It's time for the capture of Mexico's leading drug lord, who leads the most powerful drug trafficking organization in the world. Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán Loera (born April 4, 1957) nicknamed "El Chapo" ("Shorty") has built the Sinaloa Federation Cartel, a crime organization named after the Mexican Pacific coast state of Sinaloa. He became Mexico's leading drug kingpin in 2003 after the arrest of his rival Osiel Cárdenas of the Gulf Cartel. Guzmán has been ranked by Forbes magazine as one of the most powerful people in the world every year since 2009; Forbes also listed him as the one of the world's richest men in 2010 and 2011. After the death of Osama Bin Laden on May 2, 2011, Guzmán became the FBI and Interpol's "most wanted person." In addition, Forbes considers Guzmán the "biggest drug lord of all time", and the DEA strongly believes he has surpassed the influence and reaches of Pablo Escobar and now considers him "the godfather of the drug world."
The Sinaloa Federation Cartel produces and smuggles multiple tons of marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin through Mexico to the United States and has distribution cells in over 200 cities in the U.S.
Guzmán is becoming bolder with his "in-your-face" relations to the United States. Recently, his wife, who is an American citizen, gave birth to his twin girls in San Diego, certifying that his children are American citizens. Just last week federal prosecutors announced their discovery that Guzmán proposed attacks on high profile US facilities in Mexico as a way of hitting back at U.S. and Mexican law enforcement for their success in the reduction of drug smuggling. The Sinaloa Cartel's drug bosses discussed buying heavy weapons to carry out terror attacks on U.S. diplomatic or commercial targets in Mexico City to "send the gringos a message," according to federal prosecutors. Guzmán was quoted as saying, "Let it be a government building, it doesn't matter whose; an embassy or a consulate, a media outlet or television station. It would be good to do it in [Mexico City]. We'll get something good out of it, and [someone else] will take the heat."
It's time his illegal operation is stopped! Join us as we stand in fervent prayer for the capture of Joaquín "Chapo" Guzmán and the end of the Sinaloa Federation.
PRAY:
For the capture of Chapo Guzmán and that he will be brought to justice, now!
For Guzmán to make a tactical error that will lead to his capture.
For the dismantling of the Sinaloa Federation Cartel.
For law enforcement to have keen awareness, willing informants, and a solid strategy in place to ensure an inescapable capture of Guzmán.
For safety of all law enforcement and civilians that are involved on both sides of the border in his capture.
The Pray! Network Community has begun the new year by reaching the 3300 members milestone!
Pray! Network wants to thank you for participating with an increasing number of replies, comments, postings, and even praying for expressed needs and requests…
And, for inviting your friends and ministry partners to become part of the Pray! Community.
Pray! Network knows there are yet thousands of other passionate-about-prayer persons who would greatly benefit by becoming a part of our community (and we from them!)
Pray for Pray!...that we will have a continued increase in members sharing their insights, questions, and resource suggestions…that we will have continued favor from the Lord to equip more and more Christians to deepen their relationship with God through prayer.
For more information and to be a part of this prayer network, please visit www.praynetork.org.
Please keep praying for the WPA! Your prayer support will be all-important to the planning of this event which is intended to be a “new paradigm” for an international congress—carried out Acts 13-style—incorporating listening to God, united prayer, and strategic implementation of world-impacting action that proceeds out of that encounter with the Lord and one another.
Please pray that those from every nation God is calling to take part in Jakarta will be able to be with us and for that the resources for them and the Assembly itself will flow in abundance.
Some of you may be asking, “Why Indonesia? Why now?” It was in November of 2009 that Tom Victor, president of the Great Commission Coalition, showed me pictures of the new World Prayer Centre at Sentul City, just an hour’s drive outside of Indonesia’s capital of Jakarta. Tom described an 11,000 seat auditorium nearly filled with a group of Christian leaders meeting to worship and pray on a Saturday morning. He felt overwhelmed by the presence of God in the place, so much so that it was difficult to stand. He’d taken pictures of the 13 story prayer tower next door and shared about the 24/7 intercession that was going on there.
As I looked at these pictures and heard about the exceptional things happening in the rapidly expanding prayer movement in Indonesia, with more than 500 city networks connecting over 5 million believers, something began to stir within me. Perhaps Indonesia should be considered the site for the World Prayer Assembly. The International Prayer Council had formed in 2001 as a network of prayer networks and ministries after the 9/11 attack on New York. For several years we had been thinking about holding another international prayer congress like the original one held in Korea in 1984, a generation earlier.
That original event, the International Prayer Assembly, had gathered over 3000 Christian leaders to Seoul, Korea. It was a very catalytic event, resulting in the prayer movement taking off “like a rocket thrust,” as Ben Jennings, one of its leaders and a later founder of the IPC would report. Before that first gathering there were no national prayer networks. The IPA encouraged the formation of many such national and international networks as well as numerous prayer initiatives which the Lord has used to impact nations. The movement for world evangelization was especially influenced through the connection of prayer and evangelism. The host nation of Korea itself has seen a 55 fold increase of overseas missionaries, growing from 400 in 1984 to over 22,000 in 2010, following that first International Prayer Assembly. But the prayer revival has also affected many other kinds of ministry efforts that are engaged in bringing Christ’s salvation, healing and transformation to our world.
During a United Nations Prayer Initiative, arranged by the International Prayer Council in September 2009, our leadership team had agreed that we needed to hold another such international prayer congress. We felt it was time to pull together the diverse strands of the prayer movement, to celebrate all the Lord had done through the global prayer movement and to learn from one another as we coordinate go-forward plans for the future.
