesus: He was the passover lamb, he was broken for us.
Marriage: You eat the wedding cake and the wine. You are saying: 'I am in you and you are in me. We are now one with a new nature'.
New: You eat the bread and the wine as a symbol of Christ entering into you afresh.

Step 9
Old: You plant a memorial tree that will last a long time to be a reminder of the covenant. It is sprinkled with the blood from the animal.
Jesus: He died on a cross that we are always to remember.
Marriage: Children - the family Tree?
New: You become filled with the Fruits of the Spirit.

Entering in to the New Covenant:

God desires to count you as righteous, just as He did Abraham.  He wants to bless you with all spiritual blessings.  He wants you to partake of His very own divine nature.  But you must say "yes" to the covenant.  Not just carry on the traditions of your fathers.  Maybe its time you made your own choice to accept or reject the covenant that is available so freely to you. You must agree with God that you are separated from Him by your sins, and that there's nothing you can do to earn your way into the covenant.  You then stand with Jesus taking the Holy Spirit into your life accepting Jesus as the one who made the covenant walk for you. Just as Abraham did.  (John 20.22) We then become children of God by faith in Jesus, when Jesus puts His Spirit within us.  When you enter into the covenant, all the promises made to Abraham become rightfully yours.

The Holy Spirit brings you to Jesus who says," I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me.  The penalty for sin is death and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin.  And it's my blood you must accept on your behalf to become covenant children of God."  (John 14.6, Romans 3.23: 6.23)

Jesus says "If you enter into the covenant, you'll be known as my friend." (John 15.14-15) God is spirit and to worship him you must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4.24) You must be born again spiritually. (John 3.1-7) The Holy Spirit is the seal that bears witness to the covenant.  He is the guarantee and constant reminder that we are in covenant with God through the blood of Jesus.

Romans 8.14-17 says "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but we have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba Father.  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ…"

It is the Holy Spirit within us who is greater than he who is in the world.  He is our source of strength.  He fights our battles for us.  He cleanses us of sin.  When He fills us with His presence, we experience His love, His joy, His peace, His power, His grace, His glory, and His life flowing through us. When Jesus said "I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10.10) He was talking about his life living in us through the person of the Holy Spirit.  Therefore, we can do all things through Jesus our Lord who strengthens us. This is the promised land of rest God has made available to us.  All who will may walk in this land by entering into the blood covenant with God through Jesus!

John 3.16: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemened, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."

Nicki performs a Blood Covenant Blessing Ceremony for engaged couples or those who are married and are wanting to renew their vows. If you would like to perform this ceremony as a couple or at your church as a worship service please contact Nicki at BlissfulMinistries@yahoo.com

For more information on this profound understanding read "The Miracle of The Scarlet Thread - Revealing the Power of the Blood of Jesus from Genesis to Revelation" by Dr Richard Booker.

THE VISION

So this guy comes up to me and says, "What's the vision? What's the big idea?"

I open my mouth and words come out like this...

The vision?
The vision is JESUS - obsessively, dangerously, undeniably Jesus.

The vision is an army of young people.
You see bones? I see an army.

And they are FREE from materialism.
They laugh at 9-5 little prisons.
They could eat caviar on Monday and crusts on Tuesday. They wouldn't even notice.
They know the meaning of the Matrix, the way the West was won.
They are mobile like the wind, they belong to the nations. They need no passport.
People write their addresses in pencil and wonder at their strange existence.
They are free, yet they are slaves of the hurting and dirty and dying.

What is the vision?
The vision is holiness that hurts the eyes.
It makes children laugh and adults angry.
It gave up the game of minimum integrity long ago - to reach for the stars.
It scorns the good and strains for the best.
It is dangerously pure.
Light flickers from every secret motive, every private conversation.
It loves people away from their suicide leaps, their Satan games.

This is an army that will lay down its life for the cause.
A million times a day its soldiers choose to loose that they might one day win the great "Well done" of faithful sons and daughters.
Such heroes are as radical on Monday morning as Sunday night.
They don't need fame from names.
Instead they grin quietly upwards and hear the crowds chanting again and again: "COME ON!"

And this is the sound of the underground
The whisper of history in the making
Foundations shaking
Revolutionaries dreaming once again
Mystery is scheming in whispers
Conspiracy is breathing...
This is the sound of the underground
And the army is discipl(in)ed.
Young people who beat their bodies into submission.
Every soldier would take a bullet for his comrade at arms.

