The largest prayer meeting in African history
03 May 2017
Saturday, April 22, 2017, saw the biggest prayer gathering in South African history as close to two million people gathered from all parts of South Africa to pray. The event was held on a farm just north of Bloemfontein which is centrally located in South Africa.
Some 1.7 million people registered on-line to attend this historic occasion and thousands more arrived on the day. The multi-racial crowd spread over more than a kilometer relayed onto multiple large screens and many kilometers of cabling for the sound system.
Popular South African farmer/evangelist, and subject of the book and film, “Faith Like Potatoes”, Angus Buchan called for a nation-wide prayer meeting in the light of the current spiritual and socio-political decline evident in the nation. The event was called, “It’s Time”
Buchan said, “We are tired of people taking the law into their own hands. We are going to call upon The Lord to bring justice, peace and hope to our beloved South Africa. He says ‘If my people who are called by My name’ -- that is you and I, so I want to ask you to pray for us.”
As people kept on streaming to Wilde Als farm near Bloemfontein for the It's Time prayer meeting, organizers were forced to delay the start of proceedings by more than an hour due to people still coming to the venue in large numbers.
Prayer Time Replicated Throughout the Nation
The prayer time was duplicated in hundreds of town and suburbs around the nation. Prayer meetings, for those who couldn't get to Bloemfontein were held in churches, rented halls and homes around South Africa. No television broadcasts were allowed, but Christians around the country followed the event from the social media posts of their friends. Busses and airplanes were chartered for the event.
Despite the magnitude of the event there was no television advertising and little news coverage beforehand. Farmers in the area opened their farms to hundreds of thousands of campers at no cost. Gridlock was reported for up to 40 kilometres (25 miles) away and the event was delayed for an hour and a half to allow more to arrive.
A declaration for Europe
03 May 2017
After the publicity this week, we continue to declare:
“know also that wisdom is like honey for you. If you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off”
Proverbs 24:13,14
We thank You that You desire all the nations of Europe shall have a future and a hope, so in the Name of Jesus, we decree right, fair and just outcomes for the United Kingdom and all the nations of Europe as Brexit is negotiated. We declare as Your people pray, You will do more than we ask or think.
We speak Godly authority, Godly wisdom and creative ideas to Theresa May, David Davis, Liam Fox and Boris Johnson. In the Name of Jesus, we decree and declare every agreement, relationship, covenant, bill or treaty that was for the last season will be replaced and renewed according to Your perfect will. We decree immigration, trade, and justice policies will be set according to Your purpose and plan and we call forth Your strategy for every aspect of Brexit.
We stand as Your Ecclesia, and we silence every voice of the enemy to bring fear, intimidation or confusion at this time and we speak peace to the storm which has been stirred through media.
We declare according to Psalm 22:28 “the kingship and the kingdom are the Lord’s and He rules over the nations”
Source: Passion for the Nation
A Mile with Jesus
03 May 2017
Launched on the 25th March 2017, we are aiming to see at least one church per day encourage their congregation walk 'A Mile with Jesus' over the next two years. We are trying to see one church in every postcode area of the UK take part. To date we have had 30 churches from across the UK take part.
The vision came to our Neighbourhood Prayer Network, prayer co-ordinator at the end of a 2 week period of fasting in October 2015. As she was praying she said to God, ' I will go a mile with you.'
She felt the Holy Spirit respond saying, as many as will go a mile with Him, He will go with them.
People have had profound encounters with God as they have walked a mile, or for those unable to do a physical mile, sat at home with a map.
When I personally did several miles with Jesus, I felt God asking me to pray for people I would not normally pray for (silently) and He also told me to look around at all the people that I saw and He told me that He didn't want just some of these people 'saved' but for every last person I could see, to come into relationship with Him. He reminded me of the scripture, 'the Harvest is plentiful, the workers are few, pray for Lord to send more workers into the field.'
My heart attitude to people I might normally walk by without much thought was changed as God reminded me of the love he has for all people without exception. This experience has had a lasting impact on me as I now pray for my heart to be open to loving people more.
'A Mile with Jesus' is also intended to prepare the ground for the HOPE 2018 year of mission where denominational leaders have pledged to aim to see church growth of 10% next year.
Our partners for this are HOPE, World Prayer Centre, Pray for Scotland, National Weekend of Prayer, National Day of Prayer and Worship and 24-7 prayer. Our partnerships are expanding.
One of the things we hope to see is people who would not normally take part in prayer walks joining in. We have written a prayer guide with these people in mind.
Some church leaders have commented that this is something fairly easy to encourage people to do.
To take part
1. Choose a date for your church and sign up at www.neighbourhoodprayer.net/amilewithJesus
2. Decide if you are just going to encourage people to walk a mile on this date as they go to work etc, or if you want to do it as a church altogether...
