Prayer

Why pray?

“If we want to leave an indelible mark on the world, there is no more powerful way to do it than by joining in God’s purposes through prayer. Our Prayers can go where we cannot. While many things may seem impossible from a human standpoint, in the realm of prayer there are no impossibilities.”

Brother Andrew

Prayer is more than a thoughtful exercise. We believe that when we pray God moves in power. This might not always happen in the way we want or expect it to, but God is listening when we speak to Him and knows what’s best for His church. Persecuted Christians treasure the support they get through prayer, and there are many examples throughout the history of Open Doors of God answering prayer in powerful ways.

In 1981 Open Doors launched PROJECT PEARL. One million Bibles were delivered to a beach in China in just one night. Time magazine called it a “bold expedition”.

In 1982 Open Doors began a SEVEN YEAR PRAYER CAMPAIGN for the Communist Bloc. It ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The Soviet Union was opened to the Gospel and Christian prisoners were released.

And more recently in 2010 Open Doors’ RIGHT TO BELIEVE CAMPAIGN saw around 150,000 UK Christians (over 428,000 worldwide) sign up to the petition and show their support for persecuted Christians.

These are example of where prayer has made an impact on a really large scale, but God cares about each individual too.

“Your prayers were as a wall of fire around me; even when it was very cold, the Lord Jesus warmed me and when it was very hot, Jesus provided me with shadow. Thank you for praying for me and my family.”
Pastor Ilmurad, Turkmenistan

“I can’t believe this. People who never met me took the time to encourage me! I have received new strength from the Lord as a result of their commitment to pray for me.”
Monica Luka, Nigeria

“I want to thank everyone who prays for us, fasts for us and supports us. Now I really understand what the Bible means by ‘One Body’”
Marina, Uzbekistan

These are just a few of the many examples of where God has opened doors around the world through answered prayer.

Being persistent and outward focused in our prayer is important for our own relationship with God too. The more we pray for those who suffer, the more we identify with the heart of God and He is able to work in our own lives. We are called to be intercessors – people who pray for others as if praying for ourselves. God wants our heart to be invested in the things that we pray for.

“Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.”
Hebrews 13:3

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