Now as I gazed at the pictures from Indonesia, it seemed obvious that this vast and colourful island nation was beckoning. As a result Tom and I journeyed to Jakarta in January 2010 to confer with the leaders of its prayer movement. Iman Santoso, Bambang Widjaya, Daniel Pandji, Wilson Pribadi, Tony Mulia, Roy Tirtadji and many other church and marketplace leaders warmly received us. As we talked and prayed together, our Indonesian colleagues seemed to sense that God was calling them to host this international prayer congress. They knew God had given them a special grace in prayer, a gift they were to share with others. We all felt captured by the prophetic affirmation of Habakkuk, who in a time of great turmoil declared that the earth would be “filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” This verse has become a theme as we anticipate the prayer and mission movement moving together like two streams flowing as one river, integrating and supporting one another.
Another passage that has captured us is John 17:21, Jesus final prayer for his followers. His prayer that we might become one as he and the Father are one. It was the precondition for the world to know Him. Both of these passages speak of a united Body working and praying together for the glory of the Lord to cover the earth. They have become anchor verses that are foundational for the World Prayer Assembly.
As we talked and prayed during that first trip, we were aware that the world did not need another human-centred event full of flashy speakers and programming that kept the participants running - leaving them exhausted at the end. Instead, we felt it was time to explore a new paradigm, emulating the five leaders at Antioch who gave themselves to worship and prayer. It was this approach where they receive His strategy for the mission they were called to fulfil. We wanted the WPA to be filled with the guiding presence of the Lord, letting Him be God by giving Him the opportunity to speak as He did to the Antiochian five. That extended prayer meeting at Antioch resulted in the launch of the Gentile mission that took the Gospel into Europe and transformed human history. What might the Lord do if 5000 Christian leaders adopted the same stance of praying and waiting on the Lord in each of the plenary and track sessions at the WPA?
As we parted from those first deliberations in January 2010, we agreed to continue praying, seeking the input from a multitude of counsellors, including my own colleagues in the IPC as well as others. The vision began to spread within Indonesia as hundreds of leaders began to embrace it. Other prayer networks around the world also responded enthusiastically, affirming their intention to be part of the WPA.
Tom and I travelled on to Korea to meet with church and prayer ministry leaders. They had been the initiators of the first event in 1984. We wanted to see if they would bring their special prayer gift to the WPA. Their response to the vision was also warm and enthusiastic. Before leaving Korea it was obvious that Korea should be a co-host nation with Indonesia for the WPA. We’ve watch with excitement as a national prayer network has emerged in their own nation through this process. Several key leaders have stepped up to help lead the process in Korea including John Hur, Sarah Lee, Ko Jikhan, and Youngchae Song.
We’ve watched over the months as a spiritual highway or axis between two of the world’s most powerful prayer movements has developed. Indonesians and Koreans have met together to pray, strengthening their bond with one another and agreeing to work together as co-hosts for the WPA in May 2012. All the planning, deliberation and prayer would have been worth it just to see the growing heart unity between intercessors from these two nations.
In March of 2010, Daniel Pandji, leader of the Indonesian national prayer network, wrote to say that he and others felt the theme of the WPA should be “New Wave.” Shortly after that I was in Mexico City for a special prayer initiative with government officials concerned about the growing influence and destructive war with the drug cartels. An IPC colleague of mine, Leslie Keegel, who has an extraordinary prophetic gifting, had come along to minister to the officials and church leaders with me. During that very time, as I thought about the mammoth administrative and financial effort it would take to put on the WPA, I began to get cold feet. I was feeling my own inadequacy and wondering if I should continue to be involved.
As Leslie was giving some strikingly accurate words to others, he unexpectedly turned to me and said that I would be involved with a “new wave” of God’s moving that would come upon the earth. He repeated this phrase “new wave” three times not knowing that this was the WPA theme the Indonesians had just chosen! I was blown away, as we say, realizing that the Lord was speaking directly to me and was urging me not to give up my own involvement!
When Tom Victor and I returned to Indonesia in April, word of the WPA has spread through the various denominations and much of the country already. We were astonished at how organized and on fire the Indonesians were. They managed to form a national committee, identifying over 50 top church and marketplace leaders to serve on it in only 40 minutes. No one was vying to be in charge, but all were willing to serve in any capacity necessary to make the WPA a reality. The maturity and spirituality of these leaders has deeply impressed Tom, my IPC colleagues and me throughout the process since then. Tom and I have made eight journeys to Indonesia in the last 21 months and each time we’ve been more delighted and astonished by these humble and vibrant brothers and sisters in Christ.
Truly Indonesia, as the host nation, has much to share with the rest of the world. The depth, breadth and passion of the nation’s prayer movement with it’s many expressions has been refined and stretched through the fire of intense persecution and suffering. The unity of the Church in that nation is remarkable and has, we believe, earned it the favour of God and His choice as the WPA host nation. When 5000 plus ministry leaders from 200 nations descend on Jakarta in May 2012, they will be challenged and stirred by a movement of united prayer that encompasses hundreds of cities, many ethnic groups, as well as children and youth in massive numbers. Prayer rallies, prayer towers and 24/7 watches have become commonplace, an expected part of the culture of most churches.
We’ve also been impressed by the remarkable favour the Lord has given with political and religious authorities in this, the largest Muslim-populated nation. The leader of a 40 million-member Muslim organization was an invited speaker with us at a Christian conference in October 2010. The governor of Jakarta was on the same stage with me in April of 2011, warmly welcoming the World Prayer Assembly to Jakarta. Muslims and Christians do not have to live in hostility, but through prayer and love can have a good, even a close relationship of respect and affection. The Indonesian church has shown this is possible by pursuing reconciliation and goodwill with their Muslim countrymen. What a lesson for the rest of the world!
