Shortly after the September 11, 2001 terrorist
attack on the World Trade Centre towers, leaders involved in the
international prayer movement gathered at the site for a memorial
service and began to pray. While praying, they sensed the need to
develop a prayer strategy that would affect global concerns such as
terrorism, HIV/Aids, pandemic issues, wars, humanitarian disasters and
the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Out of this meeting they formed
the International Prayer Council (IPC).
One year later, Calgary pastor,
Murray Dodds, was invited to attend a meeting with the IPC in Cape Town,
South Africa to discuss the idea of a world day of prayer. This was to
follow the model of Transformation Africa’s 5-year prayer plan
culminating in a Global Day of Prayer on May 15, 2005 involving over 200
million people in all 24 time zones.
Dodds, Executive Director of
the Institute for Global Affairs (IFGA), a group of Christian leaders
focused on creating global spiritual change, has been involved in global
ministry since participating in the prayer effort that coincided with
the G8 Summit held in Calgary in 2002.
"That G8 summit was one of the
most successful summits ever held because of the prayer surrounding it,"
Dodds acknowledged.
Since 2002 IFGA members have
been going to the nations that host the G8. "We go to rally the local
spiritual leaders of the area and the nation," said Dodds, "and teach
them about global spiritual authority and what we call global gate
meetings, where the leaders of nations meet to decide the destiny of
other nations."
"We try to target those
meetings to make sure Christ is represented at the global gates of the
world," Dodds added.
"I got invited to Cape Town in
2002 to the first meeting of the International Prayer Consultation," he
said. "We met with 350 spiritual leaders from around the world. At the
Cape Town meetings there came a vision for a world day of prayer."
"Last October in Thailand we
met with the IPC in concert with the Lausanne Conference on World
Evangelism where we discussed the idea of a Global Day of Prayer," Dodds
noted. "We showed the Transformation Africa video and 2,500 people stood
up and applauded it."
International Evangelist, Dr.
T.V. Thomas, representing the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, saw the
video and made a commitment to help spread the word about this idea in
Canada.
"I believe what Canada urgently
needs is united prevailing prayer," Thomas told a gathering of pastors
and leaders in Calgary recently. "Immoral practices are being legalized
across this land. We’re in a state of moral emergency."
"In our prayerlessness we see
the enemy produce moral devastation in our homes, churches, schools and
society," Thomas acknowledged. "We forget what St. Paul said in
Ephesians 6, ‘we wrestle not against spiritual forces in the heavenlies.’
We are at war 24/7. We need to wake each other up from our slumber in
the love boat we’ve been on and jump aboard the battleship with God."
"Before I left for Thailand,"
Dodds added, "John Tiebe, a Calgary pastor, called and told me there was
a group in Calgary who’d heard about the Global Day of Prayer and were
quite excited about it."
"When I came back," he
continued, "I met with John Tiebe, John Hutchinson, Dave Peddie, Carl
Feltmate and the City Wide Prayer Rally leadership team. They told me
they wanted to do this thing. We’ve been working on this event since
November of 2004."
"It’s been exciting to watch
the team grow with people who have experience cross-denominationally,"
said Dodds. "We sense this thing is of God."
The Global Day of Prayer
organizers in Calgary have rented the Saddledome and are expecting
thousands to come and join in prayer from 3 to 5:30 pm. They’re
encouraging every pastor to show the 13 minute video about
Transformation Africa. For the 10 days prior to May 15 there are plans
for 24/7 prayer.
"The response from the pastors
and leaders in this city has been significantly overwhelming," Dodds
exclaimed. "We’re getting amazing support right across different
denominations. We’re encouraging people to come to the Saddledome and
pack it out and show the city of Calgary that the church is alive and
well."
"We need to back up people like
Bishop Henry for taking his stand," Thomas announced to an applauding
crowd. "When I watch the Transformation Africa video I dream about all
that is possible in the church here. The Body of Christ on the continent
of Africa demonstrated their loyalty and love of their Lord by coming
together for prayer."
On May 2, 2004, 23 million
believers gathered at prayer rallies in every country in Africa.
"On May 15th," Thomas said,
"they are inviting the world to join them."
"I’m hoping it will be a
unification of the church that would move the city to whatever
transformation looks like," Dodds concluded. "When the church begins to
take her place in society the social structures and cultures are
changed…to me that’s transformation."
Together through satellite and
the Internet, believers from around the globe will join to pray for
God’s power and direction for community and spiritual transformation.
Ed Silvoso, of Harvest
Evangelism, observed: "This may be the biggest prayer movement the world
has ever seen."
For more information on the Global Day of
Prayer call 403-640-4091 or visit
www.gdopcalgary.com.