Displaying items by tag: prayer

Prison Fellowship, a Christian organisation, is part of a global movement of people motivated by their faith to transform lives and communities by bringing love in action, acting with justice and showing mercy. They write: ‘Our dream is ‘to see every life in prison transformed! Our mission is to show Christ’s love to prisoners by coming alongside them and supporting them. We seek through prayer and practical care to help, support, and develop a Christian ministry to prisoners and their families.’ They do this through a network of volunteers - currently over 2,400 across England and Wales. Prayer is the basis for all that they do, and where it all started. All activities are underpinned by prayer through PF groups that meet monthly.

From 22 to 24 February intercessors from across the USA gathered in Washington DC to pray for a ‘Turnaround’. Many felt this could prove to be one of the most historic prayer gatherings in America's history. They filled the spiritual atmosphere over Washington with intercession and biblical declarations to bring the USA into a spiritual breakthrough that only God can give the nation. During the gathering they launched the next phase of what they believe will be a worldwide prayer movement, as they and many others sense change is coming across the nations.

‘Five months after the elections we still do not have a new government in Germany! We await approval of SPD party membership for the SPD to join the CDU/CSU in a ‘grand coalition’ new government. In February Watchman International intercessors joined Prince Philip von Preussen (descendant of Kaiser Wilhelm II), the Sisters of Mary, and Harald Eckert (who leads Christians for Israel), in obedience to a call for repentance on behalf of Germany, and to seek God's face so that our land can be healed. We are now in a Lent period of prayer and fasting for our nation as we approach Easter.'

By John D. Robb

For today's hyperactive missions leaders, apart from opening and closing meetings, saying grace at the table or as a special consolation in time of emergency or stress, prayer is most often treated as a harmless pastime rather than a strategic resource. In our attitude we often relegate it to the likes of doting old ladies who have nothing better to do with the autumn time of life. Certainly, for most mission leaders, prayer does not seem to be where the action is, otherwise wouldn't we be giving it far more attention in our busy lives?

A Revealing Case Study

One of the greatest illustrations of prayer as a strategic resource in frontier missions is found in the experience of J.O. Fraser, the pioneer missionary to the Lisu tribe of southwest China. As a young missionary with the China Inland Mission in the early 1900s, he preached Christ for several years among the far-flung mountain villages of this people with almost no outward results, Fraser's few converts fell back into the clutches of demonism, and he himself, attacked by severe depression and suicidal despair, almost gave up his mission. Breakthrough occurred when two things happened:

1. The Spirit of God enabled him to pray "the prayer of faith" for several hundred Lisu families to come to Christ.
2. He succeeded in forming a prayer support group of eight to ten Christians in his home country to back up the work in ongoing prayer.

His wife later wrote about the difference this prayer effort made in Fraser's work: "He described to me how in his early years he had been all but defeated by the forces of darkness arrayed against him.... He came to the place where he asked God to take away his life rather than allow him to labor on without results. He would then tell me of the prayer forces that took up the burden at home and the tremendous lifting of the cloud over his soul, of the gift of faith that was given him and how God seemed suddenly to step in, drive back the forces of darkness and take the field"

Fraser himself said:

"Work on our knees. I am feeling more and more that it is after all just the prayer of God's people that call down blessing upon the work, whether they are directly engaged in it or not. Paul may plant and Apollos water, but it is God who gives the increase, and this increase can be brought down from heaven by believing prayer whether offered in China or in England......If this is so, then Christians at home can do as much for foreign missions as those actually on the field. I believe it will only be known on the last day how much has been accomplished in missionary work by the prayers of earnest believers at home...

Solid lasting missionary work is done on our knees. What I covet more than anything else is earnest believing prayer, and I write to ask you to continue in prayer for me and the work here."

"I used to think that prayer should have the first place and teaching the second. I now feel that it would be truer to give prayer the first, second and third places and teaching the fourth....We are not dealing with an enemy that fires at the head only- that keeps the mind only in ignorance-but with an enemy who uses poison gas attacks which wrap the people around with deadly effect and yet are impalpable, elusive...Nor would it be of any more avail to teach or preach to Lisu here while they are held back by these invisible forces...But the breath of God can blow away all those miasmic vapors from the atmosphere of a village in answer to your prayers. We are not fighting against flesh and blood. You deal with the fundamental issues of this Lisu work when you pray against the principalities, the powers, the world rulers of this darkness, the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenlies (Eph. 6:12)."

