Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 18 May 2006 — Page 6

Page 6 • The Muncie Times • May 18, 2006

continued from page 1 provinces (states) to organize similar days of prayer; and then take the same challenge to Christians across Africa. In February 2002, Otis had a second vision in which he saw a body outstretched like a cross spread over Africa. The foot of the cross was in Cape Town, with the head in Egypt. The arms reached from east to west across the width of Africa. The whole of Africa was gathered in repentance and prayer with a clear vision that Africa will become a “light to the world”. The arms of the cr oss became God’s arms, stretching out and out, pulling the entire globe into His stomach, holding it with love, as a mother would caress her newborn baby when crying soon after birth. The fourth and fifth

stages of the vision were thus clear: Christians throughout Africa should gather for a Day of Repentance and Prayer and then invite the entire globe for a Day of Repentance and Prayer, with this initiative stretching out across all nations. The first stage, in Cape Town, was based on 2 Chronicles?: 14 - "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive theirsin and will heal their land." In 2002 the Day of Prayer was held at the Newlands Rugby tadium in Cape Town and at eight other areas across South Africa. The event was broadcast live on DSTV and South African Broadcasting Corp. TV and was shown in South

Africa and seen as far north as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kenya.lt has continued to grow since. The original challenge was to unite all the churches in the different regions to work together towards transforming South Africa and Africa. Meanwhile, also in 2002, the International Prayer Counsel (IPC) gathered in Cape Town . At this meeting, a proposal was made to network a Global day of Prayer on Pentecost Sunday, May 15, 2005. This coincided with the vision of Transformation Africa. Simultaneously in many other parts of the world the same vision emerged independently from what was happening in Africa and the decision of the IPC. In 2003, about 77 South African regions and 666 cities in 27 African coun-

tries committed themselves to participate in the process of Transforming Africa and taking part in a Day of Prayer for Africa on the May 1, 2003. On Pentecost Sunday, May 15, 2 005, Day of Prayer events were held in 156 countries on six continents. The biblical motivation for the gathering was about how, after Jesus was raised from the dead, He met with His followers many times over 40 days. He spoke again and again about the Kingdom of God: the advance of God’s kingly love among all the peoples of earth. On the last day He was with them, He told them to stay in Jerusalem and to wait for “the promise of the Father.” Just after Jesus was received into heaven, His followers gathered together in Jerusalem to do exactly what Jesus had told them: to wait for the promise of

the Father. But it was not a passive waiting. They waited by praying earnestly for 10 days. According to the organizers of the Global Day of Prayer, between now and 2010, following the example of the first believers who “joined together constantly” in prayer (Acts 1.14) during the 10 days between the ascent of Jesus and the desc ent of His Spirit on Pentecost, over the next 5 years until 2010, a.simple threefold strategy will be implemented: * Ten days of day-and-night prayer from Ascension Day till the Saturday before Pentecost Sunday. This year, it will run May 25 to June 3. * A Global Day of Prayer on Pentecost Sunday * Ninety days of "community blessing." This year, that will be June 5 to Sept. 2.

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