3. If you want prayer pointers, order our resource 'A Mile with Jesus' from www.resourcesforchurch.com
4. Consider asking other churches to join and get any feedback from people's prayer times that might reveal something God is saying specifically to Your church.
We are keen for churches to sign up in July and August as this part of the calendar is hard to fill with holidays.
If your Church would like to get involved, Click Here to Sign Up.
We've produced a great 36 page, full colour, Prayer Guide to complement A Mile with Jesus,and it's available in single copies, Digital Download or as a Church Pack of 15 with Free P&P.
Originally designed for those with little or no experience of prayer walking, seasoned prayer-walkers have also said how much they have enjoyed using it!
On Friday the 21th of April a group of Taliban attacked a large Afghan Army base close to the Northern Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif. The Taliban were dressed as soldiers and then killed more than 140 Afghan soldiers and wounded many others. Today is a national day of mourning in the country. Just on 8th of March Islamic State gunmen dressed as medics attacked a Kabul military hospital in one of the safest areas of the city. About 50 people are said to have died as militants armed with guns, grenades and knives targeted patients and staff at the 400 bed hospital. It looks like the Taliban and IS terrorists can hit any place they chose. This attacks have shown how bad the security is in Afghanistan and the increasing strength of the Taliban and IS.
Please continue to pray that these terror organisations would be stopped and finally defeated. These are huge blows against the Afghan Army that has suffered already heavy causalities in the last year. Pray for wisdom and courage for the Afghan government and Army. God has to step in and rescue this country from its cruel enemies! Pray for the Christian humanitarian organizations serving the Afghan people at this great time of need. Pray for their protection and favor in the eyes of the government. Pray that they make bear effective witness and that many will be drawn to Christ through their loving efforts.
Please see this wonderful, Christ-like and moving response to the bombings of the Coptic churches by a Coptic priest. What a testimony and loving attitude.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Calling His Beloved European family both locals & Arabs to pray shoulder to shoulder with the promise that the united fervent prayers of the righteous will usher a new dawn for Europe.
As 2017 marks the 500's anniversary of The Reformation, that sprang up from Germany, we are praying for a breakthrough for the continent of Europe, with all the challenges that we face and the golden opportunity of the ingathering of unprecedented harvest of immigrants.
Let us unite and stand together for His purposes in Europe, on June 15th -17th 2017 at Leipzig, Germany.
Please pray with our Arab brothers and sisters in Christ to have a strong anointing and visitation of the Holy Spirit as they meet to pray for a new day for this continent.
The RiseUp-Now Team & partners.
www.riseup-now.com
Global Prayer Leaders & Prayer Groups,
Would you kindly pray and share with your key prayer leaders this Prayer Request on behalf of The Lausanne Mission Leaders Gathering. The number of those who will gather has risen to 90+ CEO/Executive Directors. They are acknowledging the need for extraordinary prayer and have asked us to partner in prayer.
Would you join to pray for their gathering that will happen in June 2017*, in just a few weeks.
Phill Butler writes, "I have the opportunity/responsibility of designing/facilitating the process by which these 90+ leaders engage with God, the challenge, with each other, and with a plan for action. It’s a process we’re well into. Many very encouraging things. BUT – We are coming into the final 7-8 weeks – the ‘homestretch’ of this thing and if anything of lasting Kingdom value occurs over these next few weeks – during and after Wittenberg – it will be because of prayer. Will you and your praying friends/network(s) take up this cause? This small team behind the scenes, will be lost without the extra prayer support. And, as always, this comes with my profound thanks for your commitment to Kingdom collaboration and the prayer that’s so essential. Your support over the years has been such a huge encouragement!"
Please pray for these 90+ mission leaders that will gather in June that they will have the unity of the Spirit and a willingness to pray and work together for the future. Pray for Phill Butler and his colleagues that will be helping to facilitate this important gathering that they will be anointed and guided by the Holy Spirit and will know how best to proceed.
Please pray for Nepal and God's protection for Nepalese Christians because the number of anti-Christ people are growing here. Yesterday, after the huge celebration of Easter, some unknown people shot the program officer of the Federation of National Christian Nepal (Mr. Santosh Khadka) He is now being treated, still with the bullet in his body. He was riding a motorbike on the way to a house fellowship and another motorbike rider came and shot him. The gun sound was so small, he did not know he had been hit until he reached his destination and saw the blood flowing down from his hip. May the Lord heal him very soon.
Thank you so much for your regular prayer and love for Nepal.
We appreciate you from our deep heart.
With much love and prayer,
Govinda and Sujita
Nepal House of Prayer