We believe prayer is the indispensable key to the unfinished task among the 'Forgotten Fourth World'-the one-fourth of the world with little access to the gospel. Unquestionably God has impressed that upon us as a Body and He has been growing a global prayer movement for decades now. The Lord has been calling people of prayer to model and assist others in cultivating conversational relationships with God and to ignite movements to Christ based on extraordinary prayer and intimacy with Him. This urgent necessity quickly became obvious, not only to survive, but to see fruit flourishing in these mostly hostile environments. In the course of pursuing loving obedience to His call, major prayer innovations have been and are being birthed. One of these seems to be the emerging role of the 'prayer strategist' that links passion for and practice of prayer and connection to prayer movements and networks with strategic field efforts to catalyze cascading movements to Christ.
A strategist is someone skilled in planning to find the best way to gain advantage or achieve success. Thus, a 'prayer strategist' serves on a team (strategy team, church, denomination, organization) and, in partnership with others on this team seeks to engage in and catalyze prayer that both informs and flows from the team's vision and strategy through:
- Regularly drawing near to God in prayer, worship and adoration both individually and as a team;
- Becoming aware of gaps and hindrances in reaching the vision God has entrusted to them;
- Researching, envisioning and refining strategies for overcoming those gaps;
- Maximizing strategic implementation of the team's strategies particularly related to prayer;
- Periodically refining those strategies with the team in times of prayer together.
The 'prayer strategist' has a posture of servanthood, supporting others in the Body of Christ. Think of the person sitting in the crow's nest of a great ship, watching the horizon and advising the helmsman of events and circumstances beyond his awareness. It is a position of influence more than a position of authority. Using the analogy of constructing a building, someone needs to be watchful to make sure that all the components have been fit together according to the architect's design. The prayer strategist, along with his or her teammates, would watch for any gaps, challenges or opportunities that emerge in that ministry so they can be appropriately addressed in prayer and action.
1 Chronicles 12:32 speaks of the men of Issachar who understood the times and knew what needed to be done; these people might be representative of 'prayer strategists.' Nehemiah is another example. Nehemiah interceded about the broken down walls of Jerusalem and he gained favor with the king, permission and resources, mobilized teams to do the actual work, and oversaw the completion of the project. Prayer was the way he received a strategy and was integral to the project's success. In the New Testament, Barnabas was an encourager, connector and prophetic intercessor for in the spread of the Early Church. He brought Saul into relationship with the apostles and served alongside Paul in pioneering new work for the gospel. He was an another example of this same function in the Body of Christ.
What kinds of prayer strategies are should be part of the effort to see the advance of the gospel among the unreached?
- Prayer as conversation and intimacy with God is foundational to igniting movements to Christ, both for individuals and for teams.
- Fasting prioritizes the best things for His glory and kingdom.
- Prayer mobilization, training and team building facilitate God's manifest presence and our cooperation. Love and unity demonstrate the truth of our testimony, but are impossible without abundant prayer.
- Prayerful End-visioning is using reverse problem solving to form your strategy to take Christ to your people group.
- Worship is both a form of prayer and a form of spiritual warfare. We draw near to God and He reveals to us the strategies of Heaven and empowers us to release His kingdom on earth as in heaven. Establishing permanent lighthouses of continuous prayer and worship creates beachheads for the kingdom of God.
- Personal restoration and transformation ministries, healing and deliverance ministries, conflict resolution, all grounded and guided through prayer, help us access Jesus' abundant life. Often, signs and wonders also result.
- "Representational confession" or "identificational repentance" makes reconciliation and renewal possible for families, churches, communities, tribes and nations. God wants to direct us in prayerful action to be part of releasing breakthroughs by addressing offenses.
- Moving prayer onsite into the community brings the presence of Christ where He is not yet recognized and worshiped. The church models the whole gospel to the whole community such through onsite prayer.
