Millions around the world gathered for the 11th annual Global Day of Prayer on Pentecost Sunday. Anchored in Jacksonville, Fla., this year’s event saw participation from more than 200 countries in a cross-denominational effort to pray in line with 2 Chron. 7:14, a verse in which God promises to heal the land if His people will humble themselves, pray and turn from their wicked ways.
“The key is the unity that a day of prayer like this brings,” says Graham Power, the South African businessman who launched the Global Day of Prayer in 2000. “Many of these denominational leaders have never worked together in the past. This event, of course, is about a day of repentance and prayer—but it’s not about just one day. It’s about a lifestyle of prayer.”
The first event in 2001 saw more than 45,000 Christians come together. Now, millions join forces to repent, pray for issues affecting cities and nations, remind God of His promise.
“I’m really excited to see how God is stirring up people with this whole issue of repentance and prayer,” Power says. “We know that there are many, many challenges around the world. There’s an economic meltdown taking place, crime, corruption; we prayed about all kinds of issues. I was impressed with the way different denominational leaders came up on the stage and prayed. Unity was a key focus.”
Although the dust has settled on the Global Day of Prayer, the vision doesn’t get set on a shelf until next June. Just like Graham’s heavenly strategy included a 10-day prayer run up to Pentecost, believers around the world are now committing to the 90 Days of Blessings, a follow-through that encourages Christians to continue in persistent prayer—and actually become the answers to their prayers.
“We’d like to hope the 90 Days of Blessings will roll out to 365 days,” Power says. “We want people to take hands and look at the needs in their city and work to meet them. Around the globe there are some amazing stories and testimonies that flow out of these 90 days.”
Power isn’t stopping with the prayer, either. He wants a pledge.
In Oct. 2006 the Lord gave Power a vision for Unashamedly Ethical, a campaign promoting ethics, values and clean living. The campaign issues a challenge to people to make a public commitment to “good values, ethics, and clean living” and invites people to form local communities of signatories all over the world.
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