USA: Bidding to Pray as 24-7 Sweeps Olathe, Kansas

Published: June 7th, 2005

"I want to give witness today to the divine presence of God as He met with us and showed up last evening in a unique way."
 
So begins a letter from Rod Janzen (left) describing a recent gathering of the Olathe Pastor's Network. Olathe (pronounced Oh-Lay-Tha) is a city of 114,000 people, just 20 miles southwest of downtown Kansas City. "About 25 pastors and their spouses met for a dinner (the restaurant owner graciously hosted the event).  Our guest speaker was Pete Greig, of the 24-7 Prayer Movement (which is now in 58 countries), who is the author of a gripping book about his prayer journey called Red Moon Rising.
 
"Pete spoke to us about prayer around the world and what happens when God shows up.  He talked about Jericho and how the people were commanded to yell at the wall! He shared with us that many times in our churches we plan and prepare and organize and have everything programmed out, and to us our plans make total sense, when in the end the idea fails.  In contrast many times, God’s plans make absolutely no sense at all... and yet in the end, His plans always work!" 
 
“My ways are not your ways.”
 
We had a great plan all worked out but, last evening, God showed up and rearranged our plans and answered our prayers. 
"Our church (Olathe Bible Church) is about to launch a 24-7 prayer room for one month – June 3 through July 3.  A place dedicated to prayer 24 hours per day, 7 days per week for an entire month – a place of confession and repentance, a place of worship, a place of intentional communion with God.
 
"For 3 years the Olathe Pastors Network has been calling pastors to come together once per month to network and pray.  I think we had a great plan all worked out... But last evening, God showed up and rearranged our plans, and answered our prayers."

Here's what happened...
One observer described what happened next like this. As Pete Greig finished speaking and Rod Janzen stood to end the proceedings with a polite thank you, one of the 25 pastors interrupted Rod's closing speech. Raising his hand he announced "My church will pick up from your church... Fellowship Baptist Church will pray 24-7 for all of July." 
Then another hand went up: "My church will pray for August."  
On the other side of the room, another hand: "September".

Bidding to Pray


Olathe is a Shawnee Indian word meaning 'beautiful'
Hands continued to go up, as if it was some kind of auction. The churches of Olathe - Evangelical, Baptist, Nazarene and non-denominational - spontaneously pledged to pray continually through June, July, August, September, October and November. Another hand was raised: "We'll do December." This volunteer was smiling, perhaps at the prospect of rather an unusual Christmas. "Olathe Covenant Church will pray through December to the end of the year."
Pete Greig tells the 24-7 website: "It was one of the most remarkable events of the past five years! There was absolutely no hype, very little emotion and I really hadn't spoken particularly well," he confesses. "Yet all these seasoned church leaders started pledging their congregations to pray 24-7. And not just for a week. For entire months, as if it was the most normal thing in the world to do at the end of a meal and after an average speech! It was all so calmly conducted and so unexpected that I kept pinching myself, wondering if it was really happening!"
 
Rod Janzen reports: "by the end of the evening, there were 7 churches that had committed to running a 24-7 prayer room over the next 7 months."
Yesterday, at Rod's church in Olathe, a candle was lit by 24-7's own Steph Carter and Joseph Riffe, as Olathe Bible church launched their prayer room. We now know that their faithfulness in prayer has already triggered a whole movement of intercession in the Olathe region that will continue, night and day until 2006.
"At times like these," says Pete, "I keep reminding myself that many Simeons and Annas have waited their whole lives to see this kind of prayer rising once more in the body of Christ. Let's never forget that we live in remarkable times. Let's never take such things for granted."
 
"Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said privately, 'Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.'" [Luke 10:23-24]
 

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