- Spirit-guided research into the supernatural underpinnings of reality produces more informed, effective intercession and outreach.
- As we witness the acceleration of wars, rumors of wars, plagues, famines and earthquakes indicated by Matthew 24, as believers walk in conversational relationship with God, they will be ready to seize these as opportunities for the Gospel.
Our battle IS prayer and through prayer we appropriate the victory Jesus bought at great cost. In obeying the Great Commission while following the Great Commandment, we pursue the Great Commitment to a lifestyle of unceasing prayer. If you sense God drawing you to join hands with others to apply the indispensable key of prayer to finish the task, you may find strength in the fellowship of others walking this journey. http://www.ethne.net/prayer is your portal to find resources and to connect with others along the way.
In January 2010 a vision was shared with market place and ministry leaders in Indonesia about hosting a World Prayer Assembly in 2012. Indonesia was asked to host this "once in a generation" gathering because of their spirit of prayer and their unity within the body of Christ. As the leaders of church bodies, national networks and market place leaders there heard the vision, they began to ask themselves if God was indeed calling them to serve and bless the nations. As they began to step up, these leaders began to see themselves in a new light - with an enlarged assignment.
Because Korea had hosted the only other event like this in 1984, my colleague John Robb, chairman of the International Prayer Council, and I traveled on to Korea to ask them to bring their gift of prayer to this event. Before our trip concluded, we were convinced Korea should serve as co-host with Indonesia for the WPA.
As we traveled back to Indonesia every three months to work with our Indonesian friends and others, we watched in amazement as the Church in Indonesia continued to prepare in ways we never imagined. Pastors and leaders began to meet weekly for prayer in cities around the nation. Intergenerational prayer gatherings became more and more common. New prayer towers were started. Everywhere we looked the Church in Indonesia was becoming more prayerful and more united as it prepared for the WPA.
One unexpected outcome was that leaders in different cities began to have a simultaneous citywide prayer gathering in their city at the same time one was planned for the national stadium in Jakarta. At first members of the International Prayer Council were skeptical. We wanted to be sure to fill the national stadium to overflowing for this four-hour event. But our Indonesian colleagues were telling us that God was doing something very deep and special in the hearts and lives of leaders in their cities. They wanted the whole body of Christ to come together on that special day, across all the worship styles, denominations and generations. As the decision was made to allow this, first there were going to be 5 other cities involved, then 10. The number grew to 50 and then 100. The final number was 378 cities connected, most by satellite link, to the national stadium with somewhere around 4 million people participating!
As the planning developed, the national team in Indonesia sensed that God was calling them to an ongoing united prayer and outreach strategy following the WPA. The My Home Indonesia initiative was birthed with a goal of calling every Christian in the nation to adopt their own street, neighborhood, school, workplace, wherever God had placed them. They would pay attention and look for the needs. They would then adopt that place and those needs in prayer and follow up with action as God directed. And they would seek to do this together with other believers in their area.
During the stadium event at the WPA on May 17, 2012, My Home Indonesia was launched. Hundreds of thousands expressed interest and commitment to the project by text message. In September, a My Home gathering in Surabaya, Indonesia, highlighted the growth and development of the movement in cities and communities around the nation since 2012. Of the 2,500 in attendance, leaders from all 33 provinces as well as 1,000 pastors, ten mayors and many business leaders participated. So the overflow of the WPA in Indonesia continues to find growing expression across the nation.
From the beginning the World Prayer Assembly was designed to be a true tri-generational event with children and youth as full partners. As a result a strong children's and youth track were included. In the national stadium event in Jakarta, 20,000 children and 20,000 youth were part of the 100,000+ in attendance along with the adults. Through that experience at the WPA in 2012, a new vision has emerged. Both senior leaders and leaders of the youth track, led by Pastor Jerome Ocampo, have been praying about the possibility of arranging a World Youth Prayer Assembly.
