90
Ninety days of blessing: 13 June - 10 September 2012. As in the first Pentecost, transformed Christians transform their communities as they offer themselves to God as instruments through which their prayers can be answered. The Global Day of Prayer anticipates the forming or furthering of local alliances among pastors, churches, missions and business leaders, to bring practical, transformational blessing to their communities. This is where prayer becomes a lifestyle.
We are frequently asked:
‘Why should we gather to pray on the Global Day of Prayer? Shouldn’t we be praying every day?’
“….pray continually…”
1 Thessalonians 5:17
Indeed, the Bible commands us to ‘pray continually’ (1 Thes 5.17 NIV). As a Christian, prayer should be a constant discipline. Consistent, daily, prayer can be likened to food – it sustains us by keeping us, and our lives, connected to God. In this sense we need to pray daily just like we need to eat daily. However, even though we eat regularly there are some special occasions on which we gather for special meals. For example a special family celebration like a birthday, or perhaps a special time of the year, like Christmas. Those meals are more special because we intentionally gather to ‘eat together’.
The Global Day of Prayer is similar to a ‘special family meal’. On this day God calls His family to pray together, in small and large gatherings, all across the globe. The Global Day of Prayer is that one special day in the year where Christians from every tribe and tongue can pray together, humbling themselves and seeking God’s face (2 Chron 7.14).
So if we are praying every day then why should we gather to pray on the Global Day of Prayer?
We should do so because it is a special day, unlike any other, where we can pray with sisters and brothers all over the globe.
|