A Ten-Day Prayer Guide for the
Global Day of Prayer
13-23 May 2010
Brothers and sisters in Christ,
The Global Day of Prayer has seen
millions of Christians unite in a day of repentance and united prayer.
Believers gathered in every country of the world on 31 May 2009. The echoes of
desperate prayers for transformation sounded from stadiums, open fields,
community centers and private homes. These prayers have the power to transform
our world and to fill the nations with the glory of God.
On 23 May
2010, God is again calling the nations from the North, South, East and West to
embark on this
prayer journey with Him. God is moving in His awesome power, and He is
challenging us to be part of this journey. It is a journey that is not about
us, but about a world in desperate need for His glory and compassionate love.
It
is a call to respond to His invitation in 2 Chronicles 7:14 to humble
ourselves, pray, seek His face and turn from our wicked ways. May He hear our
prayers, forgive our sin and heal our land.
I humbly
invite you to join hundreds of millions of Christians as we come before God for this day of repentance and prayer.
May we
see His glory.
Graham Power,
Chairman,
Global Day of Prayer
“And I...am about to come and gather all nations and tongues,
and they will come and see My glory.”
– Isaiah 66:18
A
Call for Repentance and Prayer.
At
the turn of the millennium, believers in South Africa sensed God calling them to seek
Him in repentance and prayer and to call people across their country to
assemble in united prayer for their cities and nations.
Soon
gatherings like it—all meeting on the same day of the year—multiplied across
Africa, and in the years that followed,
all over the world. The result was the first Global Day of Prayer
on Pentecost Sunday in 2005.
Across the face of the
earth.
Many millions from almost every stream
of Christian faith have gathered to answer the same call for repentance and
prayer in the years that followed. The movement continues to spread and to
deepen, packing large stadiums, filling homes with small groups, spilling out
to the open squares of small villages, surging around the clock and uniting
many churches in prayer for Christ’s greater glory and the blessing of all
nations.
Strengthening ongoing movements of prayer.
On 23 May 2010, Christians will again gather to pray
and to repent with sincere hearts and united hopes.
TEN
leading up to ONE followed by NINETY
The Global Day of Prayer follows the
three parts of the beginning of the Church: ten days
of constant prayer leading to Pentecost, one day of prayer witnessed by the
whole city and days of blessing that followed. For these reasons, the Global Day
of Prayer has three parts:
10
Ten days of constant prayer: 13-22 May 2010. Beginning on Ascension Day, 13 May,
millions of Christians will find ways to pray night and day throughout the ten
days leading to Pentecost.
1
The Global Day of Prayer: 23 May 2010. On Pentecost Sunday, Christians in
almost every country will assemble to pray. Many will gather in small groups in
homes. Many will assemble in large stadiums and other public venues.
90
Ninety days of blessing: 24 May - 21 August 2010. 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.
The
Global Day of Prayer is a call to encounter God with many others so that He can
change us and bring forth all that He desires among the nations.
If you are reading this, you have probably heard God calling
you, too. And He’s put hope in your heart, a kind of yearning that He’s not
going to leave things as they are. Instead, He’s going to make us like Jesus.
Despite the gloom of mounting evil, He’s going to heal so many families, lands
and peoples that the earth will be covered with the sparkle and laughter of
glory, right in the face of darkness.
Praying the Lord’s Prayer; To help us pray with united hearts and
minds during the ten days before Pentecost, we’ll follow the prayer that our
Lord taught us to pray.
Praying great things; We’re gathering to pray for God to fulfill
the great things that He has promised: His transforming blessing in every
people, and the life-giving glory of Christ’s Lordship in every community.
Concerning deepest needs;
As
we stretch our hearts in hope for what God has purposed, He will help us pray
with confident clarity for the urgent needs of our families, cities and
nations.
Answer God’s call. At certain moments in history, God summons His people to
turn to Him in order to be forgiven, renewed and used by Him for His purposes.
