When America Prays - Church Prayer Leaders Network

A Vision for Every City and State

By Brian Alarid

I was a 17-year-old Bible college student when I read a story that forever changed my life. The story detailed the Moravian prayer movement that began in Herrnhut, Germany, in 1727. A few believers covenanted to start a continuous prayer chain (24 hours a day, seven days a week), with at least two people praying every hour. Little did they know their prayer watch would last more than 100 years. By 1791, the Moravians had prayed nonstop for almost 65 years, and they sent more than 300 missionaries around the world.1

Ever since I first read that Moravian story, I’ve had a burning passion to see every church in every nation become a house of prayer. Jesus clearly expressed His heart for the Church when He said, “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations” (Mark 11:17).

Fast forward to January 1, 2017. A few pastor friends and I launched New Mexico Prays (americaprays.org/newmexico), a movement covering our state in 24/7 prayer. Today, 100 churches in 27 cities across New Mexico have adopted a monthly day of prayer. They cover 12 or 24 hours in prayer with people praying 30 or 60 minutes in a continuous chain of prayer.

Prosperity Prayers for Your City

Adopting a monthly day of prayer is not the end game but a simple on-ramp for making prayer part of our churches’ monthly rhythm and for developing a culture of prayer. Unceasing prayer is happening in homes, places of work, college dorms, coffee shops, parks, small groups, and churches. Through united prayer in New Mexico, we are witnessing Jesus transform our economy and confront the abortion crisis. The hungry are being fed and the poor are being served.

We began praying for the peace and prosperity of our state, taking Jeremiah 29:7 to heart: “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” God made it clear that prayer plays a vital role in the safety and prosperity of a community.

In both 2012 and 2018, New Mexico was ranked the lowest among states at 50th in the family prosperity index.2 It was also ranked 49th in the economy, and had the 2nd highest poverty rate in the nation. But when God’s people pray, God hears from heaven and things begin to change. A state that was facing an expected $200-million deficit now has a $1.2 billion surplus. According to a Bloomberg news report, since the beginning of 2017, New Mexico is #1 in job increases and wage increases.

To be clear, new economic policies, a thriving oil and gas industry, and the hard work of many have made this possible. However, the turnaround is too drastic to be explained by natural solutions alone. Only Jesus can get the credit for this stunning change.

Another area where we have seen answers to prayer in New Mexico is on the abortion issue. Albuquerque, the largest city in our state, has been known as the “late-term abortion capital of America.” Since churches began praying 24/7 for an end to late-term abortion in New Mexico, three abortion clinics have closed. Furthermore, for more than two decades, the University of New Mexico (UNM) Health and Sciences Department conducted research on aborted baby parts. But in a remarkable turn of events, UNM has now ended the controversial program.

Worship-Saturated Prayers for America

We launched America Prays on October 7, 2017, to unite and equip 40,000 churches in 24/7 prayer for a national spiritual awakening. This is a Jesus-centered, local-church-based prayer movement that God is using to transform communities. Imagine what will happen when every city, county, and state in America is covered in worship-saturated prayer! Consider this:

Our strategy is simple. Every church in America and around the world can adopt a full day or a half day every month. Whether churches have 20 members or 40,000 members, they can all participate.
Our strategy is unifying. Baptist, Reformed, Protestant, Calvary Chapel, Pentecostal, Catholic, charismatic, and nondenominational churches can all adopt a day of prayer and do it their way at their church. They lead their own monthly day of prayer, then come together in monthly and quarterly gatherings, which produces a greater level of unity and trust between pastors as they cover their city in prayer. We also encourage all churches to participate in their local National Day of Prayer public gathering the first Thursday of every May.
Our strategy is pastor-led. It empowers the senior pastor to lead his church in prayer. It honors the pastor’s authority as God’s appointed leader for the church. Most pastors want to lead their congregations in prayer but haven’t found a simple, effective model.
Our strategy is local-church based. It engages the intercessors (who are already praying) and also church members who may not attend a corporate prayer meeting. People can pray from home, school, college dorm, or coffee shop. We believe the local church is at the center of God’s plan for the redemption of the world.
Our strategy is powerful. When churches in a city and state start praying for the same things, their targeted, focused prayer is strategic and powerful, reflecting Jesus’ words about the power of agreement: “If two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven” (Matt. 18:19).

Our strategy is sustainable. Since each church is responsible for only one day of prayer a month (or more if they want), no single church gets burned out. Local churches have been praying 24/7 for ten years now in Austin, TX, and Bellingham, WA. This strategy has staying power. You can’t fake 24/7 prayer for ten straight years with churches from across the theological spectrum. Unified, powerful prayer results in growing and thriving churches that make an impact.

This movement has already spread to 14 states through America Prays and to eight nations through World Prays. Dick Eastman, president of Every Home for Christ, who serves on the board of advisors of America Prays, made this statement: “We are thrilled to be part of America Prays. The vision is so doable, so possible, and so Christ-honoring! This is something our ministry wants to be involved in and even take it all over the world.”

A Launch for 24/7 Prayer

We have found five simple, effective steps for launching a church’s monthly day of prayer:

1. Select a time. Sign up on our website (americaprays.org) for a monthly full day (24 hours) or half day (12 hours). Your church will pray the same day (e.g., first or eighth day of the month) or day of the week (e.g., second Wednesday or fourth Friday).

2. Appoint a prayer coordinator. The prayer coordinator, a member of the church, serves under the leadership of the pastor to organize, schedule, and provide general leadership for the church’s prayer activities (including the day of prayer). Qualifications include an active and healthy prayer life, a good reputation inside and outside the church, and the ability to lead in prayer and mobilize others to pray.

3. Share the vision. The pastor shares the vision with the church during Sunday morning services a few weeks before the first monthly day of prayer:

presenting goals for the day of prayer
affirming the prayer coordinator and his or her role
encouraging people to sign up for 30- to 60-minute prayer slots.

4. Recruit and follow up. Use prayer commitment cards or signup sheets during or after the service to ask people to sign up for their own time slot. People could also sign up on the church’s website. (Signup Genius is a free, easy-to-use online tool that manages time slots, sign ups, and reminders.) Print and distribute suggestions regarding how to pray during the time slots. Include specific and measurable prayer points for the church, city, and state.

The prayer coordinator works on getting all the time slots filled and follows up (through text, email, or the church’s preferred method of communication) with those who commit to pray. Coordinators send prayer points, scheduled time reminders, and encouragement.

5. Pray. During their selected times on the monthly day of prayer, people can pray wherever they choose—alone or in a small group. When intercessors complete their time slot, it’s helpful if they text or call the next person on the schedule as a courtesy reminder. Consistency helps us make prayer a daily lifestyle.

Awakening the Battle for Souls

J. Edwin Orr made this powerful observation: “No great spiritual awakening has begun anywhere in the world apart from united prayer.”

I deeply believe that a new Moravian-style 24/7 prayer movement will propel America into the greatest spiritual awakening and harvest of souls in our nation’s history. We can only win this battle for the soul of our nation on our knees.

1Leslie K Tarr, “Prayer Meeting that Lasted 100 Years” (June 2019): www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issue-1/prayer-meeting-that-lasted-100-years.html. 2For sources for all stats related to New Mexico, contact editor@prayerconnect.net.

–BRIAN ALARID is the president and CEO of America Prays and World Prays, co-chairman of New Mexico Prays, and founding pastor of Passion Church in Albuquerque, NM. You can contact him at brian@americaprays.org or follow him on Twitter: @BrianAlarid.