90 Days of Blessing Continues
To Bless Through August 15, 2005
It
was immediately obvious that the Lord had answered our first prayer when St.
Louis woke up to one of the most beautiful days of the year on Sunday, May 15,
2005. It was Pentecost Sunday and the First Annual Global Day of Prayer (GDP).
Over three thousand gathered at Busch Stadium in response to the invitation
from Africa to join them on their Fifth National Day of Prayer to worship the
Lord together and pray for the nations. By joining them, we, here in St. Louis,
helped create the first-ever Global Day of Prayer celebration.
With
little time to respond, the board of Mission Metro St. Louis considered the
call and sent out word that St. Louis would indeed be among the model cities to
participate. More than 156 nations and close to 200 American cities prayed in
one accord in the name of Jesus crying out to Him for the fulfillment of Habakkuk 2:14, “For the earth shall be
filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”
Individuals
gathered at Busch Stadium to pray for St. Louis, our nation, Africa, and the
world. Prayer leaders of various nationalities from different countries and
many denominations led in prayers of worship, repentance, healing and unity for
almost three hours. A beautiful moment occurred when 50 doves were set free and
danced over the blue sky, symbolic of the coming of the Holy Spirit. They
swirled and lingered for a few moments and disappeared into the heavens. What a
beautiful sight it was!
What started on May 5, 2005, (our National Day of Prayer and the Day of Ascension) went into 10 days of around the clock prayer in churches staying open, with people committing to pray throughout that time period. Those events led up to the GDP that began in New Zealand and ended in the Western United States, to be followed by 90 Days of Blessing. This first year of global participation is especially significant because it is the only year of a five-year plan where the days 1-10-1-90 exactly matched the pattern set forth in Acts chapters 1 and 2. After the ascension of our Lord, the disciples prayed in the upper room over ten days. The birth of the Church came with the anointing of the Holy Spirit on the tenth day. Thereafter, they went out declaring the Lord to those of many nations and doing mighty works in the name of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.
One
of the primary points of agreement for GDP was that no one but Jesus would be
promoted and no ministry would be advertised as a part of this special time, even
though many people and ministries would be involved in planning, financing,
promoting and praying for the event. It was a 100% volunteer force and at the
beginning there were no funds available. It was absolutely wonderful to see the
Body of Christ in St. Louis begin a process of coming out of its comfort zone
and working together. Mostly strangers in the beginning, we forged new
friendships and new strengths to work together for the glory of God and the
exaltation of Jesus in one accord in the city of St. Louis.
90
Days of Blessing
Did
you ever wonder what it would look like if Jesus’ prayer in John 17:23 was answered? “I in them and
you in Me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you
sent Me and have loved them even as you have loved Me.” Jesus’ prayer 2,000
years ago and St. Louis’ prayers on May 15 are being answered in part through
the 90 Days of Blessing St. Louis team.
Ninety
Days of Blessing St. Louis is a partnership of St. Louis Metro churches and
Christian ministries seeking to advance the Kingdom of God by combining acts of
service and evangelistic efforts in the St. Louis Metro Area. The 90 Days of
Blessings team has been (and still is) linking churches, groups, and
individuals together to volunteer with partner ministries and bless St. Louis
with Jesus’ love by tutoring children, visiting those in prison, painting
homes, delivering food to the hungry, teaching English to newly arrived
immigrants and refugees, and other services while openly sharing the good news
of Jesus Christ.
The primary vehicle of coordinating volunteers is by e-mail registration at the 90 Days link on the praystl.org web site. After volunteers sign up on the web site, they receive an e-mail or phone call directing them to volunteer opportunities. There are also volunteer opportunities listed on the site so that volunteers can contact ministries or event opportunities directly.
There’s
still time to be part of the answer to Jesus’ prayer and be a part of the 90
Days of Blessing St. Louis which doesn’t conclude until August 15.
As
an end note, the Mission Metro board of directors and the Global Day of Prayer planning
committee are grateful for the donations that were given for GDP and wanted to
assure those who contributed that all funds have been directed to obligations
for that event and for the implementation of the 90 Days of Blessing as well as
those activities that the Mission Metro board deems will continue to bring the
church together in the work of the Gospel during this 90 Days of Blessing. They
also wished to express a special thanks to the owners and staff at Busch
Stadium who worked with the committee to make the GDP venue possible.
Next
year will be the second year of the Global Day of Prayer and planning has
already begun. Those who have a heart for Jesus, a passion for the Gospel
to be spread and for a commitment to prayer are invited to get involved now.
We also ask for your prayers. For information on these events, to comment
and for contact information, go to www.praystl.org, www.globaldayofprayer.com
and www.waymakers.org.
