The Power of Prayer
February 2010A story of prayer that's transforming lives, neighborhoods and townships all across South Africa reached us recently with proof positive that prayer really is the greatest most effective change agent on earth. Tens of thousands are coming to know Christ, the sick are being healed and the poor are discovering their worth in society as churches gather together to pray.
The email that forwarded the bones of this report from South Africa carried a piece of advice. It deserves to be passed on:
‘Before you read the email below I strongly suggest that you make a cup of tea and sit down. It has got to be one of the most incredible encouragements we have received in the last ten years...'
Its good advice. Seriously get yourself a cup of coffee and take your time. Allow the story, the strategy and the statistics to encourage and motivate you. And when you've got to the bottom of the page why not stop for a moment and thank God for the lives that have been so radically changed and the stories that continue to be told.
We have known about the incredible work of Bishop Peter Sekhonyane for some time and periodically hear remarkable stories of crime rates dropping when a 24-7 Prayer tent comes to town and the South African Police Force strategically directing the setting up of Prayer Watches to the most notorious villages and townships. Recently we've also heard how thousands of children each week come together for a free meal, for prayer and teaching. These stories we hear are often of whole towns truly transformed by the gospel. Crime and violence decline and a confident expectant faith rises in these townships and as it does so entrepreneurs creating local business opportunities and employment follow in their wake. The picture we are painted is one where the body of Christ (the Church) takes its place centre stage in a transformed community.
The report we received recently was a little different from a single glorious story or an uncomplicated trend, this report was... well to be frank it was short, direct and unusually majored on facts and figures simultaneously it was powerful and deeply stirring.
The Story
The story starts some years ago. Bishop Peter had reached a crisis point and called into question his whole calling. He was about ready to give up and go back to being a concrete engineer. (This despite 20 years in ministry as an evangelist who had planted over 150 churches in South Africa.)
He booked himself into a small hotel for three nights and began to pray and seek God. It was four days that would realign his life and ministry. God began with a clear rebuke: "You, Peter are doing my work, but you are not spending time with Me. I could have done so much more through you, if you would have spent more time with Me". God continued and spoke to Peter not just about his personal relationship with Jesus but also about prayerless Pastors producing prayerless congregations and the weakness of evangelism without discipleship in how to pray. Prayer evidently was to be the key.
The message and prophetic instruction to Peter as he left the hotel was
"Go now,and call my church back to prayer. Go back and restore the foundations of my church. Prayer is the foundation of the church"
The Strategy
Since then a clear and simple strategy has been developed to teach the church to pray night and day. Teams of 30 are ‘trained to train' and are then sent criss-crossing an area working with local churches in outreach and in prayer. There is an emphasis on unity "We expect a minimum of 5 area pastors to adopt the prayer tent (an army tent) into their township, so there is local ownership," They teach the church to pray and encourage them to set up 24-7 Prayer tents in their townships then move on, (incidentally this is a strategy that is bringing together Black and White churches and the churches that were most involved in Apartheid are the suppliers of the tents they are using!) It's a simple strategy and one that encourages and empowers the local church and one that is able to spread quickly and widely with little support. Evidently it's a strategy that God is blessing.
The Statistics
The statistics were collated late last year as Bishop Peter and his friends paused to reflect on the past 5 and a quarter years since they introduced 24-7 Prayer as a key evangelistic and church planting strategy.
In the words of the email that accompanied these statistics: ‘Oh My!!!
How Time Flies!!?'
Prayer centres (local churches adopting Day and Night
Prayer) 7240
Total number of
salvations
785,300
Total number of healings (various sicknesses and diseases
cured) 19480
Total number of people who found
employment 37660
Small Businesses
established
8400
Marriages restored
280
Devil worshippers
converted
320
*Sentenced corruption
offenders
190
*Pending corruption
cases
88
Local church growth (current year
only) 60%
Number of new local churches (current year only) 142
* Refers to many people involved in communities involved in crime and corruption whose works have been exposed.
And there you have it. Now it's time to put down the coffee, have another read through those stats if you like - they do take some comprehending, and thank God. This report is all about the grace of God being poured out and lives and communities changed. The song remains the same: 'the ‘key' is prayer' its not about a model or a vehicle or a method or a movement but that beautiful gracious interactive relationship between our God and His people.
Bishop Peter signs off his email with: ‘I remain a firm believer' so do I Peter, so do I.
Source: 24-7 prayer