In the years that followed hundreds of families accepted Christ and ultimately a people movement involving tens of thousands of Lisus ensued. Today in southwest China and northern Burma they are a missionary tribe taking the Gospel to other tribes about them.

What would have happened if Fraser had not formed that prayer support group which he so faithfully kept informed with up-dates from the field? Would the breakthrough have occurred? In the decades since, how many potential breakthroughs among the unreached have not occurred because:

1) Prayer was not perceived and used as a strategic weapon.
2) Prayer supporters were not kept linked ongoingly to a particular unreached group or provided with a supply of up-to-date information? In relation to our society's theme for this year, could it be that prayer as perceived and practiced by "Great Commission Christians" is a crucial missing link in the accomplishment of world evangelization?

After dealing with the nature and importance of prayer briefly, I would like to enumerate some reasons from Scripture, history and current experience, why prayer may be the crucial link, the strategic weapon in frontier missions. Having demonstrated the importance of strengthening this link, we will then put our minds together in discussion to discover new ways we might operationalize the linkage of focused intercession and the unevangelized world.

Prayer at its very heart is a linking activity. First, prayer links us with God to receive His power and direction as we pray for the world and carry out our own ministries. Secondly, as we pray for the unevangelized world, it links us with particular unreached groups and the Christian workers laboring among them. It links our efforts and their efforts to God in His almightiness, without whose help all such efforts ultimately are in vain. O. Hallesby writes:

"The work of prayer is prerequisite to all other work in the Kingdom of God for the simple reason that it is by prayer that we couple (italics mine) the powers of Heaven to our helplessness, the powers which can turn water into wine and remove mountains in our own life and the lives of others, the powers which can awaken those who sleep in sin and raise up the dead, the powers which can capture strongholds and make the impossible possible.

Yet having said this, prayer can often be the missing link in our efforts on behalf of the unevangelized world. As important as good organization, planning, and strategy are in world evangelization, in our busyness for God we may have neglected to link up with His power and direction to carry out that particular part of His mission given to us. And that is a crucial omission!

John D. Robb is Chairman of the International Prayer Council and International Prayer Connect

25% of people in Namibia have HIV/AIDS, and 35% are unemployed. Life expectancy is plummeting. Political conflicts, colonialism and apartheid have left scars. Ethnic tensions and potential economic collapse threaten the fragile stability. Although 90% of the population is Christian, afro-spiritualism has crept into the church, leading to ungodly worship practices. However, a prayer movement is sweeping the nation and building community among Christians. The San, the Himba, and the peoples of the Kavango and Caprivi strips are the least evangelised in Namibia; missionaries need wisdom and discernment to develop specific approaches to reach them. Purity in worship and in the Church must be restored in the lives of Namibian Christians. The deeper their walk with God, the brighter the light of Christ will shine through them, attracting those who have not heard or do not yet believe.

The World Prayer Centre National Prayer Conference is as much a call as it is a conference. It is a call to people who want to stand in God’s presence, worship Him with all their hearts and let Him gently minister to them and encourage them. It is a call to dedicate time to pray for God’s Kingdom to come, and listen to His call for themselves and for the nation. All are invited, whether new to prayer, young or old, and from any background. If you have a passion for the purposes of Jesus and hunger to see change in our nations, you are invited. This year’s theme, Time to Turn, is a call that starts with us: people who love prayer. Teacher, prophet, author and Church leader Malcolm Duncan will be the guest speaker. Other details can be found at

The lead up to Christmas Day is not only the busiest time in the retail sector but it is also for churches, Christians and organisations. Large numbers of people of all ages respond to invitations to attend plays, sing carols and attend services in care homes, churches and cathedrals and in pubs and community centres. For example, last year Anglican Cathedrals saw approx 131,000 people attending services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day - the highest level since they were first recorded in 2000. This is our time as Christians to pray, care and share the good news in word and action!