There is no doubt that we are in a season where God is at work, "Turning the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to the fathers, Malachi 4:6." Could God be calling the Church worldwide to harness their gifts of prayer and mission in a way that would encourage and release the next generation into their destiny for the nations? Could the youth step up to design and lead such an event - with the encouragement, guidance and support of their elders? Could the youth help birth new expressions, new rhythms of prayer around the world? And could the global Church play a role in cheering them on towards this end?
At the end of August, a number of youth prayer leaders along with members of the International Prayer Council met in Hong Kong to do some initial planning. Please pray with us for the next steps in organizing the WYPA. We are in the process of considering a venue and making other arrangements. Pray especially for Pastor Jerome Ocampo who has accepted the responsibility of coordinating this event.
We believe that children and youth are called to be full partners in God's mission. We are excited about the potential of the youth becoming catalysts and partners for an awakening of children and youth around the world. Habakkuk 2:14
Tom Victor, Great Commission Coalition and member of the WYPA planning team
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
We have a generation today that is hungry for a cause that will match their unique DNA. They are waiting to be challenged to reach their full potential, as individuals and as a generation. The World Youth Prayer Assembly planning team believes that God is setting-up a globally-connected, digital, radical generation whose passion is to seek His face, for such a time as this. They only need to be gathered, challenged, and released to their destiny.
Imagine calling forth and engaging an emerging generation, tens of thousands from every nation to challenge and empower them to fulfill their destiny as catalysts for Christ's Kingdom. Imagine the gathering being led by the youth and for the youth. Imagine them being the Psalm 24 generation, corporately seeking the face of God in worship. Imagine them receiving a clear understanding of their unique, individual callings. Imagine each of them acquiring the fire and receiving anointing and impartation to fulfill their special, unique destiny. Imagine them going back to their respective spheres of influence to affect change and become His leaders of tomorrow in all walks of life. Can you see the new wave of global revival and transformation that is stirring already?
The WYPA will not be just another event; it will be a historic, strategic convergence of youth and children from across the world, that will be used of the Lord to catalyze an ever building wave, releasing His glory in the nations. God has always called and used young people to do exploits for Him in both Scripture and history.
The spirit of Elijah cries out, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord!" Let us summon and prepare the youth of our world! Let us gather a generation to seek His face. Let us invite them to get connected to one another and to be released into their destiny for their generation and the generations to come. Let us gather them for a World Youth Prayer Assembly. Just one, God-ordained moment in this event will change their lives forever and our world will never be the same!
Pastor Jerome Ocampo
WYPC 2016
Jesus Revolution Now
Jesus' Flock, Inc
Manila, Philippines
The last week of August 2014 was perhaps a turning point in the spiritual history of Uruguay. This small South American republic, known the world over for its achievements in soccer (fútbol), is also known in the Christian world as the most secular country in the American continent. However, God has began a process towards a different future, using diverse groups of visionary and obedient Christian leaders. In that one week, two historic events took place in rapid succession:
- A group of 10 select leaders gathered in a two-day retreat to visualize together a totally reached nation.
- Over 60 leaders attended the launching of a 15-year plan for the transformation of Uruguay.
José L. González, an Uruguayan who emigrated from his country in his youth, facilitated the retreat. For the past 30 years he has accompanied with his ministry, Semilla, hundreds of Latin American Christian leaders committed to the transformation of their nations. In four sessions of visionary planning, the group, composed of pastors, entrepreneurs, government officials, journalists, jurists, educators, intercessors and other professionals, agreed on a shared vision for the transformation of their nation... Separately, during the same week, sixty leaders attended the launching of a 15 year process of transformation under the name of Transform Uruguay 2030 (TU 2030). This initiative, in which hopefully all sectors of the Uruguayan church will participate, resulted from the vision of a small group of leaders, "Cosmovisión" (Worldview). Originally gathered to accompany the first evangelical Congressman of Uruguay, Gerardo Amarilla, these brothers have volunteer to serve the church and the Christian people of Uruguay to seek the transformation of their nation. They want to serve particularly all the branches of the Body of Christ and to join the other initiatives of prayer and equipping that have already began, for transformation in their country.