The unity of their leadership across denominations and ethnic identities, their genuine humility before the Lord and passion to pray for their land and our world, have positioned them well to host the WPA. They are used to putting on large prayer meetings. In 2005, the national stadium was packed with over 100, 000 for a four hour prayer meeting while another 20,000 stood outside unable to get seats!
We believe the Lord is going to do some extraordinary things at this once-in-a-generation event in May, 2012. Earlier this year, Leslie Keegel, who is in my opinion one of the most accurate prophetic voices in the world today, sent me what he believes is a word from the Lord concerning the WPA:
From Leslie Keegel, March 22, 2011:
“God is showing me that He has chosen Asia as the epicentre for the next mighty move of God; the great revival the Church has been waiting and praying for. The nation of Indonesia in particular is the Asian nation God has chosen to be the epicentre for the world impacting global revival He is planning on sending on the nations. God has heard the cries of the Indonesian Church, seen the tears and the blood of her saints poured out like a river. God has prepared the Indonesian church over the decades, has set the stage and sanctified the atmosphere of the nation in preparation for this global revival.
The World Prayer Assembly is chosen to be a " Jerusalem," a Pentecost, where the Holy Spirit fell on the early Church. The Holy Spirit will be poured on the World Prayer Assembly, upon the Apostolic/Prophetic leaders, Pastors, Evangelists, Marketplace leaders both men and women, youth and children. Like it was promised through the Prophet Joel 2:28 - 32, it shall be. The old and the young will hold hands together - men, women, and children and move forward in the power of the Spirit.
The great move shall start at World Prayer Assembly and cascade to the nations, pulling down fortresses and boundary walls and uprooting strongholds. God will continue to shake the nations. Everything that can be shaken will be shaken violently. His warring angels are waging war against principalities and powers of the nations of the world. He is judging the gods of the nations, the arrogance and everything which tries to exalt itself above God. He is judging all perversion and everything false in the hearts of men. As God judges the nations, He will pour out His Spirit on all the nations of the world. Millions will come to the Lord, by way of peoples movements, nation after nation shall open their borders to the flooding revival of God. The move which is initiated at the World Prayer Assembly in Indonesia will profoundly impact the nations, pulling down strongholds and opening blind eyes.
John, you and the leadership of the World Prayer Assembly instrumental in organizing this great series of meetings need to see the World Prayer Assembly not as an event but as a God ordained movement orchestrating a global revival. I see your leadership team on the crest of the wave emerging into a new global move of the Holy Spirit. This move is epoch setting for a new emerging wave of fresh young global leadership.
John, this is all I see now. I know there is much more God is going to show me. I will write to you again, when I hear again from God the Holy Spirit.”
Certainly, my colleagues and I are looking forward with great expectancy to what the Lord is going to do at the WPA. When we were meeting in April during our sixth time of planning and prayer together, I felt the Lord was showing me something. In my mind’s eye, I suddenly saw the International Expo Centre where the WPA will be held. It was filled with beams of light moving up and down like a laser light show. They came from the heavens downward and then shot upward again in a spectacular scene of bright, vigorous movement. I believe it was a picture of what will be the most compelling thing about the WPA and what will happen there - the manifest presence of the Lord of glory Himself as we gather about His throne together. We will swim together in the ocean of His love and grace, then ride the “New Wave” into all He wants to do for us and our world!
By John Robb, Facilitator for the International Coordinating Team, The World Prayer Assembly Chairman of the International Prayer Council.
WPA Program Planning
World Prayer Assembly 2012 and Reflections on the Global Prayer Movement
One generation later, the WPA in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2012 is building on the first ever International Prayer Assembly, held in Korea in 1984, which created a momentum of prayer that has subsequently spread around the world. Thus, the joint hosts for 2012 will be the nations of Indonesia and Korea.
The body of Christ has discovered a whole new world in and through prayer. Prayer has been released from the closet and the church onto the streets, into the hills, onto the seas and into the air – literally! People have traversed continents in prayer by walking and praying over many weeks. People have climbed mountains to pray on the ‘high places.’ People have hired planes to fly over cities to pray, and even to anoint them with oil! People have hired boats to sail around islands or along rivers in prayer. Others have gone by bicycle, in buses or cars to pray. Some have walked and prayed around the circumference of their city and around the borders of their nation. Prayer teams have gone into war zones and into other situations of conflict. Even Christians in persecuted areas of the world have learned about making up teams and going out in prayer into their own nation and neighbouring nations. A new spirit of boldness has begun to grip the church in many parts of the world. Prayer has been the life-blood at the heart of some of the world’s mega-churches. It has also been the key to some amazing stories of church-planting movements, with churches having been planted in some unlikely places. New vibrant styles of worship, linking with prayer, have emerged – marrying both the contemplative approach with declaring the Word of God.
Christians have reached out to one another to pray. In the late 1980’s and the 1990’s millions of Christians around the globe engaged in Marches for Jesus in multiple centres. In the same time frame, huge stadia were hired in order to bring Christians together in prayer. Denominational barriers no longer seemed important. Houses of prayer and large prayer centres have been established in many nations. Others have established prayer towers – both physical as well as spiritual ones. Mountains have been purchased and turned into 24 hour prayer centres. There are even ‘prayer cities’ – where thousands of people have erected their homes around a prayer base in order to be near and involved daily. Some prisons have turned into 24 hour prayer turbines! City centre squares, public parks, football stadia, even beaches have been requisitioned for the people of God to gather together to pray. Some gatherings have run into millions of people in the one place at the same time!