In recent years the Global Day of Prayer has sounded a call for a day of
repentance and prayer. Leaders in different parts of the world have found that
the book of Joel has helped many to respond to God’s call to heartfelt
repentance.
Returning to God because He desires to
dwell with us; the repentance Joel
describes is not a superficial turning from any particular sinful behaviors. In
fact, the gift of repentance is not merely turning from sin; the heart of
repentance is turning to God. What matters most in the book of Joel is that
God’s people are dangerously and shamefully distant from Him, whether by their
apathy or because of their sin. God opens His heart and calls the people to
return to Him. His appeal is focused on the hope of repentance and all the
goodness that God desires to bring forth.
10-1-90
Pray globally. Gather
locally.
Gather in creative ways.
Many are forming prayer chains to
build bonfires of 24-hours-a-day prayer. Others will meet for an hour or two of
focused prayer. Some will be fasting. Look for how the Holy Spirit may give you
fresh ways to pray with family and friends.
Children are praying! Let’s involve children as equal
partners in our praying. A special version of this prayer guide has been
prepared for children. It will help many families pray together and find
creative ways to help children lift their voices along with others. Find it at www.globaldayofprayer.com/children.
Young adults will be praying around the
clock. In many
countries young people will be praying non-stop throughout the ten days. A
special rendition of this prayer guide has been designed to catalyze and
concentrate the prayers of young people of any age. Find this companion version
at www.globaldayofprayer.com/youth.
Pray with different
languages. This guide is being
translated into about 50 languages, making it possible for many millions of
Christians all over the world to be praying these same prayers. See www.globaldayofprayer.com to find available translations.
“Return to Me with
all your heart, with fasting and weeping...
Gather the people...bring together the elders, gather the children.” — Joel 2:12, 16
Following the hope in Joel; Because of the limitations of space, all
of the important verses couldn’t be printed here. Please read each of the five
different selections from the second chapter of Joel in your own Bible. There
is one selection for every two days to encourage you to reflect on Joel
repeatedly during the ten days of constant prayer.
Repentance is a gift. We shouldn’t try to manufacture feelings of remorse. We
should never fake or fabricate emotions. But we can sincerely open our lives to
God. We can grow confident in His extravagant, constant love. Let’s ask our
Lord to grant us times of turning from darkness so that we can walk in His
light as we never have before. Break out of your routines by fasting or
connecting with others to pray.
It’s time. Let’s get ready to
meet God.
DAY1
Thursday
13 May
REVIVE
Our Father who is in heaven...
·
for
God to revive and unite His people as one family before Him.
·
for
wayward Christians to repent and return to God as Father, learning to obey and
trust Him.
- for
fresh movements of prayer, seeking the throne of grace with persistence.
DAY2
Friday
14 May
REVEAL
...sanctify Your name...
·
for
the truth of God’s character to be exalted and honoured.
·
for
God to distinguish Himself from every false god and to expose every false thing
spoken about Him.
·
for
the word of God to be proclaimed in every people and place across the earth.
·
for
the Scriptures to be translated and made available in every language.
a call to RETURN
“Yet even now,”
declares the LORD, “Return to Me with
all your heart,
and with fasting and weeping and mourning.” — Joel 2:12 (NASB)
Read
Joel 2:12-14 aloud. Consider how the present hour could be a critical moment as
in Joel’s day, a “yet even now” moment. For different reasons, many of God’s
people have drifted away from Him. But now He is calling us to return with all
our hearts. Returning to God means more than going back to church and turning
away from sin; It means turning our full attention to
God, coming close to Him with confidence in His amazing love. As we turn to
Him, He desires to turn toward us. His mighty love not only rescues us from our
wrongs, but bestows blessing, empowering us to offer Him extravagant, grateful
worship.
DAY3
Saturday
15 May
RULE
...May Your kingdom come...
·
for
many to be drawn by the power of the gospel to submit their lives to Jesus Christ,
in order to love and follow Him as King.
·
for
Christ’s followers to walk in the fullness of God’s Spirit so that they can
live in the likeness of Christ.
