“If Christians prayed as Christians ought—with strong commanding faith, with earnestness and sincerity—men, God-called men, God-empowered men everywhere, would be burning to go and spread the Gospel worldwide. The Word of the Lord would run and be glorified as never known heretofore. The God-influenced men, the God-inspired men, the God-commissioned men, would go and kindle the flame of sacred fire for Christ, salvation, and heaven, everywhere in all nations. Soon all men would hear the glad tidings of salvation and have an opportunity to receive Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.”
E. M. Bounds
Day and night prayer ignites the power of God to release the fire of the Gospel throughout the earth. Every nation, every city, every people group, and every neighborhood cannot miss the tremendous influence of the atmosphere of prayer released from the prayer room. There is something deep and far-reaching that happens when God’s people give themselves to 24/7 prayer and intercession in a given location. It cannot be measured by human means, but its dynamic power can set the fire of God loose in a nation in a way that is beyond comprehension.
I have heard of evangelists going to a region, locking themselves in a hotel room, praying unceasingly for days, and then going out and sharing the Gospel with incredible results. If one man can see that happen, imagine the effect when the Church worldwide gives itself to prayer and actually makes prayer its primary business. Then we shall surely see things happen. None of us have gotten there yet, but it certainly should be our highest ambition and shall take a primary role as we see the end-time scenario unfold before us.
Perhaps one of the greatest prayer warriors in all of history was Praying Hyde of northern India who lived from 1865-1912. He would miss meals and would bow or lie down on the ground because of intense travail, and cry out to the Lord daily for souls. He was burning within for the salvation of the lost.
Finally, with an agonizing passion for those without Christ, he began to pray that God would let him win a soul to Jesus every day that year. At the end of the year, four hundred souls had been won through his daily witness. The next year Hyde cried out to the Lord for two souls a day. That year about eight hundred had responded to Christ through Hyde. But his heart grew in intense desperation, and he began to plead to God for four souls a day. That year he led four souls a day to Christ.
He would first travail for the lost, and then he would go out and speak to men and women about how to find eternal life through Christ. He first prayed, and then he witnessed. After praying, the Holy Spirit would lead him to the right individuals.
Multitudes came to Christ through this praying man. What a fantastic method of evangelism!
The ministry of Anna in the Bible is increasing across the earth—individuals who give themselves to day and night prayer as she and Praying Hyde did. Anna, even though extremely old, worshiped God night and day almost all her life. We read in Luke 2:36b-37:
“She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.”
God is raising up intercessory missionaries who pray night and day. The urgency of the hour and the present emphasis on prayer makes 24/7 prayer a possibility in this generation. We cannot do without intercession and individuals who give themselves to prayer like Anna. The need is too great. Here at IHOP there are several hundred intercessory missionaries. Multitudes of intercessors visit this mission base annually to learn about day and night prayer.
God will release finances for the harvest and for this great worldwide prayer movement. He will shake all things as He does this (Haggai 2:6-8). He will open up the financial windows of heaven supernaturally, if we will be faithful to obey Him with our money (Malachi 3:10-11). The release of finances will bring great blessing, but there certainly will be pressures as God deals with our heart issues.
Already there is a spirit of fear throughout the world regarding finances, and Satan greatly opposes and hinders the release of finances for God’s work. Giving forces us to wrestle with covetousness and the spirit of fear. Economic prosperity gives us an increased ability to help others, to grow in righteousness, and to increase our position in the Millennial Kingdom.
More money in our pockets is not for a bigger house or a nicer car, as many of us may think. It’s for God’s Kingdom purposes. The struggle will be great for many of us until we see everything in light of God’s Kingdom. He will return to us in proportion to the measure of our giving (Luke 6:38; 2 Corinthians 9:5-6). We must have money to eat, but God also gives us money to sow. In the midst of all that is happening in the end times, we must refuse the spirit of poverty and the mentality of lack.
Norm and I have been involved in missions and the prayer movement since 1978. We have not had a regular paycheck, but have had to trust God for our finances all these years. That’s over 37 years. I can testify that God has provided for us all these years, and we never lacked anything. He has been faithful.
By Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
IHOPKC