During the launching of Transform Uruguay 2030, an initial team of facilitators for each of the 7 spheres of social influence called those present to identify their sphere of calling and to form groups of prayer, research, planning and execution. Together they propose to prepare a larger National Transformation Forum in August 2015. They hope to bring studies of the national reality and suggestions about how the church itself, and the Christians as individuals may act for transformation for each sphere. The organizers hope that with good preparations, hundreds of Christian leaders will participate in the National Forum, which will include the first Christian expo of ministries and resources from Uruguay and abroad.
While the vision of Transforma Uruguay 2030 was born, as it should be expected, from a handful of mainly lay people committed to the Lord, pastors and church leaders will inevitably play a leading role, encouraging and guiding the flocks under their care. For this purpose, a special meeting is being planned to present to them the vision of Transformation in its various global and regional expressions. One of the original facilitators, Pastor and entrepreneur Rainer Kunze, said: "I am convinced that we are in a very special, a Kairos moment of God for the transformation of our nation. There are many visible signs that show that it is so, and many motivated and passionate people eager to bring transcendent changes through the love, the power and the glory God."
Luis Bush, Transform World
Please pray with our brothers and sisters from Uruguay for the success of this transformation effort, for His unity and clarity and that the movement will be bathed in seeking the Lord together in much prayer.
"And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers before the coming of the great a nd dreadful day of the Lord." Malachi 4:6
In these increasingly challenging times the church, and our children and families, have come under siege. The foundational strength of the family has begun to erode, leading to "fatherlessness" in our culture. Loss of family strength has weakened and sidelined the church's influence in the midst of a culture that desperately needs the healing message of Jesus Christ. We are at a critical point in our nation and world in turning our hearts back to one another. One powerful way to bring about such a shift in our hearts is by blessing one another within our family units and among our close friends.
With concern for the strength of our families, we invite you to join in a cooperatively sponsored initiative
between Transform World 's Family Challenge, Family Sphere, and Celebration Challenge, calling for October 4th to be a day of "Bridging the Generations." This will be a day for fathers and mothers to bless their children, for children to bless their parents, and for friend to honor friend through spoken blessing. We have faith that this simple act will begin to repair the breach in our society, and to restore and strengthen one another, bringing healing among the generations and within our relationships.
Why October 4th:
- It represents the 50-year-anniversary of the historic protests, which broke out on the UC Berkeley Campus. That movement, which inspired a rebellion that tore through the generations, led to a "fatherlessness" which is even now impacting our culture and the world. Biblically, the 50th year is the year of jubilee, a time of aligning ourselves with God and His Word, in order to return to His ways and repair our present society. In light of this, a powerful reconciliation effort will be held on the campus of UC Berkeley this day.
- It is the "Day of Atonement," the holiest day in the Hebrew calendar. For Christian believers, this day is a reminder of the sacrifice Jesus paid on the cross for our sins. It is a day of remembrance and of turning from sin and rebellion back to the Word of God and its foundational truths.
How to bless:
- For families: Simply gather as a family to take time to pray over each other with a positive word of blessing, destiny, purpose, and commitment.
- Father/Mother to children, and Children to fathers/mothers.
- Call or email children who are not present to express a blessing over them.
- For families broken by separation, or where there has been hurt/division: Reach out in love to family members where relationships have been broken and express your care and love for them in a blessing. (Use the story of the prodigal son as a foundational reference: Luke 15:11-32)
- For friends: Purposefully connect with or call to bless, friend to friend.
- For broken relationships: Purposefully call someone who has hurt or opposed you, to bless them as Jesus said, "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." (Matthew 5:44) Tell them the ways God has used them for good in your walk with Him. Confess any offenses you have caused them.