At the other end of the scale, there has been an explosion of small group prayer. Triplet groups, neighbourhood groups, women’s groups, business people’s groups, and children’s groups. The macro levels are being matched and mirrored by the micro levels of prayer. And so it should. There’s no value in us gathering in the big event once in a while, if we are not also gathering in small groups as often as we can.
Millions of children and youth are part of this movement of prayer. There are even children’s intercessory churches in some countries. In schools in many nations, children gather around the pole (the flag-pole), kneel in the corridors and at the gates to pray. Youth prayer movements have “taken off like a rocket.” 24/7 ‘Boiler rooms’ have been established in many nations, manned mainly by young people. They are leading the rest of us in discovering and developing new, dynamic, creative ways of praying.
There are regular television and radio programs devoted to prayer. Many thousands of people telephone in for prayer. Documentaries have been made about prayer and reconciliation journeys. Prayer booths have been set up in market squares. Hundreds of books and DVDs about aspects of prayer have been produced in multiple languages. Thousands of Christians regularly walk through their neighbourhood in prayer. Regular calls to periods of prayer and fasting are issued the world over. At certain times of the year the church around the world gathers in prayer in their millions around a common theme. Prayer really is taking place around the Throne of God, around the world, and around the clock.
The focus of this praying has been comprehensive and varied. Some prayer movements have developed around single issues – like governments, politics and politicians, the legal profession and police, education, medicine, pandemic health issues, like AIDS, the media, arts and film world – as well as on more traditionally understood aspects of mission, like personal conversion, households, neighbourhoods, unreached people groups, church planting and missionary agencies and strategies. Other movements are focused on praying for nations, for women, men or children. Thus definitions of various types of prayer leadership have developed. These include mobilizers, trainers, teachers, networkers, researchers, watchmen and prophetic intercessors.
Transformation of individuals, communities and nations has been the objective of all of this. We want to see lives changed, communities changed, every area of social influence, like the market place, changed, and governments and local authorities uphold values that honour God and bless the poor. Inevitably prayer must lead to action. God “puts feet on our prayers.” So prayer is not an escape from the world but the means of engagement with the world. Prayer leads to humanitarian action and global mission. We pray for all aspects of leadership to be transformed, delivered from corruption, and thus be able to operate in ways that honour God.
Understanding of the spiritual powers has been growing during this era coupled with the need to stand against the devil and all his schemes. Systems of control have been identified. In certain cultures the manifestation of evil is visibly apparent; in others it is secret and insidious. The body of Christ has been learning how to combat these influences and spiritual strongholds, through prayer, repentance and reconciliation. As a consequence whole communities and nations have been transformed.
We believe in certain fundamental Biblical statements. We wish to affirm that these undergird our approach in bringing together intercessors from around the world.
1. We are praying towards the fulfilment of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) and of the Great Commandment. (Matthew 22:37-39)
2. We believe that “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” (Habakkuk 2:14 & Isaiah 52:10)
3. We believe in a God who answers our prayer “before you call I will answer” (Isaiah 65:24, Jeremiah 33:3), and that the prayers that Jesus prayed will be answered – “Father forgive them” (Luke 23:34), “Your kingdom come your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6.9-10), and “that they may be one as we are one.” (John 17:20-21)
4. Prayer is a unity between the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit and us. The Holy Spirit prays with us and for us. (Romans 8:26-27) And Jesus is praying in heaven for us. (Romans 8:34) That unity and oneness is one of the goals of the WPA. We come from every tribe and nation, from three generations, and many denominations, speaking many languages from many cultural backgrounds. We wish to find and express our unity through the sharing of stories, vision, varying styles of both worship and prayer, and through the love of God shared among us.
5. God wants his house to be “a house of prayer for all nations.” (Mark 11:17, Isaiah 56:7) What was true of the temple in Jerusalem in Jesus’ day is now true of God’s worldwide “house of prayer” – for all nations and among all nations. “The glory of this house will be greater than the glory of the former house,” says the Lord Almighty. (Haggai 2:9)
6. The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Through accepting Him, knowing Him, and serving Him, not only are we changed, but every situation that we are part of should also be changed. The earth is the Lord’s and everything and everyone in it. (Psalm 24:1 paraphrase)
7. We believe in the manifestation of the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is near, (Luke 10:9-11) within us, (Luke 17:21) and around us. (Matthew 6:10&33 and Matthew 24:14) Some day “the kingdom of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.” (Revelation 11.15) God wants His kingdom extended on earth.
What we are hoping for through and beyond this Assembly are for connections to be made across the nations, generations and denominations, around common areas of interest, leading to ongoing cooperation and strategy. We wish to see the Great Commission and Great Commandment worked out through transformation-focused initiatives and sharing of stories, vision, ideas and ways of working.
This Assembly should not be seen as one event in 2012, but part of a process of building waves of prayer across the globe, in which we are all engaged. We wish to emphasize that this is a World Prayer Assembly – not a World Teaching Assembly. As such we expect prayer (in its diversity) to be significantly part of every plenary and track, national gathering and stream. Any presentation or teaching should help develop this and flow into responsive and deliberative prayer.
And we wish to emphasize our intention that children and young people will be involved, their opinions and suggestions sought and their public participation welcomed and proactively encouraged. This is a gathering of the grandfathers, grandmothers, fathers and mothers, and sons and daughters of prayer. The spirit of this tri-generational approach needs to be reflected publicly.
Plenary speakers and chairmen of sessions will have key roles in helping to shape the Assembly. But their task primarily should be to help everyone to engage thoughtfully and creatively through discussion and prayer, with the issue they are carrying. Listening to God directly, as well as through (and to) one another, will be of equal importance in this Assembly.