The tattoo on their back boasts "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain."
Sacrifice fuels the fire of victory in their upward eyes.
Winners. Martyrs. Who can stop them?
Can hormones hold them back?
Can failure succeed? Can fear scare them or death kill them?
And the generation prays like a dying man with groans beyond talking,
with warrior cries, sulphuric tears and with great barrow loads of laughter!

Waiting. Watching: 24 - 7 - 365.
Whatever it takes they will give: Breaking the rules. Shaking mediocrity from its cosy little hide.
Laying down their rights and their precious little wrongs, laughing at labels, fasting essentials.
The advertisers cannot mold them. Hollywood cannot hold them.
Peer-pressure is powerless to shake their resolve at late night parties before the cockerel cries.

They are incredibly cool, dangerously attractive inside.
On the outside? They hardly care. They wear clothes like costumes to communicate and celebrate, but never to hide.
Would they surrender their image or their popularity?
They would lay down their very lives - swap seats with the man on death row - guilty as hell.
A throne for an electric chair.

With blood and sweat and many tears, with sleepless nights and fruitless days,
they pray as if it all depends on God and live as if it all depends on them.

Their DNA chooses JESUS. (He breathes out, they breathe in.)
Their subconscious sings.
They had a blood transfusion with Jesus.
Their words make demons scream in shopping centres.
Don't you hear them coming?
Herald the weirdos! Summon the losers and the freaks.
Here come the frightened and forgotten with fire in their eyes.

They walk tall and trees applaud, skyscrapers bow, mountains are dwarfed by these children of another dimension. Their prayers summon the hounds of heaven and invoke the ancient dream of Eden.

And this vision will be. It will come to pass; it will come easily; it will come soon.
How do I know?
Because this is the longing of creation itself, the groaning of the Spirit, the very dream of God.
My tomorrow is his today. My distant hope is his 3D.
And my feeble, whispered, faithless prayer invokes a thunderous, resounding, bone-shaking great "Amen!" from countless angels, from hero's of the faith, from Christ himself.
And he is the original dreamer, the ultimate winner.
Guaranteed.

"The Vision - a call to discipleship that was found graffitied on the walls of the first ever 24-7 prayer room and quickly spread by word of mouth from that single room in England to Washington DC and the underground churches of China, inspiring artists, DJ's, film-makers and countless ordinary people along the way." - RELEVANT BOOKS

The story is chronicled by Pete Greig in the books RED MOON RISING and THE VISION. Visit www.24-7prayer.com

Amazing Books on Prayer:

Red Moon Rising by Pete Greig. The story of the start of the www.24-7Prayer.com movement. The most anointed and powerful book I have ever read.

The 24-7 Prayer Manual is filled with great advice on building prayer rooms.

Rees Howells - Intercessor by Norman Grubb.

George Muller - Delighted in God by Roger Steer.

Incredible Answers to Prayer by Roger Morneau.

Books on Hearing God's Voice:

Is That Really You, God? Hearing the Voice of God by Loren Cunningham

Forever Ruined for the Ordinary: The Adventure of Hearing and Obeying God's Voice by Joy Dawson

Books for Discipleship:

Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell

So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore? by Jake Colsen.

The Lord of the Ring by Phil Anderson. The incredible story of the Moravians.

Messy Spirituality by Mike Yaconelli.

I am Not but I Know the I AM by Louie Giglio.

Books on Curating Worship:

Making a Mess and Meeting God - Unruly Ideas and Everyday Experiments for Worship by Mandy Smith

Sacred Space: A Hands-On Guide to Creating Multisensory Worship Experiences for Youth Ministry by Lilly Lewin and Dan Kimball

The Art of Curating Worship: Reshaping the Role of Worship Leader by Mark Pierson

Ideas for Prayer Rooms

God inspires the stations I create for the prayer rooms.  He will also speak to you on what the needs are of your community.  I also look around me for inspiration in nature, current events and issues that are close to my heart.

If you need some ideas to help inspire you - search for Prayer Stations or Prayer Rooms on Google images.

Here is a great site with lots of ideas: www.creativeprayer.com

24-7Prayer.com will also have some ideas for stations. They are compiling a creative prayer bank of ideas for stations.

Ideas for Prayer Experiences

Try Prayer Walking your community.
Prayer Journeys for retreats or through the garden using the inspiration from the landscape to design a thought provoking journey.
Prayer Labyrinth.
A Prayer Tent in the backyard.
A Prayer Chair in your house.
Prayer Treasure Hunt.
Or buy Nicki's new book with over 100 creative prayer activities!

