International (MNN) — This year's Global Day of Prayer is May 23. It's a worldwide call for repentance and
prayer from Joel 2.
The Global Day of Prayer is a world-wide celebration
centered around Pentecost Sunday. It began in July 2000, when a South African
Christian businessman, Graham Power, had a vision for prayer based on 2 Chron.
7:14.
From it, he
understood the need to call Christians from all denominations in Cape Town for
a Day of Repentance and Prayer at Newlands Rugby Stadium, to challenge
Christians across the rest of South Africa to unite in a Day of Repentance and
Prayer, and to broaden that further beyond the borders of his country.
Since then, God has answered that prayer and the mission has
spread throughout the Church. Today, according
to the GDOP, the mission of this celebration
is to unite the global body of Christ, to seek God for revival, intercede on
behalf of the world, and collaborate for the blessing and transformation of culture.
This event is preceded by ten days of prayer (Acts 1:14),
celebrated in public venues on Pentecost (Acts 2:1) and followed by "90 Days of
Blessing" on communities after Pentecost (Acts 2:42).
It is different from the American National Day of Prayer
observance. Both are projects of America's National Prayer Committee. The NDOP
observance, led by the NDOP Task Force, remains the government-sanctioned
observance committed to prayer for America. The Global Day of Prayer, in
cooperation with the International Prayer Council and Transformation Africa,
focuses on prayer for our world. The first is a permanent observance; the
second is a five-year emphasis.
With nearly 200 countries registered so far, participants will be
praying that the prophet's heart will echo through the nations. It is about an ongoing process of making
God's name central in our communities.
Operation Mobilization teams in many parts of the world will join in
with this Global Day of Prayer again this year. Our Web site has more details on
how you can be a part of this prayer concert.