- for
the Lordship of Christ to influence every part of our cities and
societies.
DAY4
Sunday
16 May
TRANSFORM...and may Your will
be done, on earth as it is in heaven...
·
for
God’s people to bring the influence and blessing of
Christ into every aspect of commerce, arts, education and governance in ways that bring lasting
transformation.
·
for
God’s wisdom to be upon our government leaders, bringing changes that increase
righteousness and justice.
·
for
the righteousness, peace and joy of Christ’s kingdom to be a reality by the
power of the Holy Spirit.
a call to GATHER
“Gather the
people...and let them say, ‘Spare Your people, O
Lord...’
Why should the peoples say, ‘Where is their God?’”— Joel 2:16-17 (NASB)
Read
Joel 2:15-17. To repent as a people we must come before God together. He wants
to encounter us as a people. That’s why He’s summoning us to break normal
routines in order to assemble before Him in gatherings large and small. It’s a
time to interrupt daily habits of life, fasting from our normal diet, even
moving from familiar rituals of worship to assemble in special ways. Why this urgency?
Because something great is at stake for God’s glory.
Let’s allow our hearts to be grieved by what we, as God’s people, have done to
bring shame upon His name. To the watching world, it can appear as if we have
no God. Consider what brings sorrow to the heart of God, and pray that He will
transform us to bring Him the glory He deserves.
DAY5
Monday
17 May
PROVIDE
...Give us this day our daily bread...
·
for
the basic needs of food, water and health care for the poor, for the sick, for
refugees and for children.
·
that
God’s people would become, by His Spirit’s help, agents of healing and change,
bringing forth the abundance, justice and peace that God desires.
·
for
God’s people to break patterns of poverty in their communities, fulfilling
God’s promise of blessing amidst all peoples.
·
for
Christians to act with compassion and persistence to eradicate diseases and to
serve well in the aftermath of epidemics such as HIV/AIDS.
DAY6
Tuesday
18 May
FORGIVE
...Forgive us our
sins...
·
for
the Spirit of God to move on the hearts of men and women so that they will be
able to see how God is grieved and how their lives are being destroyed by sin.
·
for
the Spirit of God to empower people to abandon patterns of sin and find grace
to renounce allegiance to powers of darkness.
·
for
recognition of and repentance from sins that bring about war, poverty and
injustice.
a call to HOPE
“Then the LORD will be jealous...and
take pity on His people...Be not afraid
...be glad and rejoice. Surely the LORD has done great things.”
— Joel 2:18, 21
Read
Joel 2:18-22. We can be zealous to repent because God is so jealous for His
name and for His people. Because of God’s great love, our repenting should be
bold and fearless. Our God will contend with the forces that devastate our communities.
As great as the evil may be, God will do even greater things. Such hope brings
joy as we sincerely turn to God, knowing that He desires to bring great
goodness throughout the earth, transforming our cities, restoring our economies
and healing our lands.
DAY7
Wednesday
19 May
RECONCILE
...as
we forgive those who sin against us...
·
to
break the cycles of resentment, revenge and racism so that relationships are
restored.
·
for signs of Christ’s reconciling power in the midst of
militarized conflict, revealing God’s desire to end all wars.
·
to
restore relationships between women and men, to bring reconciliation in
marriages and to renew relationships of children with their parents.
·
for
those who suffer for the name of Christ to endure persecution in the Spirit and
grace of Christ.
DAY8
Thursday
20 May
LEAD
...And lead us not into temptation...
·
for
Christians to be filled with such love and zeal to please God that they are
unmoved by enticements of materialism and sexual perversity.
·
for
God’s people to continue walking in the light of His ways and wisdom in order
to fulfill His purposes throughout the earth.
