Chronicling The Worldwide Prayer Movement
...So That One Day
...We Will Live On A Prayed For Planet!

2004 Year of Prayer for Pastors
http://www.prayingpastor.com

 

I N   T H I S   U P D A T E    ...    and for our prayers

A WORD FROM PASTOR PHIL...
GLOBAL DAY OF PRAYER (Secret Memo to Americans National Prayer Committee)
SAN PAULO, BRAZIL: 700 PASTORS IN NEW NETWORK
NIGERIA: BREAKTHROUGH AT PASTORS PRAYER RETREAT
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
THE LATEST NEWS FROM YOUR NATION...
GLOBAL AIDS PRAYER PARTNERSHIP
PROJECT THESSALONICA: REACHING A CITY FOR CHRIST
MIDDLE EAST SUMMIT
LIMA, PERU: 6 DAYS; 650,000 HEAR THE GOSPEL

 

A WORD FROM PASTOR PHIL...

How exciting to hear first hand reports on the Global Day of Prayer (see next posting) inspired by Transformation Africa <http://www.transformationafrica.org/>

Our Lord is truly at work in His Church enabling us to express our John 17 unity in ways never before possible!

First, a stadium in South Africa filled with praising and praying people of God. Then, stadia throughout their nation. Then towns and cities up and down the African continent. Next? As God supplies, every hemisphere; every continent!

May 15, 2005. Our cities and communities have a date with divine destiny!

Working with you for a prayed for planet,

Pastor Phil
 

GLOBAL DAY OF PRAYER (Secret Memo to Americans National Prayer Committee)
>From: "Dave Butts" <dave@harvestprayer.com>

Greetings to all NPC members:
I returned just a few days ago from Pattaya, Thailand, where I met with the International Prayer Council. It was an exciting time of reporting, praying, and strategizing for the prayer movement worldwide. I hope to bring a fuller report to you when we meet in Palm Springs next January as the NPC.
    
But I wanted to give you some urgent news that I hope you will begin to act upon immediately. Our own Bob Bakke, and others from the IPC announced the exciting plans for a Global Day of Prayer to take place on Pentecost Sunday, May 15, 2005. The goal is to raise a canopy of prayer over all the continents, involving the church of Jesus Christ in all nations for revealing the glory of the Lord in the earth. Bob will be taking the leadership in developing a world-wide broadcast of this powerful prayer event.

Certainly, the May 15 Global Day of Prayer will be world-changing. But I'm even more excited about the 10 days prior to May 15. In God's always perfect timing, the U.S. National Day of Prayer for 2005 is May 5. This allows us to use our own NDOP to kick of 10 days of prayer leading to....Pentecost.

What would happen in the Church in the United States if the Holy Spirit led us to drastically curtail our normal church activities for those ten days and instead, seek the Lord in an upper room experience? I was impacted several years ago as I read a similar idea from Hudson Taylor. Taylor wrote: "Since the days of Pentecost, has the whole Church ever put aside every other work and waited upon Him for ten days, that the Spirit's power might be manifested? We give too much attention to method and machinery and resources, and too little to the source of power."

Here is my plea, brothers and sisters. Please go to the website at www.globaldayofprayer.com and get the larger picture. Download the resources. Then prayerfully begin to consider how you might join us in calling the American Church to spend those 10 days in prayer, leading perhaps to an even greater Pentecost! I am working on ideas on how we might quickly and powerfully present this to the Church. Please pass along any ideas. Also, as we prepare materials to be sent, if you would be willing to add your name to the list of those calling for these ten days of prayer, please send that to me at: dave@harvestprayer.com

It is for such a time as this, that I believe God has called the NPC to come together, mobilize our various networks and contacts, and call the Church to powerful prayer. Thanks in advance for joining with our brothers and sisters around the world in this Global Day (and season) of Prayer.

Blessings!
Dave Butts,Chairman, NPC
 

SAN PAULO, BRAZIL: 700 PASTORS IN NEW NETWORK
>From: "rimo" <brazilianprayers@hotmail.com>

It's our pleasure if you use this report and include me in your newsletter mailings.  Now we are organizing the Third International Prayer Conference, which will be held on May'2005 here in So Paulo, so you can keep in touch, and I will send information when you request it.
 
I thank pastor Eddie for this report from us. Personally I really love this man of God, and although we didn't spend many time together since we first met in Nigeria two years ago, I could learn many things with him, and all people who met him during his two trips to Brazil love him this same way. He is a blessing of God in our network team.
 
Regards, Milton
 
----- Original Message -----
From: Usprayercenter@cs.com
Subject: Awesome report from my friends in Sao Paulo, BR...  