Brian Mills, IPC Senior Advisor
On behalf of the WPA Program Task Force
In the context of world events, I believe this assembly comes at a God ordained moment. An assembly, which is "the coming together of people for a specific purpose" or the "forming of something from different parts" is different from a conference "receiving and sharing information," or a meeting, "a group of people led by one or two people." To assemble before God is to bring all the parts of the body together in unity of purpose so that the Master builder can shape and energize us for His purposes.
The sacred assembly that God called for in Joel 2 was for all the people, everyone to gather, the elders, the children, the young, the newlyweds, the priests. Assemblies were called by God so that the people were in a position to cry to God and to hear from God. From that position of humility and awe, God was able to say to His people, "I am sending you grain, new wine and oil, enough to satisfy you fully." The WPA is a once in a generation moment for the parts of the body of Christ to come together from around the world, to stand together in humility, to worship Him, to seek His face, to hear His voice and to receive the grain, the wine and the oil to take to the ends of the earth.
The more I pray and ponder regarding the assembly, the more I see this as a unique moment in church history. This is not about promotion of ministries. It is not about well known speakers. It is not about networking. There are many other events at which these things can rightly take place. This is a moment in history when representatives of the Body of Christ from around the world stand in unity, listening, ready to hear the word of the Lord.
I am excited when I think of those united sessions where we are led into the presence of God in worship of the King of Kings by brothers and sisters from different continents. We will stand shoulder to shoulder with brothers and sisters from many nations and pray out the things that God puts on our hearts. As we pray and stand together in our unity and humility, God is able to command blessing - even life for evermore.
It has been prophesied that the WPA is heralding a new wave of the Spirit that will sweep across the world so that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. We now know that tsunami waves start with the movement of huge tectonic plates under the earth's surface. Let us gather in Indonesia in faith believing that the WPA will see such a shift. Let’s pray that as the plates of our denominations, ministries and movements come together, a wave of the presence of God will sweep out of Indonesia, growing and gathering pace as it sweeps through His church across the continents.
Ian Cole, Director of the World Prayer Centre
1. Introduction
Protestant Christianity in Korea has rapidly developed in a short time—about one hundred thirty years—to claim 25 % of Protestant population, which amounts to twelve million people. Korea has the largest percentage of a Protestant Christian population among all the nations of the Asian mainland. It thus deserves to be called one of the most successful Protestant mission fields in the world.
Furthermore, many churches in Korea are currently the largest in their individual denominations in the world. For instance, Myungsung Presbyterian Church has approximately ninety thousand members. Kwanglim Church, a Korean Methodist church, accommodates around seventy believers. Suwon Central Baptist Church holds forty thousand Christians.
And Yoido Full Gospel Church—referred to as YFGC hereafter—which belongs to the Pentecostal denomination, is the world’s largest church with seven hundred eighty thousand members as of May, 2008, when the transition in the church’s leadership occurred. From that time on, [Pastor Cho’s] “disciple churches”—or 19 satellite churches—had become independent from our church with 360,000 church members, and their full independence was granted to them in January 2011. During the past three and a half years the church has welcome approximately 50,000 new comers, so the current membership of our church reaches 470,000. In sum, our church and the “disciple churches” altogether have more than 830,000 members now. For this reason, a numerous number of pastors and scholars in church growth and missiology are analyzing and studying the various aspects of the Korean church, particularly YFGC’s rapid growth.
Though there are a variety of spiritual, historical, cultural, social and economic factors for such a tremendous revival, one of the most prominent elements is the spirituality of prayer. Prayer has always preceded any true revivals in church history. A revival is unceasing as long as prayer remains constant.
One of the most suitable examples for rising of revival through prayer and spreading of the prayer movement through revival is the Korean church and YFGC. Through my presentation, I would like to state that the revival of the Korean church had been originated from the prayer movement first, and then introduce YFGC’s prayer movement in more detail.
2. The Prayer Movement of Korea’s Early Evangelization Period (1885-1909)
From its beginning period of evangelization, the Korean church had experienced the strong power of prayer on the basis of the word of God. Even before the first Western Protestant missionaries came to Korea in 1885, many parts of the Scripture had been translated into Korean by some Koreans and missionaries who had lived in China and Japan. (Kyungbae Min, Korean Church History, New edition (Seoule: Yonsei University Press, 1993), 149.) When the missionaries came to Korea, they thus brought the Korean Bible. As the word of God was deeply rooted from the beginning, fervent prayer movements took place in the Korean church. The embers of the fire caused at Wonsan, a northern Korean city, in 1903 and the great revival movement, which started in earnest at Pyungyang in 1907, were not only the Pentecostal Holy Spirit movement but also a strong prayer movement. (The document of World Missionary Conference which was held at Edinburgh in 1910 reported that the Pyungyang Great Revival in 1907 was a “Pentecostal movement”(World Missionary Conference, Report of Commission I [Edinburgh, 1910], 77, 80).)
Missionary Robert A. Hardie who ministered in Kangwon province did not bear fruit in terms of the number of converts even though he put in a lot of work and dedication. He attended a prayer meeting mainly with Methodist missionaries at Wonsan in 1903 because of the visit of a missionary to China whose name was Ms. M. C. White. He prepared a sermon about prayer for this meeting. In reading and preaching Luke 11:13—“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”—he was inspired powerfully by the Holy Spirit. When he testified of his own experience, the missionaries who had gathered there started praying and afterwards they also experienced the work of the Holy Spirit. This Wonsan revival movement was the spark of the great 1907 Pyongyang revival.
