Forward Together...Blog

The need for Global Prayer is "code red." If you are an adult, youth or child prayer ministry leader, or a political or business leader with a heart to pray for our world, consider joining others from the global Church for this special prayer initiative.

The United Nations is perhaps the most influential human institution on earth and is truly a "global gate" of enormous power. The decisions made there affect life on our planet deeply. In our first prayer initiative at the UN in September 2007, 450 prayer leaders (including 30 child intercessors) from 50 nations took part in a special prayer focus on the Millennium Development Goals. Participating ambassadors were deeply moved. They told us they needed spiritual guidance and welcomed our continued support for them in the momentous affairs with which they were dealing.

This September 8-12, the IPC and its ministry partners will again hold a special prayer initiative for the UN with leaders from prayer ministry, political and business realms from as many of the 192 UN nations as possible. Up to 50 out of the 300 places will be reserved for youth and child prayer leaders. In addition to meeting inside the UN with ambassadors to pray for the UN and its officials, the Millennium Development Goals, and other matters of international concern, we will add an extra day and a half at a separate venue to focus on other global issues such as militant religious forces, the international economy, youth, children, political/diplomatic matters, unreached peoples, cities and marketplace concerns.

On September 11, the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, we will carry out a prayer walk at Ground Zero, focusing on terrorism and the security of our world. Finally, that same day, we will be joined by two hundred participants of the Transform World Global Cities initiative who lead cutting-edge urban ministries in the earth's 70 most influential cities as well as prayer leaders from the New York area. With them, we will take an afternoon prayer cruise around Manhattan Island to pray for New York and other global cities, learning about and praying for specific cities of the world as we move about the ship.

Theme: "That the earth may be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord" (Habakkuk 2:14)

Goals for the UN initiative, Sept. 8-12, 2009:

1. Include one or more representatives--prayer leaders and political or business figures-- from each UN nation to further connect and build up the international prayer movement.
2. Strengthen the prayer force inside the UN and in New York City, linking with local ministry leaders and praying with ambassadors.
3. Focus united and informed prayer on world economic and political concerns for God's transformation and breakthrough.
4. Pray for the global cities along with Transform World participants from 70+ cities (round Manhattan cruise with them for one afternoon).
5. Significant time devoted to prayer networking around issues of common interest (e.g. militant religious forces, the international economy, youth, children, political/diplomatic matters, unreached peoples, cities and marketplace concerns.)
6. Build relationships with others from diverse cultural backgrounds and nations, enjoying fellowship together in the presence of the Lord.