Milton is  the secretary for RIMO, which is the pastors prayer network there.  Last May  we had 8 consecutive Bible conferences the same week in eight different  locations that ended with a mass rally of them all in the city auditorium.

The ministry there (pastors prayer network) is only  about 2.5 years old!  And they have 700 pastors involved!!!   Eddie (Smith)

From: brazilianprayers@hotmail.com
To: Usprayercenter@cs.com

Hi, pastor  Eddie,
We have been tremendously blessed here in Brazil. God  is doing what we could never expect.  We  finished 40 days praying in So Paulo, and we made the First National Prayer  Conference, last October 10, 11, 12. And then we started 40 days praying in a  region called Decapolis, with 10 cities around Valey of Blessing (do you  remember pastor Jonathan Jr and pastor Silas, the interpreters? They came from  Valey of Blessing and they are organizing this prayer in their region). And  this weekend we are going to So Paulo and Guarulhos, where they are finishing  their 40 days praying.  So, my  friend, we have experienced many things in these lasts months, and we pray for  God give us knoledge and strategies, because this job is really huge. For next  May, I'm affraid about what we are going to do. Nowadays, we have more than  700 pastors from all regions in our network (RIMO). If all of them come to the  conference, we will need a stadium. Oh, my God.  Anyway,  pastor Nery is happy with the victories we have received, although we need to  work hard in some aspects as organization, for instance. Because we have no  one working full time in this network, it's hard to keep all of them informed  and up-dated about what is going on.
By the  way, I'm a pastor now. Regards, Milton
 

PROJECT THESSALONICA: REACHING A CITY FOR CHRIST
>From: "Crosswalk" <Religion_Today_Summaries@lists.crosswalk.com>

Project Thessalonica: 5 Steps To Reaching A City For Christ  <http://www.crosswalk.com/news/religiontoday/>
By Shawn Hendricks, Baptist Press

Find out how your congregation can become a "strategy coordinator" church through Project Thessalonica. This effort recruits Southern Baptist churches to develop a plan to reach entire cities in India for Christ. Here's how to get involved. 1. Decide if your church is ready. Your church must have a heart for missions, said pastor Phil Jones of First Baptist Church in Powell, Tenn. 2. Enlist a leadership team. Pastors must find a core group who will help mobilize volunteers and coordinate the effort. The project involves multiple trips and teams who will go into heavily populated cities, map out a strategy and develop contacts with people in the area. 3. Recruit prayer warriors. Prayer is crucial. First Baptist, Powell, assembled more than 300 of its members to provide prayer support for the project. Each one agreed to pray regularly and specifically for the city and the mission teams. Jones expects the number to increase to more than 500 people. 4. Prepare the budget. Traveling overseas isn't cheap. First Baptist Church, Powell, uses its mission budget to help volunteers cut costs. Team members pay a predetermined amount for each trip while the mission budget picks up the rest. 5. Partner with another congregation. Churches need to work together. Jones encourages pastors of larger congregations to seek other congregations in the area who are willing to work together on the project.

Copyright 2004 Salem Web Network and its Content Providers. All rights reserved.
 

MIDDLE EAST SUMMIT
>From: John Robb <john_robb@wvi.org>

Report from Middle East summit and request for Mauritania prayer initiative

With the support of your prayers we have just concluded a valuable time of relationship building and praying together for the nations and issues of the Middle East region. Six nations from within the region and three nations from outside were represented. Others we hoped would be part of this gathering were not able to take part, but we trust that the network will eventually enfold folks from all the countries of this extremely strategic area of the world. Please pray towards that end. We hope to have another such summit within the coming year, God willing.

We heard encouraging reports about the recent growth of the prayer movement in Egypt where all 17 denominations united for the Africa Transformation prayer day on May 2 and where prayer meetings are increasing in size and impact on the nation. 10,000 from all denominations are expected to gather in March for a national prayer initiative.  Several other nations are also seeing the Lord stir up His people to pray in small groups, prayer chains and occasional larger gatherings. In some places, spiritual renewal in the
ancient churches (Roman Catholic and Orthodox) enables joint prayer efforts with the Evangelicals.

We heard significant presentations and prayed together about the issues of terrorism, peacemaking, the role of spiritual forces of evil in fomenting conflict and violence as well as the importance of united prayer, reconciliation and forgiveness in defusing such conflicts. All agreed that above all the region needs to have an army of intercessors, watchmen and women raised up to expand an intercessory prayer network for the whole region and each nation in it. Spirits of division, death, violence, unforgiveness, pride, control, depression and fear as well as occult forces emanating from ancient and current idolatry need to be bound and broken. Participants want to see 10,000 new churches established and 1 million burning youth become followers of Christ. They want to see the fulfillment of Isaiah 19:23-25 and its prophetic vision of massive reconciliation for this region. Please pray with us for these things and for the protection of all these dear brothers and sisters in Christ as they return to their home nations.