At the beginning of 1907 the prayer movement was accompanied by much repentance, which centrally arose from the Jangdaehyun church in Pyongyang. (On the great revivals in Wonsan and Pyungyang see Young-hoon Lee, The Holy Spirit Movement in Korea: Its Historical and Theological Development (Oxford: Regnum, 2009), 24-34.) Revival meetings were supposed to be held as bible exposition sessions for 10 days. However, there was a powerful evangelical meeting every evening. According to the missionaries’ reports, powerful works of the Holy Spirit occurred in these evening meetings. While leading an evening prayer meeting in January 14th, Graham Lee asked those 1,500 who attended this meeting to pray loudly together and they started praying loudly. Then people shed tears, and prayers of repentance arose here and there. The gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and divine healing, then took place powerfully within that place.
The revival movement accompanied by the prayer of repentance expanded across the entire region of Korea. It followed with the movements against alcohol and smoking. Believers prayed with tears and were deeply moved all night long and the works of repentance with contrition occurred ceaselessly among them. No one could prevent the fire of the Holy Spirit and it spread beyond the boundary of the church and over into schools, finally many cities, and further into other countries including China and Japan.
The great revivals of Wonsan in 1903 and Pyungyang in 1907 were not just temporary events, but stood not only as wildfire of the Holy Spirit movement and repentance, but also as the precursor of the Korean church’s prayer movement that has connected to the contemporary church today. Besides, the Korean church clearly learned through these events that the only key to revival was prayer.
3. The Prayer Movement during the Nation’s Period of Suffering (1910-1953)
Korea had suffered from the brutal Japanese colonial rule from 1910 to 1945. During this period the Korean church was also severely oppressed. The secret to overcoming these dark and painful times for Koreans and the Korean church could be found only in the prayers of Korean Christians. Pastor Sunju Gil, who played a pivotal role in the 1907 Pyongyang great revival, and many other spiritual leaders provided hope through powerful prayer movements for the nation and people who fell in times of extreme distress. Early prayer meetings and targeted prayer movements were stressed by him, and contributed greatly to the revival of the Korean church. (Younghoon Lee, The Holy Spirit Movement in Korea, 36. ) They also become the original source of the Korean church’s spirituality that the world church longs to learn from the Korean church.
Even after her liberation from the severe Japanese Imperial occupation, Korea had to undergo an enormous tragedy: that is, the Korean War, which broke out in 1950. Even in this time the Korean church participated in the nation’s suffering and comforted the people through prayer and perseverance. By prayer, the church provided a source of renewal and comfort.
4. The Prayer Movement during the Period of Revival of Yoido Full Gospel Church and the Korean Church (1954-2000)
4.1. Re-igniting the Fire of Prayer
On the close of the Korean War in 1953, the Korean peninsula had emerged as a heap of ashes. From that time, YFGC and Rev. Yonggi Cho played the primary role to lead the prayer movement and the Holy Spirit movement. (Younghoon Lee, The Holy Spirit Movement in Korea, 92-117; Younghoon Lee, “The Life and Ministry of David Yonggi Cho and the Yoido Full Gospel Church,” in Wonsuk Ma et al. ed., David Yonggi Cho: A Close Look at His Theology and Ministry (Baguio City and Goonpo: APTS Press and Hansei University Press, 2004), 3-24.)
Rev. Sunjoo Gil had led the overnight prayer gatherings in the period of the Japanese colonial rule. However, around the time when Rev. Yonggi Cho built up a tent church with his five family members at Daejo-dong, an outskirt area of Seoul in 1958, most of the Korean churches did not practice the overnight prayer sessions.
As Rev. Cho relocated the church to Seodaemoon region, a downtown area of Seoul, in 1963, and held the Friday overnight prayer services, many sick people were healed by the Holy Spirit, and the great revival occurred in the church. Church members prayed all night long for the fullness of the Holy Spirit, divine healing, resolution of personal problems, and church growth.
Accordingly, YFGC’s overnight prayer worship services became a location in which a lot of Korean believers beyond their denominations gathered together, prayed fervently, and experienced God’s grace. Due to the church’s Friday overnight prayer meetings, many Korean churches came to recognize the importance of fervent prayer once again. As a result, many churches began to recover the tradition of the Friday overnight prayer sessions from late 1970s.
In addition, Rev. Jasil Choi, a coworker of Rev. Yonggi Cho, restarted the fast prayer movement that had begun as the fruit of the great revival of Pyungyang, but had been forgotten for a significant period among the Korean churches. She also established the “Osan-ri Fast-Prayer Mountain,” and made a great contribution to reigniting the fast prayer movement in both Korean and world churches. Even after moving to current Yoido area in 1973, YFGC continued to carry out the Holy Spirit movement and prayer ministry so that the explosive growth of the church went on. In addition, even since the transition in the church’s leadership in 2008, YFGC has placed priority to the prayer movement and continued to be revived by prayer sessions.
4.2. Earnest and fervent Prayer with Loud Voices
Many people who attend the worship services and prayer sessions are surprised at the loud sounds of prayer. Because all church members cry out their requests in unison to the Lord, the church is filled with the loud sounds of prayer. People start their prayer by shouting, “Lord! Lord! Lord!” Such a prayer custom spreads through the prayer movement of YFGC all around the country.
The reason for which people pray aloud is that they pray with earnest hearts. Sometimes, church members pray so loudly that it may be difficult to go to the next step of the service. In that case, the presider of the worship requests the congregation to stop praying by ringing a bell. Praying aloud in unison, which has been widespread through YFGC, has become a characteristic feature that shows the spirituality of prayer of the Korean church.
