The year 1727 marked the beginning of a prayer meeting that was heard around the world and was the beginning of the longest prayer meeting in history. Begun by a man named Zinzendorf, It lasted 100 years and saw over 300 missionaries go to the mission field. During his first years, his community experienced serious dissension and infighting, but they persevered and showed the world what prayer could do.
Will God do that for us today? Prayer does not get old or outdated. It doesn’t lose its power because it’s been around for centuries. Prayer can still be as powerful today as it was in 1727 and even as it was when Paul, Peter, and Elijah were on earth. God said, “Where to or three gather together in my name, there I am with them” (Matthew 18:20 NIV). You can’t get any more powerful than the presence of God.
The journey to starting a prayer movement in your church begins with a small step, with just two or three. The key is not to set out with the intention of starting a movement, but to pray for God’s “will to be done on earth as it is in heaven “ (Matthew 6:10 NIV). God’s will is for his name to be glorified, and you have a crucial role to play in this.
Operation World’s mission is for us, as believers, to pray for God’s glory to fill the earth. Their website, http://www.operationworld.org, is a treasure trove of information on any country you’re interested in, with videos and the option to receive daily reminders to pray for the country of the day. This is a powerful way to contribute to the fulfillment of God’s will.
Other organizations produce monthly prayer calendars to help you pray for specific needs each day of the month. SAT7 will send out their monthly calendar upon request. Avant Ministries sends theirs out with your receipt if you have made a donation that month. Prayer opportunities are on their websites, www.sat7.org and www.avantministries.org.
As you pray, don’t forget to pray for your own country. Our greatest enemy is not the terrorists; it is Satan who would like to see the downfall of our country. He hates to see countries that were founded on Christian principles succeed. Terrorists are one of the tools he uses. Other tools are morality, dissension, and complacency. We can easily see these things tearing our country apart today. We can wring our hands and say, “Oh, woe is us!” and complain about the political climate while taking our eyes off the real solution…prayer. Prayer is one area where Satan works the hardest to derail Christians. He knows prayer is our most powerful tool.
In the past, I’ve used a “Prayer Book” to keep me focused. This is an old photo album where I have inserted pictures of my family and missionaries. Each picture gets one page. On the front page, I had the verse, “Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you…” (1 Samuel 12.23) This verse is a reminder that Samuel considered it a sin not to pray for others. Then, as I prayed, I flipped through the pictures and remembered to pray for each person there. I went as far as I could on one day and then picked up from that point and moved on the following day. In this way, my prayers are much more focused, and I get a lot more accomplished in one prayer time.
Another method I use now is to use The Lord’s Prayer as a template (which it really is meant to be). I praise God for his holiness and power and then pray that God’s kingdom would spread on earth. I pray for God’s will to be done in the lives of my family and in the work of local church and missionary work around the world. I focus on a different continent each day. Then I focus on my own needs and thank God for providing daily bread and forgiveness of sins.
These are just two methods that I use to keep me focused. Whatever methods or resources you use, just do it. Paul encourages us, along with putting on the full armor of God, to stand firm and to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” (Ephesians 6:18, NIV) Pray! is our battle cry. Keep it going and maybe it will become another prayer movement to the glory of God.
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