“I’m sure, Mr. McCie, that you’re longing to see God working. What about calling your office bearers together and suggest to them that you spend two nights a week waiting upon God in prayer. You’ve tried mission, you’ve tried special evangelists. Mr. McCie, have you tried God?”
– Peggy Smith, 84 year old prayer warrior, challenging a pastor to the two nights a week of all-night prayer that would detonate the Hebrides Revival.
“In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.”
Lukes 6:12
In two weeks, on Friday night, April 19, we will have a night of prayer from 10:00PM to 4:00AM, US Central time, by Zoom. We are in an intense time of spiritual warfare and the battles are getting hotter. All it takes is to read the news for several minutes to see that the world has gone insane and is running to the cliff to an eternity apart from Christ as fast as it can. Meanwhile the church continues to bleed youth and adults, while ignoring its own sin. Prayer is desperately needed.
Our loosely held focus the evening of April 19 will be on storming the throne and asking God to:
* Breach the walls of pride, fear, and arrogance that blind the church from facing its sin, especially, sexual sin and bring conviction and repentance.
* Rescue and healing to those in bondage in sin, especially sexual sin.
* Fight for marriages, and youth.
* Provoke His people to prayer. We need prayer meetings fired up in every church, every day of the week.
* Give us new ground, especially in the sexual arena where the enemy continues to destroy lives.
* I’ll bring up specific areas for prayer for situations we’re involved with in the US and abroad.
We will also share needs and pray for each other.
I wrote “loosely held focus” because we want God to have His way during this time, which will include Scripture reading, waiting in silence, and worship. There is often a flow that develops in a prayer meeting when we enter His presence.
Any person from any country who speaks English and has a heart for prayer is welcome. We have men and women from Asia and Europe who participate in our prayer groups now; we can pray in these areas for you and your country too. The same goes for ministry leaders.
My friends in the UK, know that we will bringing up your country. I’ve heard many stories during my visits to the UK that many of the pulpits in the UK are locked up when it comes to openly discussing sexual issues.
If you study history, beginning with Jonah 3, and you’ll see that fervent prayer and confession of sin are the engine that set God’s people on fire. The book of Acts shows us that the early church began with 7 days straight of prayer and they continued to have powerful prayer meetings throughout. I often question whether the modern church believes in prayer like it says it does; the lack of prayer meetings and urgent calls to prayer are one glaring example, and many believers have stunted prayer lives.
Spiritual battles are won by effective prayer or lost because of the lack of it.
“And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Matthew 26:40-41
Significant spiritual breakthroughs can come from late night prayer, which is probably why Jesus engaged in all-night prayer, showing us the way in the process. Peggy Smith in the Hebrides Islands understood this while the pastors of her time did not.
It’s what we do that reveals what we believe, and what, or who we love.
Talk without action is futile, as is a Christian without a prayer life. Regardless of whether you join us on April 19 or not, your prayer life will have a major impact on your relationship with God and others and whether you live your life in a way that counts for eternity.
On Friday April 19th, you’re welcome to participate as long as you like; stay for an hour, or the whole six hours. I’m planning on being involved the entire six hours no matter how many show up. We will begin promptly at 10:00PM Central time. If you want to come and pray silently instead of out loud, this is fine.
If you’d like to participate, please contact us and we’ll send you the zoom link.
“Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.”
James 5:13-18
“Prayer does not fit us for the greater works; prayer is the greater work.”
-Oswald Chambers