·
that
Christ would guide leaders of business, education and government so that the
curse of corruption would be overcome throughout cities and entire economies.
a call to CELEBRATE
“You will have plenty
to eat and...praise the name of the LORD your God,
who has dealt wondrously with you.”— Joel 2:26 (NASB)
Read Joel 2:23-27. When
God’s people return to Him with all their heart, there is promise of tangible
changes and great joy in their communities. Where there has been the curse of
oppressive poverty, God desires to bring forth an abundance
so that many will gratefully praise His name. An even greater spectacle will be
God making His home in the midst of His people. He will act wondrously in both
goodness and power, surprising the world by
revealing His presence among His people.
DAY9
Friday
21 May
OVERCOME
...but deliver us from evil...
·
that
God would restrain Satanic powers, revealing the truth of the Gospel,
liberating many people to follow Christ.
·
that
people would be delivered from idolatry, witchcraft, demonic oppression and
depression.
·
for
Christ to break powers of darkness which corrupt and dominate businesses,
governments and cities.
DAY10
Saturday
22 May
GLORIFY...for
Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory
forever. Amen.
·
that
signs of Christ’s kingdom will so fill the earth that many will be moved to
celebrate the hope of His coming.
·
that
Christ’s power will be seen in the humility and compassionate service of His
people.
·
that
Jesus would be honored openly, worshiped extravagantly and glorified globally.
a call to REVEAL
“I will pour out my
Spirit on all people...
And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.” — Joel 2:28, 32
Read
Joel 2:28-32 and consider how these promises
could be fulfilled in greater ways than ever before. Turn to God with
expectancy. He is about to advance His purpose to reveal His salvation
globally. Even during days of dreadful shaking and difficulty, He will pour out His Spirit so that people all over the earth—elders and children, poor and rich, men and women—will resound
with the call of God. From every race and in every place, people will hear and
speak of God’s call. Many will be saved to the glory of His name.
10-1-90
Pray
with your church on Pentecost
Devote portions of your Pentecost
Sunday morning service to united prayer. Help everyone realize that on this day
we are all praying with the world as we pray for the world. Among proven ideas:
·
Announce the fact that millions across the world are
gathering to pray for the glory of Christ and the blessing of the nations.
·
Read “A Prayer for the World” aloud as a congregation.
·
Share reports of prayer from the ten days of constant prayer.
Gather in homes or
public places
On the afternoon and evening of
Pentecost, all over the world, Christians from many diverse streams will gather
in their homes, or where appropriate, assemble in stadiums, public auditoriums
and open squares. Some meetings will be small. Others will be large, but each
one will be praying with the same vision of repentance and hope. As at the
first Pentecost, we’ll worship God openly in Christ’s name and pray for the
healing and blessing of the nations. As much as possible, we are seeking to
gather in places beyond the walls of our church buildings.
·
Help organise a gathering in your city. Confer with your
pastor and other trusted local leaders. Find practical ideas to organise
gatherings at www.globaldayofprayer.com.
- Not
all gatherings will be large. Many are uniting in small groups in homes or
public settings in their communities. If large gatherings aren’t planned
near you, why not host a prayer gathering in your home?
Pray with One Voice
A
Prayer for the World
On the following pages (pages 12-14), you
will find “A Prayer for the World.” This prayer will be read in unison at every
Global Day of Prayer gathering on 23 May. It was prepared by members of the
International Prayer Council. It has been translated into many languages, many
of them available at www.globaldayofprayer.com.
Almighty God – Father, Son and Holy
Spirit,
Together with believers all over the world,
we
gather today to glorify Your Name.
You are the Creator of heaven and earth.
There is no one like You, holy and
righteous in all Your ways.
We submit to Your authority as the
King of the universe.
We pray with one voice to enthrone You
in our hearts
and
to honour You before the world.
Lord God, You alone are
worthy of our praise and adoration.
Our Father in heaven,
Thank You for loving the world so greatly.
You gave Your only Son, Jesus
Christ,
to
die on the cross for our sins
so
that we could be reconciled to You.
We are grateful to call You Father and to be called Your children.
Nothing can separate us from Your
love.
Thank You Father, for
adopting us into Your family
because of Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Lord Jesus Christ,
You alone are worthy to open the scrolls of history,
for
You were slain and have redeemed us to the Father by Your blood.