- To make the time of blessing more meaningful, we would encourage a time of food and fellowship.
Example of a blessing:
- Key components of a blessing: Love and acceptance, placing value on the person, acknowledging his/her gifts and special future, committing to honor them and build relationship with them.
- Example: "I want to take a moment to bless you and thank God for you (name). I am so thankful for you. You have been a great blessing to me. I value and honor the (gifts, abilities, personal attributes) God has given you. I believe God has great plans to prosper you, not to harm you, and to give you a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11, be as specific as you can be). I am personally committed to stand by you and to support you toward the fulfillment of God's plan for you.
Scriptural promises of the Blessing:
- Proverbs 10:22 "The blessing of the Lord makes one rich and he adds no sorrow with it."
- Psalm 5:12 "For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield."
- Psalm 10:7 "The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked shall rot."
- Psalm 37:22 "For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth."
Ephesians 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ."
Fred and Sue Rowe - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
iPledge Sunday 2014: The Rise of the Church
Would you please commit yourself and your ministry to iPledge Sunday 2014: The Rise of the Church and join fellow prayer leaders and prayer organizations in making a significant impact in the outcome of November 4th Election Day? This will include a kick-off live webcast event of information, inspiration, and invitation in mobilizing Kingdom value votes on October 12th. iPledge Sunday is a NON-PARTISAN JOINT EFFORT to get out the vote.
- Please visit www.ipledgesunday2014.com, watch the inspirational promo video on Youtube and learn about the October 12th live webcast event. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3XguLBBUDk&authuser=0,
- MOST IMPORTANTLY, please join the coalition of ministries. Then, email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., with a note stating that you and your ministry have signed up. Please use the subject "iPledge Sunday".
The upcoming Midterm Elections (in just 5 weeks!) will play a critical role in determining the path of our nation. Together as servant leaders of prayer ministries from coast-to-coast and cities/regions throughout these United States, let us unite our hearts and prayers as ONE, vote for godly candidates, AND urge the Body of Christ to do the same. Together in Christ, we will be His CATALYSTS for our Father's destiny for America!
Dai Sup Han, National Facilitator, Prayer Surge NOW! This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The upcoming national election will be a crucial one for the USA. Please pray for a strong turnout of Christians, many of whom have not tended to vote in past elections. Pray that this time they will take the initiative to get informed and show up to vote their values so that honest, good candidates will be put into power and the agenda of the evil one and wicked people will be exposed and overthrown.
The author of this email is Dr.Emanuel Tanay, a well-known and well-respected German psychiatrist.
A man, whose family was German aristocracy prior to World War II, owned a number of large industries and estates. When he was asked how many German people were true Nazis, the answer he gave can guide our attitude toward fanaticism. 'Very few people were true Nazis,' he said, 'but many enjoyed the return of German pride, and many more were too busy to care. I was one of those who just thought the Nazis were a bunch of fools. So, the majority just sat back and let it all happen. Then, before we knew it, they owned us, and we had lost control, and the end of the world had come. My family lost everything. I ended up in a concentration camp and the Allies destroyed my factories.'
We are told again and again by 'experts' and 'talking heads' that Islam is the religion of peace and that the vast majority of Muslims just want to live in peace. Although this unqualified assertion may be true, it is entirely irrelevant. It is meaningless fluff, meant to make us feel better, and meant to somehow diminish the spectre of fanatics rampaging across the globe in the name of Islam. The fact is that the fanatics rule Islam at this moment in history. It is the fanatics who march.
It is the fanatics who wage any one of 50 shooting wars worldwide.
It is the fanatics who systematically slaughter Christian or tribal groups throughout Africa and are gradually taking over the entire continent in an Islamic wave.
It is the fanatics who bomb, behead, murder, or honor-kill. It is the fanatics who take over mosque after mosque.
It is the fanatics who zealously spread the stoning and hanging of rape victims and homosexuals.