4.3. Prayer of Faith with Absolute Positivity
In YFGC prayer is neither a form nor a ceremony. It is not a vague and implicit religious ritual. Rev. Yonggi Cho and YFGC have taught practical and clear thoughts about prayer since the church’s beginning fifty-four years ago. In other words, prayer is a decisive element to receive the salvation and blessing that our good God gives through the cross of Jesus Christ. Therefore, the members of YFGC pray with obvious prayer requests and not with indefinite prayer requests. They also pray with the faith of absolute positivity that if they believe and pray, they will be answered.
YFGC often practices the “targeted prayer sessions” which can be held personally, or in groups such as cells or mission groups. A “targeted prayer session” is to set a designated period of time for prayer—for instance, for one week, for twenty-one days (we call this “Daniel Prayer”), for one month, for one hundred days or so)—and pray for a clear pray request like healing or solving any problems. It is difficult to do such a targeted prayer without concreteness and conviction. That YFGC’s members execute many kinds of “targeted prayer” shows that they pray with the strong belief in God’s answer and with the faith of absolute positivity.
Church revival cannot be attained by forceful coercion or by cultivating a sense of obligation. When more members in a church meet the living God who answers their prayer of faith, it will enter into revival. Therefore, I would like to reemphasize that prayer is the key to revival.
4.4. Cell Group, the Community of Prayer
A numerous number of people want to learn about the well-organized cell system of YFGC. They seemingly assume that the secret to the church growth lies in the cell system. However, just as Rev. Yonggi Cho has made every effort to emphasize whenever possible including church growth seminars, those who want to learn the cell system of YFGC for church growth should learn the power of prayer first.
It is true that the cell system of YFGC played a great role for church revival. However, the reason for which it has performed such a role is that the cell structure is the community of prayer. Many cell leaders and section leaders have prayed together for their members’ problems, and experienced the answer of prayer. Cells and the church have kept growing because all the cell members in a cell gathered together every day at the home of a member in need, prayed together for three days or for a week, and experienced the answer from God. Furthermore, some cells or sections have bought or rented a space for their own “prayer place” in their local area, and gathered everyday for prayer or worship service. Once in a month, our church members go to Osanri Prayer Mountain by the districts that they belong to. They have revival prayer meetings there so that they may keep the fire of prayer on. Our church has grown so swiftly through cells because they are not the communities of social gatherings, but those of spiritual prayer.
4.5. Church Devoted to Prayer
All worship services in YFGC have a set time for the whole congregation to pray with a loud voice. After the sermon, the whole congregation always prays earnestly with a loud voice for a minimum of 15 minutes and a maximum of 30 minutes. Specifically, the service on Wednesday and the night service on Friday are conducted with the main emphasis on prayer. In those services, all pastors of YFGC sincerely pray for the worshippers by laying their hands on the heads of the congregants.
The church also has three early-morning prayer meetings every day at 5a.m., 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. all year round, and overnight services every night. In these services, the time of praying with crying out becomes longer. The first session of an overnight prayer meeting service begins at 11p.m. in the week days, and the assigned time of praying aloud is almost one hour. Soon after closing the first session at 1 a.m., the second session of the service as a prayer meeting starts with the listed prayer requests for three hours until 4 a.m.
When a new year begins, all congregants come together for a special early morning prayer meeting for twelve days: we call this special designated prayer period “twelve-basket special prayer session.” In summer time, various departments of the church hold retreats for three nights and four days at the prayer mountain. All these events are designed to urge the church members to focus on the prayer activity which is an essential part of the church ministry.
4.6. A Leader who Becomes an Example of Prayer
The capability of a spiritual leader is in proportion to his/her devotion to prayer. If the leaders of YFGC continue to emphasize the life of prayer to the laity, but are behind the laity in the spirituality of the prayer, it will be difficult to maintain the spiritual order of the church, let alone the revival of the church. Rev. Yonggi Cho before his retirement strongly encouraged the congregants to pray for more than an hour a day, while urging the pastors to pray for more than two hours. In particular, he prayed for about three hours before any revival meetings abroad.
I myself believe that it is one of the most important goals of my ministry to inherit this spirituality of prayer. Although I carry out various kinds of schedules from early morning till late night, I usually get up at around 3 a.m., and come to my office before 4:30 a.m. The reason for this is that I am able to have more time to pray without any disturbances during such an early time period. Coming to the office at dawn every day can sometimes make me tired. However, the more I pray, the more invigorated I am. Martin Luther said, “I cannot help praying because I am too busy.” The busier a pastor is, the more he/she must pray.
What I emphasize most to the pastors of YFGC is prayer. If you do not pray, you cannot do the work of God. Especially, the pastors in the position of important leadership in the church and I go to the prayer mountain every Saturday, and pray individually for two hours in an individual prayer compartment. Only after finishing the prayer, we have a discussion session on the important matters of the church. If you want to plan a revival, you should make a prayer plan first. Without praying earnestly for a long time, neither the revival of the church, nor the change of the individual can happen. In particular, spiritual leaders should be an example of prayer.
5. Praying and Serving—Expecting a New Revival
The 21st century is the “century of change.” The changing world demands the church to take care of many people who are alienated in this world. The church in the 21st century should thus be the community which is sharing and serving with a humble attitude. YFGC is actively practicing such works as relieving the homeless, supporting people in lower socio-economic status, helping people in North Korea through the establishment of “Cho Yonggi Heart Hospital,” and worldwide relief works through the “Good People,” an NGO. Making all the efforts for those relief works with a humble and serving spirit is the vision that I received from God, while praying for the direction of the YFGC’s future ministry. The church in the Acts of Apostles was the church practicing the relief for the world with the devotion of praying and proclaiming the word of God. Above all, all pastoral visions should be received through prayer, and be conducted through the power of prayer.
