In the book of Acts, God used the culture of prayer that was birthed after the ascension and command of Jesus to the disciples to remain in Jerusalem. It says in 1:14 that they “joined constantly together in prayer”. All the great breakthroughs in the book of Acts resulted from the guidance and anointing of the Spirit they received through that practice of corporate prayer. In the history of the Church, breakthroughs and revivals also occurred once this early church practice was reclaimed. The Moravians of the 18th century are a prime example. They experience deep revival and through a subsequent 24/7 prayer chain that went on for over 100 years, they sent missionaries out to over 5000 locations on earth!
A similar convergence of the prayer and mission movements is happening in our day towards fulfillment of Great Commission of Jesus, thanks be to the Lord. Go 2020 is a prayer-based global cooperative mission effort to mobilize 100 million believers to pray for and reach one billion unreached by May 2020. For more information about this movement and to get involved, please see www.go2020.world
- Please pray for Go 2020 leadership and participating mission agencies for unity and clarity and protection.
Pray also for the prayer mobilization task force to be effective in networking the Body of Christ to help get 100 million praying for and reaching out to 1 billion. Youth and children especially need to hear His call to get involved.
IPC Leadership Team colleague, Austen Ukachi reports back on the Strategic Prayer Network of the Movement of African National Initiative's recent consultation. The theme was 'Convergence of Prayer & Missions'.
The 3-day consultation, which held at the serene Catholic Resurrection Garden, in Karen, Nairobi was a memorable event packed with awareness, networking, prayer and worship. It was designed to stir up the delegates to the need of prayer for the Unreached People Groups, the missionaries, the Persecuted Church and the Bibleless peoples of the earth. In addition, the consultation was a collaboration and networking of intercessors, missionaries and mission agencies that share a common vision of pursuing world evangelization.
The consultation commenced on Tuesday 6th November with a welcome address by Bishop Geofrey Njuguna, the East African regional coordinator of MANI, who was ably represented by Pastor Grace. Austen Ukachi, the Co-ordinator of the Strategic Prayer Network of MANI, pointed out to the delegates that the purpose of the consultation was to fill up a gap and area of need in the Church. This need is for prayer, which is the engine that propels World Evangelization. The Church, he says has never lacked mission plans, projections strategies and ideas, but always fell short of building up the prayer momentum that is indispensible for accomplishing the task of World Evangelization. He said that the consultation would not dwell on mere platitudes and presentations only, but engage in actual prayer for the UPGs, the persecuted Church, missionaries and the Bibleless people.
The morning sessions witnessed corporate devotions that reiterated the hope of revival as one of the aftermaths of the ongoing global church persecution, and a reminder that the Gospel work is time bound, and of the need for renewed dedication and commitment to the urgent task. Shan Barry of African Inland Missions AIMS, spoke powerfully on the importance of listening to the Holy Spirit and the need for consistence in the work of the ministry. She narrated a revelation the Lord gave to her that despite the numerous problems of Africa, the continent would experience a great revival.
The various presentations were inspiring, refreshing, and challenging. However, Elizabeth Kendal, a religious liberty analyst and advocate, prophetically sounded the voice of the Lord very clearly in her presentations. She presented a global survey of areas where the Church was facing persecution in China, Africa, Middle East and lamented about the appalling indifference of the Church in Europe to the plight of persecuted Christians in different parts of the world. She emphasized that the global church needs to respond to persecution by speaking out, giving assistance to the persecuted, and praying in the Bible way for the persecuted.
Austen Ukachi’s second presentation focused on the impact of the Moravians on missions through their sacrificial 24/7 prayer chain which lasted for over hundred years. The mission movement was born out of this sacrificial prayer by the Moravians. He played a nine minutes video clip produced by the International Prayer Council to buttress the place of the convergence of prayer and missions over the centuries. He said, the rekindling of this convergence between prayer and missions is what the Holy Spirit is calling for now in the Church.
Neil Gamble emphasized on the primacy of Intimacy with God in our daily walk with God. He said, listening to God in prayer is key to maintaining a relationship with God. Reuben Ezemadu, the Continental Co-ordinator of MANI clearly outlined the convergence of prayer and mission as a prerequisite for the end-time harvest.
The environment, all through the time of the gathering was Spirit permeated with high praises and due worship of the Lord. Each session of presentations and devotions was wrapped up with prayers and worship.
