I posed an idea in a meeting with my ministry colleague Bob Greene (association director of mission in Pensacola, FL). “What about getting several churches in the city to join in a prayer wave?” I asked. What’s a prayer wave? Churches agree to pray for 24 hours, one after another for as many days as there are churches participating. Each prays for church ministries, for other churches, for the community, the schools, local government—whatever needs exist in the community, whatever prayer burdens the Lord gives. We’ve tried this in a variety of venues throughout the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) and beyond.  Thomas Bush, coordinator for the San Diego Regional Prayer Network and also a volunteer SBC prayer coordinator, saw God unite hearts and give ministry creativity and fruit during and after prayer waves in 2009 and 2010. Bush reports that 67 churches of different denominations kept the wave going for 44 days. Their prayers focused revival in the church, spiritual awakening in the community, and praying for the lost by name. These unified and concerted prayer times “sparked the prayer lives” and gave new vision to many individuals and churches. Todd Unzicker, former associational missionary for Holmes Association in Florida, encouraged churches to join in this kind of praying each February, citing this time as “the key for us as an association of churches.” They covered every minute of the month in prayer. “Any ‘success’ that our churches saw was because of God. Many of us believe that prayer is the conduit by which His power comes into one’s life; it’s the way anyone lays hold of the promises and blessings of God,” says Unzicker. “I’m more convinced as a result of our prayer wave that the absolute highest value in ministry, evangelism, and missions is staying attuned to and cooperative with the Holy Spirit. This is prayer. Why not do it together?”

Fruit from Prayer Experiences

In Brevard Baptist Association on the Space Coast, one creative, interactive prayer experience was a “garden of prayer.” People were led into confession, praise, intercession, and seeking the Lord. The Seafarer’s Ministry there added a garden of prayer to their location and saw several staff from cruise ships come and pray. Many came to faith in Christ. In Harmony Baptist Association in central Florida, the Lord gave Pastor Travis Hudson an idea that took off in several churches—“777”—Pray for seven lost people seven minutes a day for seven weeks. They saw many profess faith in Christ. The Pensacola Bay Baptist Association prayed for 40 days, one church after another. Soon after their 40-day prayer wave, several churches had an idea for reaching their communities called “Meet the Church.” On a Sunday afternoon several churches joined together for ministry outside the church walls and made a significant impact in their communities. Among SBC Associations in Florida that experienced a wave of prayer, three clear results surfaced:

1. Greater unity among pastors and churches.
2. More creativity in ministry and in reaching their communities.
3. Greater receptivity to the gospel and more fruitfulness in ministry.

 

Great No-budget Tool

A prayer wave is not a “silver bullet” to answer all needs in ministry, but it is certainly a good tool in the hands of the churches. It is a no-budget item that draws people together in the local church and in the community. The limited time commitment makes it easier for churches to agree to be part of something bigger than just their church. And God uses this to realign their focus on prayer—and more specifically on the Lord, to see the need to cry out at a new level. A prayer wave can occur in any location, with many churches or just a few. Like the people of God in Jeremiah 29:7 or the early Church in Acts 2, praying together makes a difference. God moves in churches and communities where people pray. A wave of prayer for the works of God—that is the need of the hour. RICK SHEPHERD is team strategist for the Prayer and Spiritual Awakening team, Florida Baptist Convention.