Ideas for Worship Art

Mandy Smith has a great book of ideas called: Making a Mess and Meeting God - Unruly Ideas and Everyday Experiments for Worship

Lilly Lewin has a great book called: Sacred Space: A hands-on guide to creating multi-sensory worship experience

Check out hundreds of ideas in the archives of www.instantred.com

Have a Prayer Art Book.

For the last eight years I have been in full time prayer ministry, creating prayer rooms and alternative worship experiences and enjoying the incredible adventure of obeying God's voice.  Now I am blessed to be based in Australia again after spending four years in Chattanooga, Tennessee partnering with FLASH Ministries and being mentored by Linda Sines who curates Texturized Worships (www.instantred.com).  I continue to travel the country and to overseas locations creating and building interactive prayer rooms that stimulate the five senses, are places of beauty, tranquility and creativity, for the purpose of discipling people into a closer relationship with Jesus Christ, to find love, forgiveness, peace, and healing.

For over fifteen years I have been involved in church planting community churches that have a heart for lost, lonely or marginalized people.  During that time I have performed leadership roles usually including being on the management committees or pastoring young people, running special events and programs.  My passions are letting people know they are valued human beings and worthy of a powerful and fulfilling relationship with God. My last role in Australia was on the board of Rivers Community Church and Rock Community Care Charity that originally sprang out of a Brisbane soup kitchen for homeless people.  After 10 years they decided to start a church and I was involved in the initial home church and enjoyed watching it grow into a downtown community church.  I have also received training in social entrepreneurial business's that can be run in a community that can be financially sustainable to employ members of the community while making a positive impact.  During this time I worked for a local community center developing an ADRAcare Training course to help long-term unemployed people reenter the workforce by preparing resumes, job applications and teaching interview skills and motivation techniques.

During the last fifteen years I have attended many seminars and conferences such as the Youth Specialties Conventions and FutureGEN and gained knowledge on various spiritual subjects and found many inspirational mentors.  In 2006 I took an internship at a prayer room community and networked with the founders of the worldwide prayer movement 24-7 Prayer. Another ministry I have been trained in is the Ancient Paths Seminar as a facilitator bringing spiritual inner healing for past wounds, similar to www.Foundations1.org.  I have also been blessed with the opportunity to speak in churches and at conferences and retreats on various subjects and enjoy speaking at schools "week of prayer" to share this incredible passion for life-changing powerful prayer. I have taught workshops on worship and interactive prayer and made several television appearances.

WHERE THE MINISTRY BEGAN

During 2005, after touring US state universities recruiting hundreds of students as overseas volunteers for conservation, environmental and community service work, God took me on a journey into ministry which involved volunteering at Mission Development at Florida Hospital with Dick Duerksen and helping a new church plant in Celebration Florida with Dr Allan Martin.  I had the opportunity to run a House of Prayer for 144 hours of continuous prayer which blessed the patients, the families, the staff, and visitors and provided new type of sanctuary for the hospital environment.

They then invited me back to work the next year building a 24/7 House of Prayer and Healing.  While volunteering full time for a year during 2006 I created many beautiful worship experiences and 24/7 prayer rooms at various churches, academies, and hospitals.  During this time I felt God affirming my calling to rebuild the tabernacle of David and learnt much about prayer, creativity, beauty and worship.  I also worked with several churches to teach new and unique worship styles and helped design a permanent prayer room at Orlando 1st Presbyterian Church.  This was also a year of learning to live by faith with no income.  God miraculously provided.

My ministry training involves having graduated from the Discipleship Training School of Youth With a Mission (YWAM) in 2001 becoming a stronger Christian from this wonderful experience after seeing miracles and hearing Gods voice.  Our outreach took us to Morocco smuggling Bibles, and preaching in Wales and London.  My education involves receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Human Behavior and Cultural Studies.  One of my greatest accomplishments was organizing a Theological Symposium for Seventh-day Adventist University Students (ASA) from Australia and New Zealand - a Spiritual Health Retreat in the mountains called Rejuve 2002.

MY GIFTINGS

My spiritual gifts are apostleship, administration and teaching.  I have a calling for discipleship - to teach young people that they are saved/forgiven without question, that they have a power waiting for them yet to be realized, that God wants to talk to them and loves them so extravagantly he wants them to live a holy and pure lifestyle redeemed from brokenness.......  but most of all to make prayer easy, enjoyable and fun.  To help them realize they are truly loved and help them establish a long lasting intimate and powerful relationship with God is an incredible ministry.  Blissful Ministries is a ministry focused on changing the culture of prayer and inspiring others to create prayer rooms/alternative worship experiences at their place of worship, work or school.