As we travel around we could use the scriptures, the images and sounds to prompt us.

This logo is being used widely by the Anglican church and many others to invite people to Christmas carol events and services. (Isaiah 7:14)

Let’s pray for all the people working through churches, councils and agencies offering night shelter and food for those without homes, caught in poverty, refugees and on the margins of our society – that through their love, service and sharing may many encounter Jesus.

Jesus said ‘I am the light of the world’ (John 8:12). We will see many lights on homes, on Christmas trees, in villages, towns and cities.

Pray for the light of Christ to break in across every sector of our nations; for God’s mercy on our nation and spiritual awakening in every village, town and city and for a turning of every heart to Jesus.

Pray for light, wisdom and understanding to be given to the Prime Minister and the government working through all the complexities of Brexit so that the decisions made can respect every nation of the UK.

PEACE ON EARTH (Luke 2:14)
In our world and society where peace is hard to find, we continue to ask for God’s peace to fill hearts and minds and bring healing. We thank our Father for all those lives that have been saved through MI5 preventing nine terror attacks in this past year. Let us continue to stand on our watch and pray for all the security forces, MI5 and MI6 and our armed forces guarding our nation here and overseas – for evil plots to be exposed and for God’s perfect love to cast out fear.

Sounds of carols and Christmas music. As you hear familiar lyrics over this Christmas season – why not ask the Holy Spirit to prompt you to sing/pray over our hurting world - for a nation, a people group, a national leader, an agency working on the front line of conflict, famine and war and refugees.

Next year will see a whole year of mission across our nation. HOPE’s dream is a growing church showing Jesus’ love and telling the Jesus story, at the heart of every community. As 2018 marks the 100th anniversary of the ending of the First World War, there will be opportunities in the year to look back and look forward. One key date is 6th January when in 1917 King George V called a national day of prayer in order to ‘bring our cause to God’. Let’s bring our cause to God at the start of 2018 as we pray for His Kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Source: Jane Holloway, National Prayer Director, World Prayer Centre

A momentous prayer meeting, likely to have lasting significance, has taken place in South Africa’s parliament. The focus was reconciliation. White people asked forgiveness from blacks, who in turn confessed their sins against the white community. Many were brought to tears during an extended time of prayer and confession. MP Steve Swart confessed the government’s anti-Semitism during World War II, when Jews fleeing the Holocaust were not allowed to disembark in Cape Town. The meeting was held in the parliament’s former main chamber where many discriminatory laws were passed. As Ezra drew people back to God by reading the Law, so South Africa is experiencing restoration in spirit and in truth. People repented of apartheid, inferior education, corrupt laws, detentions, imprisonments, discrimination, tortures and violence. To comprehend the enormity of the meeting, click the ‘More’ link.

Theresa May has called for a ‘new culture of respect’. In this challenging time for our Parliament, we can intercede for all our leaders to begin to demonstrate the Kingdom values of respect, moral uprightness, financial integrity, truthfulness and wisdom. We can cry out for a fresh move of God’s Holy Spirit to touch minds and hearts so that the guilty are convicted and repent, victims see justice, and all corruption and scandals are removed to make way for a new Kingdom culture to be established at the centre of political life. Pray that God will cause the Prime Minister’s spoken words to become a self-fulfilling prophecy: ‘a place in which everyone can feel confident that they are working in a safe and secure environment, where complaints can be brought forward without prejudice and victims know that these complaints will be investigated properly’.

On 22 September Theresa May gave the EU the UK's strategy for Brexit, but by the end of the fourth round of Brexit talks a week later there was little sign of compromise on either side. Pray for agreement on broad-minded non-disruptive changeover arrangements which will benefit both the EU and the UK. The Prime Minister said a transition period could be around two years, during which time access to the single market would continue on current terms. Pray for negotiators to move forward positively and speedily to construct workable EU-UK relationships during and after Brexit. She also proposed a ‘bold new security agreement’ between the UK and the EU. Pray for a withdrawal that continues to honour the peace process in Ireland and avoids a hard border. On trade, the PM said there was no need to impose tariffs where there are none now. Pray for a transition that doesn’t adopt existing models, but rather provides better stability for businesses and workers.