“The worldwide prayer movement implements a specific process when establishing prayer watches. Churches, towns, cities, countries and continents are mobilized to stand before God’s throne 24 hours a day to praise and worship Him, and to plead for the nations. Intercessors pray for revival in the church and for world evangelization, as well as for transformation and healing of cities and countries. In this way the Great Commandment and the Great Commission are carried out.” Awaken the Watchmen

The prayer movement is advancing at an incredible rate worldwide. Day and night prayer watches have been increasing since the beginning of 1990. By 1995 there were a few dozen, but within ten years it grew to a few thousand. By the time you read this, you can imagine how many there will be worldwide.

There are many exciting ways this is happening. Although there are some common approaches, the Holy Spirit is creative and often uses unique methods that are tailored to each city in each country. Jericho Walls, a leading prayer ministry based in South Africa, encourages and gives us some incredible examples of how the worldwide prayer movement is expanding throughout the world. Realize that these statistics regarding Houses of Prayer are constantly changing because God is expanding the prayer movement so quickly. This is adapted from Awaken the Watchmen—24/7 Prayer Guidelines and Models. Let’s give God praise and thanksgiving for what He is doing worldwide in prayer.

• The Jerusalem House of Prayer for all Nations in Jerusalem – This House of Prayer started in 1987 by Tom Hess. The Gates of Jerusalem Watch is part of this prayer initiative, where twelve prayer teams pray daily for two hours at the twelve gates of Jerusalem. In 1999 Hess started the first convocation for the 24-hour prayer watch. This is spreading around the world. Other prayer watches have been established in Israel in the last several years.
• The International House of Prayer in Kansas City, USA (IHOPKC) – Since 1999 a 24/7, 365-day House of Prayer has been going in Kansas City. The mission of these intercessors and worshippers is to establish Houses of Prayer all over the world. Mike Bickle designed a model for prayer called “harp and bowl” which combines worship and intercession.
• The “Waechterruf Initiative” (Watchman’s Call Initiative) in Germany – This model was started in 2000 where every city must pray for the German nation, the salvation of the people, and the needs of the people and government for one full 24-hour day per month. Many cities are involved in this, each taking a day of the month.
• Cathe, Nagaland Christian Revival Prayer Houses in northern India – This House of Prayer was established in 1962 through a revival movement. Sixty houses have been built for people who want to devote their lives to prayer. A 24-hour prayer watch is kept there. By the end of 2000, there were approximately one thousand active prayer watches in Nagaland, and 95% of the people are now Christians.
• Washington DC Prayer Watch in the United States – In 1997 the US/DC Prayer Watch was established as a national prayer watch to pray for the U.S. 24 hours a day. A central prayer calendar was compiled with the names of individuals and prayer groups who commit themselves to pray for an hour a week or once a month. Several million intercessors are involved in this prayer watch.
• A Million Hours of Praise in England – Cathryn Hall in England initiated a million hours of praise and worship that developed into day and night praise and worship. Worship teams all over the world are encouraged to participate in this movement of praise.
• Prayer Watches for Drug Addicts in South Africa – A pastor’s wife got parents together every Friday night to pray all through the night for their children caught in drugs. After three years it grew to 36 different 365-day prayer chains that pray for children addicted to drugs. It has now grown to a few hundred watches that pray for young people involved in drugs and the occult. Some run 24 hours a day. Thousands are now involved in these watches.
• Prayer Towers in Indonesia – Through the work of the national prayer network in Indonesia, prayer towers have been
  established in more than five hundred cities. About five million intercessors from all over the country are bound together in a network of prayer. The intercessors cover a week of 24/7 prayer with sixteen or more full-time intercessors taking shifts of four hours a day. Others who want to pray join them. Even children are involved in these prayer towers.
• Prayer Mountains in South Korea – There are numerous prayer mountains throughout South Korea where people can go up into the mountains to pray day and night. Many go to these places to fast. Some up to forty days. They believe that the political stability and church growth is because of these prayer mountains.
• Since 1995 World Trumpet Mission and Watchman Intercessors Network have helped to establish 24-hour prayer watches in 43 districts in Uganda.
• The Youth and 24-7 Prayer in England – In 1999 Peter Greig started a dynamic prayer movement among young people. They creatively decorate prayer rooms and start praying for 168 hours. They are known as 24-7. When they become 24-7, 365-day watches, they are called boiler rooms. By 2006, there were 65 countries where the 24-7 prayer movement among youth had taken root and was growing. They are spreading rapidly all over the world.

In his book, 24-7 Prayer Manual, Peter Greig shares about how day and night prayer is spreading throughout North America. This should create a hunger within us to see it happen now where we personally live.

“In Canada we now have regional representatives resourcing 24-7 prayer rooms from coast to coast. Meanwhile, from Alaska to Florida, almost every state has hosted seasons of 24-7 prayer. By the time you read this, the 24-7 movement will almost certainly have impacted all 50 states. These American prayer rooms have been established in a diverse array of contexts: at many different churches (Evangelical, Charismatic, and liturgical), on university campuses. At festivals, at a slum motel in East Vancouver, and even at the US Naval Academy, where apparently the prayer times were particularly disciplined! Some of the soldiers who prayed in the 24-7 room have since, almost certainly, given their lives in Iraq. God is doing an amazing thing in our time, but, if you’re anything like us, you eventually grow weary of hearing stories of revival and social transformation in other churches, on other campuses or at other times in history. You pray with a mixture of faith and frustration: “Do it here, Lord. Do it now!”

“A person who can pray is the mightiest instrument Christ has in this world. A praying church is stronger than all the gates of hell. God’s decree for the glory of His Son’s kingdom is dependent on prayer for its fulfillment: ‘Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost part of the earth for thy possession’ (Psalm 2:8). God the Father gives nothing to his Son except through prayer.” E.M Bounds

By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC