Seventh-day Adventist church leaders from across the Inter-American Division paused to celebrate 50 days of daily prayer during a two-and-a-half-hour video conference program on the evening of May 13. A total of 1,000 leaders and church members from the 24 union territories went online to pray, worship, and share testimonies of answered prayers at the midpoint of the 100 Days of Prayer initiative launched by the Adventist World Church late in March 2020.
“We have seen the marvelous goodness of our God through this prayer initiative,” said Pastor Samuel Telemaque, Sabbath school director and principal organizer of the initiative in the IAD. The online meeting was intended to give praise to God for the first 50 days of prayer, affirm prayer initiatives and identify new prayer topics for the next 50 days, he said.
Church leaders took turns reading verses from Scripture and took part in a series of intercessory prayers for those who have lost their jobs during the pandemic. They also prayed for government leaders, for God’s protection for the church and membership, for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and for guidance for additional mission opportunities in cities and communities throughout the division.
IAD President Pastor Elie Henry thanked all leaders and church members for their steady commitment to promoting the prayer initiative throughout the division territory. “It’s good to see that we are steadfast in prayer during these challenging times,” said Pastor Henry. He encouraged leaders to keep engaging members in praying to God in their homes and wherever they are.
Among the answered prayer testimonies shared included Dr. Tony Frankson of The Bahamas in the Atlantic Caribbean Union territory. Dr. Frankson shared how God sustained him through the time he spent in the hospital in intensive care with COVID-19. “God preserved my life,” said Dr. Frankson. “At no point was I afraid to die. I was consumed with using any opportunity to pass on the love of God. It is just amazing how God has been bringing me through recovery now five weeks after I was discharged from the hospital.”
Other testimonies of answered prayer were shared, including how God provided special funds in less than 24 hours to help feed an orphanage in Haiti funded by a project of ADRA Puerto Rico, a home provided for a pastor and his family in Venezuela, a student in the Dominican Republic who was able to take his exams on another day other than the Sabbath, and more.
Leaders also shared the success of the initiative throughout their local churches. In North Mexico, all 11 conferences and missions, as well as institutions, have joined the prayer initiative, reported Pastor David Maldonado, coordinator of the initiative in the church there. “We start taking turns from 1 a.m. until 12:59 a.m. and this has brought great blessings in the midst of the pandemic crisis,” said Maldonado. “We have had multiple virtual prayer meetings and have received more than 1,000 specific prayer requests. These requests are literally prayed for every time they are sent in.”
In the Caribbean Union, prayer chains have taken place throughout the islands there, 24/7, with specific prayer to restore the family starting at 6 a.m. daily, reported Verna Francis of the East Caribbean Conference. “We know that wherever there is a crisis, Christ is there, so we know that every hour is a time for prayer, [and] so we have kept praying for specific requests, during special Zoom programs, and through prayer chats,” Francis said.
In Jamaica, pastor Dudley Hosien shared that the church has seen God working wonders through the prayer initiative across the nation. “Jamaica has been saturated with prayer. We pray for the nation, for pastors, for church members, for our finances, our hospital, universities, schools, frontline workers and we see God working,” said Hosien. So far, 23 new prayer initiatives have sprouted and 94 prayer lines have been opened during the first 50 days of prayer of the global church initiative.
Leaders were also encouraged to continue the global prayer initiative focus in prayer for the next 50 days with additional reasons for prayer in Inter-America, as follows:
Pray for Inter-America’s ‘I Will Go’ strategic plan focus on evangelism, education and community service.
Pray for health and economic concerns for members
Pray for financial challenges facing the IAD territory including its unions, conferences and missions.
Pray for pastoral families.
Pray for the Future of education in the IAD.
Pray for an explosion of intercessory prayer across the IAD.
“We would like churches to not only pray but also to incorporate in their prayer ministries Bible studies and [prayer for] the outpouring of the Holy Spirit,” said Pastor Telemaque. “Bible study, prayer, and ministry must be combined to bring transformation in the lives of those who pray and those praying for.”
In addition, a day of prayer and fasting in the IAD is planned for June 27, 2020. The plan is that during the 24-hour period from sunset on Friday, June 26 to sunset on Saturday, June 27, each of the 24 IAD unions will take one specific hour to pray across homes.
Plans are underway for a celebration at the end of the 100 Days of Prayer initiative, on Saturday, July 4, 2020, with a special online program in Inter-America, organizers said
This article was originally published on the Inter-America Division’s website