Later today I depart for Mauritania (in NW Africa) for the national prayer initiative. Would you please join us in prayer for a breakthrough as national Christian workers, expatriate NGO staff and our team come together November 9-12 for this important effort. Please pray for the right people to be involved, for the unity and guidance of the Holy Spirit and for travel mercies for our team. Some our team have had to drop out and I feel concerned about this. I will try to update you from Nouakchott.

God bless and thanks. Warm greetings from Cyprus, John Robb
 

LIMA, PERU: 6 DAYS; 650,000 HEAR THE GOSPEL
>From: "assistnews" <assistnews@adelphia.net>
>Contact: Craig Chastain at 503-614-1554 <craig.chastain@palau.org>

LUIS PALAU FESTIVAL DRAWS HISTORIC CROWDS IN LIMA, PERU

LIMA, PERU  (ANS) -- Luis Palaus Great music. Good News! festival came to Lima, Peru this past week in an historic campaign for the world evangelist and author. In six days, close to 650,000 people heard Palaus message of salvation, with a documented 41,000 making first-time decisions for Christ. (Pictured: View of crowd in Lima, Peru).

Palau was invited by the countrys political leadership and hundreds of churches to bring his festival of Christian music and celebration to Perus capital city of eight million. In recent years, the capital region has been torn by political unrest, sporadic terrorist attacks, unemployment and widespread poverty. Peruvian Senator Walter Alejos said in his welcoming remarks,

Luis Palau has arrived in Peru at a most opportune moment in time. There is a crisis of values in our country, with politicians attacking each other, daily street protests, and the people are fast losing confidence in their government.

Over 1000 well-wishers greeted Palaus arrival at the airport. The evangelist was then led on a motorcade through downtown Lima.

On his first full day in the city, Palau met non-stop with Perus national leaders, including President Alejandro Toledo Manrique, Mayor Luis Castaneda Lossio, and members of the Peruvian Congress. Long-time Palau team member Ruben Proietti said, In my 25 years with Luis Palau, there has never been a day quite like this, where so many top leaders of a nation were eager to receive Luis and listen to his counsel on the relevance of Jesus Christ to governing a nation. (Pictured: Luis Palau with Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo Manrique).

Events with business leaders, womens groups and congressional leadership provided expanded opportunities for Palau to share Gods relevance to their lives and work. A press conference drew most of Perus national and regional press, including national television crews that followed the evangelist throughout the campaign.

The week of celebration concluded with two historic Luis Palau Festival events at Limas massive Campo Marte Park. Musical artists Yuri and Jos Luis El Puma Rodrguez, both superstars throughout Latin America, headlined a world-class lineup of Christian entertainers. On Friday night, an estimated 300,000 filled the park. On Saturday, the crowd swelled to over 350,000. A childrens program with a Noahs Ark theme drew another 15,000. (Pictured: Over 300,000 filled Lima's Campo Marte Park for Luis Palau's 2-day Lima Festival 2004).

Palau, who has shared the Gospel in 70 countries face-to-face to over 70 million people, said the most significant result of the festival was the 41,000 Peruvians who filled out a decision card confirming their commitment to become followers of Jesus Christ. The number of decisions was among the highest ever seen by the Palau ministry.

An unprecedented 30,000 Christians were trained and prepared as Friends of the Festival to counsel new inquirers, said Latin American Ministries director Dr. Jim Williams. They made it possible to reach out to the thousands who responded to Luis message. (Luis Palau shared the Good News to 350,000+ Peruvians at the recent Lima Festival 2004).

One of the highlights for the festival team was welcoming Burt Elliott, a missionary in Peru and brother of slain martyr Jim Elliott, who has planted over 150 churches in his 55 years of ministry. Said Elliott of the festival, What I am seeing this week in Lima is nothing less than a miracle.

The festival was Palaus sixth visit to Lima in four decades of ministry.

Were rejoicing at what God is doing in Peru, said Palau. The changes weve seen since our early campaigns - the openness of people, from politicians to the media, to the Peruvian people to hear the Good News-  it was all beyond any of our expectations.

A number of Luis Palau Festivals are scheduled for the coming year, including events in Madrid, Spain, Mendoza, Argentina and Washington D.C.
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