Hundreds Join First Night of 21-Day Prayer Meeting
Last Friday night, hundreds participated in the first night of the 21-day Virtual Prayer Meeting sponsored by Church of God prayer ministries.
Dr. Mark Williams, general overseer of the Church of God, opened the call with a humble, but forthright call to a new sensitivity to holiness and purity. He expressed concern about the condition of the church itself, a need for a renewed commitment to live with integrity before God. He urged unity, not only in Church of God congregations but between them and across the body of Christ, noting the desire of the Lord, “that we be one.” Prayerful responses followed this first call to prayer. Williams then lamented the loss of youth, the need to reach the next generation, not only here, but in nations where 25-40 percent of the populations are teens and children, pointing out that sociologists suggest that, “what you believe when you are thirteen, you will believe the rest of your life.” Prayers followed by fathers and mothers, grandparents and then everyone lifted their voices to God in prayer in Pentecostal fashion.
Lastly, Williams asked for wisdom from God for weighty decisions, for the hand of God to be upon him and the Office of General Overseer, for God to direct the church. A caller responded with a word from Jeremiah 32:38-39, “They shall be my people, and I will be there God; then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for the good of them and their children after them.”
In the second hour, Church of God Director of World Missions Dr. Tim Hill shared the World Missions challenge. He noted that there remain some 7,000 people groups who are in the “significantly unreached” category, where two-percent or less have been engaged by the gospel message. These people live and die without ever hearing about Jesus.
Hill presented five of those groups as focus for prayer in the next few weeks. They are:
Mahratta, Central India, 45 million people with less than 20,000 believers. This is an influential upper caste community involved in business, education, and government. Church of God currently has 39 congregations; Brahmin, Nepal and Northern India, high caste in South Asia. They are typically religious leaders and/or land owners involved in farming. Church of God has a few ministers and members from this community in Nepal; Bengal, Bangladesh and Northeast India, mostly Muslim or low-caste Hindu. Church of God currently has 200 house churches among the Bengal community in Bangladesh; Rajput, Northern India, low caste farmers; Church of God has kid’s clubs (after school programs), prayer centers, and house churches among this community. There is also a successful water buffalo project; and Regar, Northern India, low caste shoe-makers. The Church of God has 20 house churches, many kid’s clubs, literacy programs, and a Bible school in this community.
In addressing these groups, Hill claimed, on the basis of Psalm 2:8, ‘the nations’ as an inheritance. He appealed for prayer support for the 630 Church of God missionaries in full-time service, specifically for their physical and financial needs. According to Hill, some face critical issues, yet continue to serve faithfully. His closing appeal for prayer was consistent with that of the general overseer; for unity and reconciliation, a spirit of cooperation and collaboration, on the field and with the field. He rejoiced over recent reconciliation victories – in Korea, Ghana, and Bulgaria – and asked for prayer for those nations. Finally, he set forward the Israel Initiative as a target for prayer – the children, church plants, a television outreach and more. “So many open doors,” Hill said, “So few laborers and needed resources.”
In comments following the first night of prayer calls, General Overseer Williams stated, “I am so grateful to have had this opportunity and to see this initiative launch on its maiden voyage. I will never forget it.”
Doug Small, prayer coordinator, rejoiced at the response, and reminded everyone on the call, that prayer is not always fun.
“What we are doing is plowing – and that does not have same satisfaction as planting or harvesting. When the harvest is in, the weariness is balanced by the joy of the full barn. Planting is laced with faith and hope. But plowing is thankless toil, arduous and taxing, and yet critical to break open our hearts for the early and latter rains. No plowing, no planting; no planting, no harvest.”
The nightly prayer calls will continue through January 31, beginning at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST), until midnight. Each night, two different state leaders will serve as co-hosts, one per hour, and in the transition time, from 10:50 – 11:10 PM, the attention will again be turned to the global harvest with a variety of guests joining the call.
Join the nightly prayer meeting by calling 712-432-0075. When prompted, enter 367853#. Use *6, to mute your phone. Join hundreds of others praying for global awakening. Daily devotions for the 21 days are available at www.praycog.org.