It is the fanatics who teach their young to kill and to become suicide bombers.
The hard, quantifiable fact is that the peaceful majority, the 'silent majority,' is cowed and extraneous.
Communist Russia was comprised of Russians who just wanted to live in peace, yet the Russian Communists were responsible for the murder of about 20 million people. The peaceful majority were irrelevant. China's huge population was peaceful as well, but Chinese Communists managed to kill a staggering 70 million people.. The average Japanese individual prior to World War II was not a warmongering sadist. Yet, Japan murdered and slaughtered its way across South East Asia in an orgy of killing that included the systematic murder of 12 million Chinese civilians; most killed by sword, shovel, and bayonet. And who can forget Rwanda, which collapsed into butchery. Could it not be said that the majority of Rwandans were 'peace loving'?
History lessons are often incredibly simple and blunt, yet for all our powers of reason, we often miss the most basic and uncomplicated of points:
Peace-loving Muslims have been made irrelevant by their silence. Peace-loving Muslims will become our enemy if they don't speak up, because like my friend from Germany, they will awaken one day and find that the fanatics own them, and the end of their world will have begun.
Peace-loving Germans, Japanese, Chinese, Russians, Rwandans, Serbs, Afghans, Iraqis, Palestinians, Somalis, Nigerians, Algerians, and many others have died because the peaceful majority did not speak up until it was too late.
In Australia, and indeed in many countries around the world, many of the most commonly consumed food items have the halal emblem on them. Just look at the back of some of the most popular chocolate bars, and at other food items in your local supermarket. Food on aircraft have the halal emblem, just to appease the privileged minority who are now rapidly expanding within the nation's shores.
In the U.K, the Muslim communities refuse to integrate and there are now dozens of "no-go" zones within major cities across the country that the police force dare not intrude upon. Sharia law prevails there, because the Muslim community in those areas refuse to acknowledge British law.
As for us who watch it all unfold, we must pay attention to the only group that counts - the fanatics who threaten our way of life...And we are silent.....and then. . . silenced. We shall not be silent or silenced!
FLOODS
In 2010 Pakistan recorded the worst flood on record, with over half of the country covered in water. The UN said, "more people were affected than the combined total of 3 other major catastrophes - 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, 2005
Pakistan earthquake and the 2010 Haiti earthquake."
Punjab the largest province (meaning land of the 5 rivers) where the most people live is experiencing even more devastating floods than in 2010. So far over 1.8 million people have been affected; 700+ villages have been wiped away; 10,000's of livestock have been lost; the military has evacuated 4,000+ people by helicopter and boat; and over 4,000 people are still marooned. Roads and infrastructure are being washed away; food and drinking water are needed. Many are living on dikes and are being asked to leave as these dikes are being blown up to divert floods away from major cities. The monsoon rains are still continuing as the floods move south carrying destruction in their path.
PRAY
For people who have lost everything.
For aid to reach these people. (The Taliban and Al Qaida are the ones
giving the most aid. Last time they did this to further their cause and get people to join them.)
May Christians be able to mobilize help.
May people see that Christ is the true savior and the one who loves them. May they realize that their god is not a god of help but one of destruction and death. May Pirs and demonic places be wiped out in the wake of the flood.
DEMONSTRATIONS.
Demonstrations are still continuing by the same two parties demanding that the government be overthrown. Last week they were even saying the government of Musharraf was much better. (In the last 40 years more progress was made during his time than any other government.)
PRAY for a righteous and just government.
TERRORISM
The Pakistan military has been bombing and carrying out heavy raids against the Taliban along the Afghanistan border. A group called the "Punjab Taliban" has broken away from the TT and said they are "ending their armed struggle within Pakistan." PRAY this may continue. The Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP - a very ruthless group) are having internal struggles with groups like the above breaking away, and fights over leadership. A new leader has just been named.
Thank you for your intercession
Pr4Pak