Invitation to 21 Days of Prayer

It was four years ago (2021) when we began 21 Days of Prayer as a church family. The Covid lockdown was still going on; we were not able to meet in person. There was a hunger for God and a hunger to see each other. I believe it was the Spirit who planted an idea in us to pray together for 21 days as we begin a new year. Since we had gotten used to meeting via Zoom by the first year of COVID-19 in 2020, we decided to pray together in the morning via Zoom. On the first day, I remember seeing so many faces and names on my computer screen. Even though we were not physically together, we were somehow connecting spiritually. The Holy Spirit was definitely at work in our midst via Zoom throughout the whole 21 days. 

Shortly after 21 Days of Prayer, we had 40 Days of Prayer that year during Lent season. Lots of people showed up again during the 40 Days and at the end of the 40 Days of Prayer, one of our leaders shared how it was so good to pray together in the morning and questioned why we needed to stop. So a handful of us started to gather every morning to do what we did together during 21 Days and 40 Days of Prayer. It went on for weeks, and then for months…and now for years. 

Last weekend when we had Fasting and Prayer for two days, it was in one sense a natural and organic result of what has been built up over the past four years of praying together. And yes, it was also in another sense a supernatural work of God’s grace whereby we got to experience a little taste of true spiritual fellowship through our praying together.

Praying together became a movement and has now become a culture at New Hope. Praise God! We are blessed to have the opportunity to come and pray together every day as a church family. 

As long as you have the desire to pray together, you can come and join our prayer meetings any day of the week.

For those of you who are relatively new to our church, and for those of you who have not yet participated in our morning or evening prayers, here is why we do it and how we do it.

HOW DO WE PRAY TOGETHER?

1. Prayer is a privilege. Through Christ, we have access to the throne of grace and we have the ears of God who will answer our prayers.
2. Praying is an expression of our faith. We pray because we depend on God for our life and in all that we do. We expect great things from God who will do a mighty work that is impossible for us to do. 
3. Praying together in the Spirit unites the church. When the early church devoted themselves to prayer with one mind, the Spirit came upon them. And the coming of the Spirit led to greater unity for the church.
4. Praying together empowers the church through the Spirit of God for the mission of God. We seek God to enable us and empower us to do all that he has called us to do. We cannot do ministry or mission without the Spirit of God. Without being empowered by the Spirit through prayer there is no ministry or mission that brings glory to God or does good to people.

So brothers and sisters, let's pray together!
 

WHY DO WE PRAY TOGETHER?

1. We meet via Zoom in the mornings from 6:30 to 7 AM during weekdays and 8 to 9 AM on Saturdays. Nowadays some of us who are willing and available to linger a bit longer during the weekdays continue on for another extra 15 to 20 minutes.
 
2. Each day we read together the day’s portion of our Bible Reading Plan. (This year we are reading and praying with the New Testament readings, starting with Acts). 
 
3. We are given about 10-15 minutes of our own personal meditation and prayer time.
 
4. We spend the last 10 minutes together to have a few people share their meditation and pray for one another and for the church. 
 
If you want to read a short explanation about praying with the Bible, please check out my column, “Reading, Meditating and Praying with God’s Word.” Now the best way to learn how we pray is to pray and also hear other people praying, for prayer is more caught than taught.
 
Those of you who may feel intimidated to show up in a prayer meeting, please be assured that you will not be asked to pray aloud. You can even have your camera off in the morning and just hear others' prayers and be blessed and encouraged. Prayer is caught more than taught. So just by praying together and listening to others pray with the Bible, you will grow in your prayer life.
 

Here is how you can participate in 21 Days of Prayer:

1. You can commit to participating for the whole 21 Days. We have had about 50 people who have been participating in the first couple of days already. It’s been good to gather in the morning and pray together. Now even if you miss a day or two here and there, do not worry. You can always restart the next day.
 
2. You can commit to participating partially. You may commit three days a week, every Monday, or every Saturday. However you choose to commit, it will be wise to set your mind and carve out your schedule to commit to it throughout the 21 days.
 
3. You can commit on your own, or you can commit together with others—whether it be your spouse, with your friend, or with your Life Group. Doing it together is always better than doing it alone. It keeps you accountable and encourages you to keep on keeping on with prayers. I encourage you to consider having a partner or a group of friends who can encourage you to “strive together with them in their prayer to God.” 
 
I pray that we will continue to be built up as a house of prayer for all people. Whether you come and join the morning or have another time carved out for you to pray, let’s devote ourselves to prayers together as a church in the new year.