Nicola Carleton
iBelieve!

Comments from the Prayer Room:

"By coming here I was fully blessed and transformed for better - Thank you Lord!!!" - G

"It's amazing I can feel God. Keep up the good work."

"The Prayer Ministry is the Backbone of the Evangelistic Ministry. I pray that God will continue to bless the leaders of this ministry as you continue to touch the World through Prayer."

"The Best Prayer Room Ever - Blessings and Thanks to God."

"Absolutely loving the layout! Looks awesome and its a great place to draw close to God."

"God bless this place. Thank you for being His servant! This is beautiful!"

"Thankyou for all the love and your gift of love that you have put into this room. May God bless and give you the desires of your heart" - Beth

"Thankyou for setting up an environment that allows us to experience God in ways we may never have experienced Him before. Please consider this sort of prayer tent next year. I loved it."

Letters of Encouragement:

"Hi Nic! Great to see you articulate beautifully your artistic ministry of spirituality... I've experienced several of Nic's prayer rooms and they are beautiful on every level of art, interactivity and creative connection with God. They are like stepping into other dimensions of sacred time and sacred space... Bless you Nicki!" - Graeme Frauenfelder

"I'm very intrigued by the intersections between installation artist and minister of the Gospel. That is a very apt description, and something that I feel merits more exploration! Thanks for sharing this beautiful ministry!" - Jared Wright

"My children enjoyed a prayer room during their experience at boarding academy. I am thankful that this useful tool has been developed and implemented." - Carmen Lau

"Thanks, Nicki, for this article. One of the most beautiful aspects of these prayer rooms is how they creatively prompt us to do spiritual work with God and through the Scriptures that we might have otherwise left by the wayside." - Kathie

"Nicki, It is also inspiring to hear from you. Thank you so much for what you are doing for the Kingdom and the King. You are a special gift to all of us." - Larry

Comments from a Birthing Prayer Room:

"Thank you nicki... Thank you for your prayers and your help. I'm very pleased with how the prayer room turned out. I think it was needed in order for me to birth naturally. I found that it was while I was in the prayer room that I would progress in labor. Leaving the prayer room generally stalled labor." - April

Comments from SAU Prayer Room:

"I am a theology student and I had the most spiritual experience I have ever had in my entire life in the prayer room."
"Very different, but such a neat way to connect with God. Wish we could have one all the time."
"Thank You. This room is just what I needed. Bless you all."
"What a blessing this prayer room is to me and the rest of southern. Thanks!"

Stories & Comments from Hawaiian Mission Academy:

Julia shared that she had a close friend she was very concerned about, who had not contacted her in over six months.  She prayed and released her concerns over to God at a prayer station. Three hours later the friend had called her and Julia was very excited at how fast God had answered her prayer.

One girl had a car accident on the way to school and used the prayer room to praise God she was not physically hurt.  But it was also a safe place to debrief and let out her tears as she was very shaken up emotionally.

Colleen wanted God to speak to her and show her a sign in answer to her prayer. She asked that God would make her teacher say a specific phrase when she walked into her next class.  The teacher said the exact words and she was so excited when she realised that God really wanted to talk to her and answer her prayers.

• "The prayer room was very spiritual and was truely a blessing. It amazed me how the stories touched me so much. I love how it brought me closer to God."
• "The prayer room was amazing! You felt God's presence right away once you entered the room. The stations left you thinking and at peace."
• "This week I really needed to go into the Prayer Room. I felt so overwhelmed with all that was going on in my life... When I went in I let them all out to God and let Him take care of them. Peace came over me."

Comments from the Florida Hospital House of Prayer and Healing:

• "My prayer is healing of myself and husband physically. Thankyou for having this caring, loving place that inspires me to pray and feel loved and prayed for." - Becky Chanudd

• "Thank you for this beautiful house of Prayer. I wish it could always be like this. It is very sacred and healing."

• "Nic: Thanks so much for putting this together. It was truly a blessing for me to be there as well to serve people... Your creative ideas were fantastic." - Lyris

• "I enjoyed my hour at the House of Prayer. The stations were very meaningful and creative--really made me think about new ways to think of my time with God." - Karen

Thank you for all the support and encouragement through words and prayers - my heart is blessed and overwhelmed and refreshed.