LEAD YOUR CONGREGATION INTO A DEEPER EXPERIENCE BY JOINING THIS GRASSROOTS PRAYER INITIATIVE.
Pastor Ivor Myers had no idea that calling his California church members to ten days of united prayer would birth a global prayer movement.
During those ten days of prayer in 2006, Myers and his church members prayed and agonized with God for the blessing of His Spirit. Each night the church’s elders joined Myers in leading up to 70 members through a specific prayer topic such as repentance, forgiveness, witnessing, and family. They prayed short sentence prayers to make the time pass quickly and keep everyone focused.
The communion service on the final Friday night led to reconciliation and healing among members. The sanctuary was packed the next day as people walked in off the streets or returned to church after many years away. Members glowed as they reported striking answers to prayer. Truly, revival was happening!
The experience changed the lives of Myers and his lay leaders and started them dreaming of a much larger ten days of prayer—one that encircled the globe. The idea spread rapidly, and more than 1,800 churches in 80 countries participated in the first annual worldwide Operation Global Rain (OGR), held in January 2007. Testimonies flooded in afterward telling of revived churches, converted lives, renewed passion for evangelism, and healed relationships.
OGR MELDS WITH REVIVAL AND REFORMATION
Every year since then, many lay members, church elders, and local pastors around the world have led their congregations in seeking the outpouring of the Holy Spirit during ten days of united prayer. Many have participated during OGR’s January dates, others at times that work best for them.
As part of the General Conference Revival and Reformation initiative, the world church’s Executive Committee at the 2010 Annual Council held in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States, voted to make OGR’s ten days of prayer an annual global event. The next worldwide OGR is scheduled for January 4-14, 2012, with daily prayer meetings and a special celebration on the final Sabbath. Churches unable to participate in January are encouraged to use OGR resources at a time that works for them.
OPERATION GLOBAL RAIN LEADER GUIDELINES
• Register your church or group at www.revivaland reformation.org.
• Set aside one hour at a convenient time each day to pray together.
• Download the daily prayer topic sheets from www. revivalandreformation.org and use them to guide your prayer times.
• Get a copy of Mark Finley’s 10 Days in the Upper Room from the Adventist Book Center and use the resources in it.
• Begin and end your group prayer time with praise and thanksgiving. Choose an applicable psalm to pray through.
• Pray short sentence prayers so each person can pray more than once; keep the prayer time interesting, and allow for the Holy Spirit to impress you how to pray.
• Instead of discussing prayer requests, encourage individuals to pray their requests. Others can then join them in praying for that particular need. This will make your prayer time more powerful as people unite in presenting their needs directly to God.
• Have a special prayer focus and share testimonies of answered prayer during both Sabbaths of OGR.
TIPS FOR A SPIRIT-FILLED 10 DAYS OF PRAYER
• Ask God to prepare your heart to lead out in OGR.
• Set aside personal, private time with God in addition to the group prayer times.
• Pray much for the Holy Spirit, claiming Jesus’ words in Acts 1:8: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witness to Me.”
• Consider some type of fasting, such as from TV, secular music, movies, the Internet, or desserts. Use the extra time to pray and read your Bible. Ask God to reveal Himself to you.
• Pray God’s Bible promises back to Him to build your faith and ensure you are praying His will.
• Ask God to show you five people to pray for during the 10 days.
• For more ideas visit www.revivalandreformation.org.
LAY LEADERSHIP KEY TO ENCOURAGING PRAYER
Local elders and lay leaders are key to making OGR’s ten days of prayer a success. Says Pastor Myers, “The elders of our church have participated in every Operation Global Rain since its inception. The influence of OGR on them, and in turn their influence upon the church membership, has strengthened the church dramatically in the area of prayer. Our elders’ strong support of prayer has led to several small prayer meetings each week and every evangelistic meeting having a dedicated prayer team.”
EVERY PRAYER MATTERS
“We are praying that every church, church plant, small group, and individual will join in a united effort to pray for the Holy Spirit,” says Jerry Page, GC Ministerial Association secretary. “We know that only through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit’s presence and power will we be empowered to reach this world with Jesus’ love so He can come very soon.”
Ellen White emphasized the same need: “A chain of earnest, praying believers should encircle the world. Let all pray in humility. A few neighbors may meet together to pray for the Holy Spirit. Let those who can not leave home, gather in their children, and unite in learning to pray together. They may claim the promise of the Savior: ‘Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.’”1
World church president Ted N. C. Wilson, leading the worldwide Revival and Reformation initiative, describes heaven as “anxiously waiting for God’s people to awake and seek the blessing of God’s Spirit. God’s promise, ‘Ask and you shall receive,’ is sure. He will answer prayers for the outpouring of His Spirit so that we can effectively share His Good News and Jesus can return.”
Each and every member’s prayers are needed in this important work. Plan now to join us in earnest prayer for the Holy Spirit during Operation Global Rain, whether January 4-14, 2012, or at another time that works for your local members.
1 Ellen G. White, Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Jan. 3, 1907.
Janet Page is an associate secretary of the General Conference Ministerial Association for prayer, pastoral spouses, and families.