The meeting closed with a holy communion fellowship meal administered by Bishop Geofrey Njuguna, and with a commitment by the Nehemiah Prayer team’ the MANI steering Team for the Strategic Prayer Network to sustain the monthly prayer for the Unreached People Groups and the persecuted Church. In all, 31 delegates drawn from 11 countries participated in the consultation. Some other delegates came from the city daily to participate in the consultation.
Austen Ukachi
Co-ordinator, Strategic Prayer network of MANI
More: http://maniafrica.com/
The most wonderful time of the year
21 Dec 2018
In Toronto’s main square, a giant Christmas tree illuminated by over 300,000 lights shines from dusk until 11 pm. In the Philippine city of San Fernando, on the Saturday before Christmas, huge elaborate lanterns made from a variety of materials create a kaleidoscope of patterns in the sky. In Colombia, people place candles and paper lanterns in windows, and gardens, lighting up entire towns and cities with elaborate displays in honour of Mary and the Immaculate Conception. Neighbourhoods compete for who can create the most impressive arrangement. Each person entering Ethiopian churches on Christmas Day is given a candle. Dressed in white, hey walk around the church three times in a solemn procession, holding the flickering candles. See
A testament to God's power
21 Dec 2018
The trailer for a Franklin Entertainment faith-based film Breakthrough broke records with 40 million views in one week. It is a real-life story of an adopted son falling through ice into the freezing waters of a Missouri lake. He lay without any signs of life for over an hour. His mother began to pray fervently for a miracle. Miraculously, his heart started beating again, astounding everyone present and defying every scientific prediction. Only days after the accident, he left the hospital, fully healed. The author, who is also CEO of Franklin Entertainment, said, ‘It's a testament to God's power, and proof that people are hungry for hope and inspiration’.
Significance of Jesus’ swaddling clothes
21 Dec 2018
Rabbi Jason Sobel recently spoke on the significance of baby Jesus being placed in swaddling clothes after his birth, as announced by the angel to the shepherds. He believes these shepherds weren’t ordinary shepherds. He believes the lambs they were raising needed to be without blemish, because they would be offered as sacrifices in the temple. So these ‘Levitical shepherds’ would wrap the lambs in swaddling clothes to protect them. In that case, swaddling would have been an important connection point for the shepherds. ‘What did they see? A baby born in the same place that the Passover lambs were born, swaddled like a Passover lamb, pointing to the fact that Messiah was the Lamb of God who would take over the sins of the world.’
Intercessor Focus: New Year, new politics
21 Dec 2018
Pray for truthful accountable reporting by the media in the coming year. Pray for reporters and researchers to be more prepared to speak out without favour or bias. Ask God to grace our political news presenters and bloggers with heavenly wisdom and vision in all that they say and record. Bless and pray protection over all our politicians and their families, who have had to live and work under incredible pressure in this season of change. May God give them peace as they step back from battles and into Christmas. May each of them find recuperation and rest, and may unity replace diversity in the Cabinet in 2019. Ask God to give our MPs the humility and insights needed to make accurate choices and may they be delivered from the temptation to work for personal platforms or party politics (Matthew 6:13).
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, wants politicians to look to the Church to learn lessons in kindness. He expressed disappointment in some of the dialogue coming from Parliament in recent weeks. ‘One thing which inspires me about our churches is a simple word - kindness. The Church does kindness so well - treating each other with civility and respect - and I wish we politicians learnt from that. We don't even have the patience to hear someone else's argument, giving people the benefit of doubt.’ Mr Khan was speaking to approximately 10,000 from the London Carols event at Wembley Arena. He thanked the Christian community for the ‘huge contribution’ they make to London.
2019: small businesses
21 Dec 2018
As Brexit negotiations hit critical stages, the Federation of Small Businesses has published a guide which outlines the main outcomes and describes what good contingency plans should cover. Pray for our business leaders to have wisdom and clarity of vision to devise such plans. Ask God to give leaders in agriculture, fishing, manufacturing, engineering, and industrial developments the insights to deal successfully with any unexpected Brexit scenarios. We can ask God to give heaven’s direction as they consider risks and opportunities. Brexit will affect the rights of EU citizens living in the UK, and of UK citizens living in EU countries. Pray for justice to reign for individuals and families caught in this shifting situation.