Organizers Gear Up For Global Day Of Prayer
By Jeremy Reynalds (11/26/04)
On May 15 2005 an estimated 200 million Christians will join together for a Global Day of Prayer.
Participants plan to start praying as the sun rises in the east (New Zealand), in different time zones until the sun sets in the west (USA).
Planning for the Global Day of Prayer (GDP) event involves leaders from all six continents and includes more than 240 countries around the globe working under the direction of the International Prayer Council (IPC).
According to a press release from event organizers, during the last five years God has raised up a number of groups of Christians including Transformation Africa (www.transformationafrica.com), Prayer Week (www.prayerweek.com) the USA's National Prayer Committee (www.gospelcom.net/npc), www.concertofprayer.com), and Global Day of Prayer (www.globaldayofprayer.com).
According to GDP officials, "Many of these streams are converging into a global day of prayer where Christians all over the world will pray for an outpouring of God's Spirit, the healing of the nations, the salvation of the lost, and that the glory of the Lord will fill the earth."
Organizers have come up with a three fold strategy to help ensure the success of the event. Between May 6 and May 15 2005, they are asking people to pray for their church congregation, city or region around the clock.
On May 15, residents of towns and cities globally will come together to pray. In addition, according to organizers, both traditional media and the Internet will broadcast the day's events.
Following the event, there will be a 90 day follow up. Tentative plans are for this to include evangelism, creative forms of outreach and ministry to the poor and needy.
Event organizers commented in the release, "Some communities will see their way open to get involved only in the day of prayer on 15 May, others will pray for ten days and be involved in the day of prayer, and still others will feel ready to get involved in the whole threefold strategy. Do what is possible in your own community."
Organizers are asking people to get involved in a number of ways. They include linking websites to www.globaldayofprayer.com, spreading the word about the event to organizations and churches and contacting "key individuals" in a community.
"Encourage (key individuals) to consider making this known in their constituencies," organizers suggested in the release. " Even if you can just take 10 minutes and forward this letter to five or 10 key people that you are in contact with, it will make a major difference."
Other suggestions include writing an article on the event in a prayer letter or magazine and requesting that a local Christian radio or television station talk about the day.
And, event organizers continued, "if you have a story to tell about how your town or city is mobilizing for the Global Day of Prayer, send it to us (at info@globaldayofprayer.com). We will post many of them so that others will be encouraged and learn from you."
PLANNING FOR THE GLOBAL DAY OF PRAYER
The upcoming Global Day of Prayer follows on the heels of a prayer event in May 2004 where more than 20 million people gathered in 56 nations of Africa to call on God, according to an Assist News Service (ANS) story (www.assistnews.net/Stories/s04070029.htm).
Ed Silvoso of Harvest Evangelism told ANS in July 2004, "This may be the biggest prayer movement the world has ever seen."
According to the Global Day of Prayer (GDP) web site, following that event 70 prayer leaders from each of the world's major regions of the world met together at the Oct. 2004 IPC meeting in Thailand to brainstorm for the Global Day of Prayer.
Leaders voted to continue the GDP "process" until 2010, the organization's web site reported, "in order to build momentum and fill the earth."
That decision was also announced to the nearly 1700 international leaders gathered for the Lausanne Conference on World Evangelization meeting nearby.
GDP has its roots in Africa. However, according to an e-mail from Isebel Spangenberg, administrator for Transformation Africa and GDP, the vision has spread far beyond that continent.
With this year's event, Spangenberg wrote, "The idea is that every nation in every country prays for their own - not just for Africa. We had the Day of Prayer for Africa this year and we are taking ownership of our continent. People who participate take ownership of their own region and country."
BACKGROUND TO THE GLOBAL DAY OF PRAYER
The GDP traces its origins to July 2000 and Feb. 2002 when according to the group's web site, God showed businessman and relatively new believer Graham Power that Africa would become the "Light to the world."
There were five stages to what Power was told. The first was to invite the Christians of all denominations in Cape Town (the southern point of South Africa) to unite in a day of repentance and prayer.
This occurred on March 21 2001 when about 45, 000 Christians gathered at the Newlands Rugby stadium.
According to the GDP web site, "Hundreds of testimonies can be shared of lives, communities and a city that was impacted. This started a process that has changed many lives in the city of Cape Town."
Following that event, eight additional areas spanning South Africa hosted similar events in 2002. This represented the second stage of God's vision to Power.
The event was broadcast live by a variety of television networks. In addition, the GDP web site reported, there was an outpouring of public support. "Many participated in community centers, churches, correctional facilities, retirement homes, town halls and private dwellings, not to mention the fact that it was seen and heard in many African countries via the television and radio broadcasts."
This event was so successful that leaders decided it was important to keep pressing on with the vision. A summit was held in late Sept. 2002 with a variety of leaders from nine different African countries in attendance. There, according to the web site, "representatives decided on a mission and vision for ‘Transformation Africa.'"
It was decided the vision would be "Africa for Christ," with the mission being "Transforming Africa through Unity and Prayer as we mobilize the Body of Christ and all spheres of society, Community by Community, Nation by Nation with the full Gospel of Jesus Christ."
According to the GDP web site, "The challenge facing the regions then was to unite all the churches in the different regions to work together towards transforming South Africa and Africa. People needed to take hands over a broad spectrum, not only with regards to race and culture, but also across the boundaries of various church denominations."
Also in 2002 the IPC met in Cape Town. It was then that the idea for the upcoming GDP was first birthed. This coincided, the web site reported, with the vision of Transformation Africa and many reports from elsewhere in the world.
Power's vision was still gaining momentum. Across the African continent, the GDP web site reported, Christians were so inspired with what was happening that they were galvanized to further action. That resulted in 77 South African regions and 27 African countries comprising 66 cities committed themselves to participate in "Transformation Africa" and taking part in a day of repentance and prayer for Africa on May 1 2003. This was stage three of Power's vision.
Mid 2004 saw the realization of stage four of the vision. The Day of Repentance and Prayer for Africa was held on May 2 2004.
"Our aim was to have all 56 countries in Africa participate. Part of the planning was to involve every town (and) community in Africa," the GDP web site reported. "We are happy to say that more than 273 cities (and) towns in South Africa and all 56 countries in Africa (more than 1,200 towns (and) cities) committed themselves to the process of transforming Africa and participated in a day of repentance and prayer for Africa, raising a ‘Canopy of Prayer' across the continent. More than 22 million people are known to have participated. This was a day that has undoubtedly changed the face of Africa forever."
Much has occurred as a result of this unique call to Power, the GDP web site reported. "Over the past five years a vision was born and is being realized that is and has been the blessing of millions of people and whole continents. This dream has been the hope of many, including the prophets, and is now being joined with a critical mass and modern technology to bless the earth. Certainly, this story represents a call and a movement of God. Soon, the whole earth will be affected."
A previous (ANS) story (www.assistnews.net/Stories/s04070029.htm) reported that in an e-mail report to Steve Loopstra, executive director of Prayer Transformation Ministries in Minneapolis, MN., Inger J. Logelin, commented that a movement that started in one city, moved to a region, then a nation and finally a continent is by no means over. Great things are expected for the upcoming Global Day of Prayer.
A list of participating countries can be found by going to www.globaldayofprayer.com/countries.asp.
For additional information go to www.globaldayofprayer.com
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