No matter how much the pastoral environment changes, the truth that never changes is that a church should receive the empowerment through praying and relying on the Lord. Even if the world may change swiftly, the key to revival is always in praying. Therefore, YFGC in the 21st century endeavors to be the church praying more.
The revival of the Korean church and YFGC is the revival accomplished by praying. However, this cannot be a characteristic of the Korean church and YFGC alone. Prayer is the characteristic of all the authentic revivals. All revivals are prepared and maintained by earnest prayer. It is not because YFGC has employed a special method or skill, but only because it has devoted itself in praying that the church has experienced a remarkable revival. For s church to pray is just to follow the teachings of our Lord Jesus, who himself set an example of praying from early dawn, or through a whole night. Moreover, for a church to make efforts for praying is to succeed to the spirituality of the one hundred twenty disciples who received the Holy Spirit by praying with their whole heart on the Pentecost day.
In my opinion, the most serious problem of today’s Christians is that they do not pray. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, devoted himself in praying throughout his life. (According to the gospel of Luke, Jesus always prayed before the important things: for example, at the time of baptizing(Luke 4:21), at the time of choosing the twelve disciples (Luke 6;12-13), at the time before Peter’s confession of faith (9:18), at the time before climbing up the transfiguration mountain (9:28-29), at the time just before teaching Lord’s prayer (11:1), at the time of facing with Peter’s disownment(22:31-32), on the Mount of Gethsemane (22:40), and on the cross (22:34, 46).) If the son of God prayed so earnestly to carry out his ministry on the earth, we should strive to pray much more with our might. Praying is the indispensable factor for the revival of the church. If anyone—or any church—devotes oneself to praying, he/she will come to experience the same revival with that of the early church, and that of YFGC.
“Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus” (Acts 4:29-30).
Dr. Younghoon Lee
“Let the New Wave of His Glory Fill the Earth!”
A New Paradigm
The World Prayer Assembly will be a “new paradigm” for an international congress of ministry and marketplace leaders. It will be an Acts 13-type encounter with the living God who longs to reveal Himself to those who are listening and wanting to implement His strategies for “prayer-action” that will revive and transform our world. Five early church leaders at Antioch gave the Lord opportunity to speak. The result was the launch of the mission movement to the Gentiles that brought the Good News of Jesus Christ to Europe and eventually around the world, changing human history more than any other movement. What will happen when 5000+ leaders gather in Jakarta to do the same? We believe it will be a “new wave” of His glory. It has the potential to bring revival and transformation to the nations as the Spirit of the Lord through the global prayer movement, joining with the mission and marketplace movements, rises up like a mighty spiritual tsunami, flowing back across the nations!
Hearing from the Lord of the Church
Many internationally known men and women of God like Dr. David Yonggi Cho, Dr. Enoch Adeboye, Suzette Hattingh, Cindy Jacobs, Luis Bush, Ed Silvoso, Graham Power, Tom Hess, Brian Mills, Ian Cole, Leslie Keegel as well as many prayer, mission and marketplace networks from around the world will join us in Jakarta. Some heads of state and other political officials have also been invited. We are not, however, gathering around great human personalities or important networks and organizations. We are gathering to seek the Lord of all the earth, the majestic God of glory, wisdom and love, and to hear from Him directly. His presence will be the main draw because we are convinced that He will speak as we give Him the opportunity to do so. Every presentation will be brief and given to facilitate prayerful encounter with God around a particular issue - so that we hear back from Him regarding His assignments for us corporately and personally.
Tri-Generational
The WPA will be tri-generational. One-third of the participants will be under age 30 for the leaders’ day sessions. In addition 40,000 youth and children will participate in the May 17 national stadium event, an event that will unite many millions of praying people within Indonesia and worldwide. Youth and children will be co-leaders of the WPA along with the adults. We recognize that God often uses the youngest and least known to convey His most important messages. We want to listen. As we partner with the younger generations and encourage them to share in leadership, we believe the Lord will raise up many new Josephs, Daniels, Samuels, Esthers, and Deborahs to do exploits for Him in generations to come.
Track Sessions According to Calling and Assignment
During our day sessions, approximately 40 2-hour track sessions will focus on various international issues, models of ministry and social spheres. Participants will have the opportunity to caucus according to their own choice and ministry calling. They will also hear updates on what is happening in that particular arena of concern. Together they will seek God with others who share their same passion for His strategies of “prayer- action” for the transformation of that issue or sphere.
Unity of the Body of Christ
The atmosphere of the WPA will be characterized by openness to God and others from diverse traditions and movements within the Body of Christ. We will meet in fulfillment of Jesus’ prayer in John 17 for true heart-unity within His Body. It will be a time of listening to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and sharing what we believe the Lord is saying.
Prayer Saturated
The WPA will be saturated with prayer in many different formats and styles - personal, contemplative, pairs, triplets and small groups. We will also join in prayer together in plenary sessions led by adults, youth and/or children from the platform. We want to be open to the richness of what the Spirit is doing and saying throughout the Body of Christ, not foolishly thinking that our way of understanding and practice is necessarily the only right way.
Learning Together
It will be an adventure of learning from the Lord and one another, as we enthrone Him, submit ourselves in His Presence and we watch Him do His wonders among us.
Welcome to the World Prayer Assembly! Welcome to a time of encounter with the Lord. Welcome to a time that has the potential to shape the future history of His Church and our world.