We confess that You are Head of the
Church
and
Lord of all heaven and earth.
May people from every tribe and language become Your followers
so
that Your blessing brings transformation among all peoples.
Let Your kingdom be established in
every nation of the world
so
that governments will rule with righteousness and justice.
And may Your Name be great, from the rising of the sun to its
setting.
Jesus Christ, You are the
Saviour of the world and the Lord of all.
(NASB)
Father of mercy and grace,
We acknowledge that we have sinned
and
that our world is gripped by the power of sin.
Our hearts are grieved by injustice, hatred and violence.
We are shamed by oppression, racism and bloodshed in our
land.
We mourn all loss of life in murder, war and terrorism.
Our homes are broken and our churches are divided by
rebellion and pride.
Our lives are polluted by selfishness, greed, idolatry and
sexual sin.
We have grieved Your heart and
brought shame to Your Name.
Have mercy on us as we repent with all our hearts.
God of
mercy, forgive our sins.
Pour out Your grace and heal our land.
Spirit of the living God,
Apart from You, we can do nothing.
Transform Your Church into the image of Jesus Christ.
Release Your power to bring healing
to the sick,
freedom
to the oppressed and comfort to those who mourn.
Pour Your love into our hearts and
fill us with compassion
to
answer the call of the homeless and the hungry
and
to enfold orphans, widows and the elderly in Your care.
Give us wisdom and insight for the complex problems we face
today.
Help us to use the resources of the earth for the well-being
of all.
Holy Spirit, we need Your comfort and guidance.
Transform
our hearts.
Lord Jesus Christ,
Because You were dead, but are now
risen,
and
the Father has given You a Name above all names,
You will defeat all
powers of evil.
Tear down strongholds and ideologies
that resist the knowledge of God.
Remove the veil of darkness that covers the peoples.
Restrain the evil that promotes violence and death.
Bring deliverance from demonic oppression.
Break the hold of slavery, tyranny and disease.
Fill us with courage to preach Your
word fearlessly,
and
to intercede for the lost faithfully.
Almighty God, deliver us
from evil.
King of Glory,
Come and finish Your
work in our cities, our peoples and our nations.
We lift our voices in unison with believers from Africa and
Asia,
from
the Middle East and Europe, from North and South America,
and
from Australia and the Pacific Islands—together we cry:
Lift up your heads, O you gates!
Be lifted up ancient doors
so
that the King of glory may come in!
As Your deeds increase throughout
the earth,
and
as Your blessings abound to all the nations,
they
will seek You, asking, “Who is this King of glory?”
Together we will answer:
He is the Lord Almighty!
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!
Come fill the earth with Your glory
as the waters cover the sea.
The Spirit and the Bride say:
Amen! Come Lord Jesus!
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Becoming the Blessing of Christ
The Global Day of Prayer can become a
catalytic moment. Those who pray together can become those who serve together,
bringing practical, transformational blessing to their communities. To help you
dream and plan about how you might become part of the answer to your prayers,
check out “90 Days of Blessing” at www.globaldayofprayer.com.
Keep on Praying!
To help
you keep growing in prayer during the 90 days, make use of the excellent
resources available at www.globaldayofprayer.com:
·
The 90-Day Prayer Guide. A daily guide to pray toward
transformational blessing.
·
Seek His Face. Learn to devote yourself to God daily
with an hour of prayer.
·
24/7 Prayer Watches. Many will be continuing 24/7 prayer in
many styles and ways during the 90 days.
The Global Day of
Prayer beyond 2010
In many parts of the world, the Global
Day of Prayer will continue to grow in the years beyond 2010. Watch www.globaldayofprayer.com for
announcements about future Global Day of Prayer events.
“Even now,”
declares the LORD, “Return to Me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping…” Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and
compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending
calamity… Gather the people, consecrate the assembly, bring together the
elders, gather the children…
--Joel 2:12-13,
16