By Marney Blom
From Jakarta to Toronto, from Santiago to Cape Town, 400-500 million people gathered across the globe for what was collectively the largest prayer meeting in history.
Christians in 198 nations laid aside denominational differences and met in sports arenas, churches and open squares to pray for their cities, their nation and for the world.
Global Day of Prayer Chile coordinator Rev. Alfred Cooper said it brought together churches, leaders and pastors from all over the world. “It is a wonderful thing.”
What began in 2001 as a single meeting of 45,000 in Cape Town, South Africa has in five years exploded across the globe. In Canada’s largest city, Toronto, more than 7500 Christians united their prayers at the Air Canada Centre in the heart of the city.
Global Day of Prayer Toronto spokesperson Hany Boghossian said the response was phenomenal. “Many different churches, different denominations, Alliance churches, Baptists, Pentecostal, charismatics, non-denominational … a wide gamut of evangelical churches (are represented). We’re expecting the body of Christ to just pull together.”
Toronto, which is known as the most culturally and ethnically diverse city in the world, played host to a Global Day of Prayer gathering that was visually a clear triumph of church unity.
“Just to see the whole multi-ethnic mix here today,” said a participant of Jamaican origin, “that we’re one body, one God and one Spirit … that really stuck out to me.”
“I’m gung ho about this whole idea of unity,” stated another, “I think once we get unity we’re going to start seeing a lot more salvations, healings and deliverances happening at a much more accelerated pace.”
Passionate worship, dance as well as corporate and individual prayers linked the participants in Toronto with the hundreds of millions gathered in other cities around the globe. People were moved by the experience.
“The Spirit touch me very much, I love it, I love it,” said a recent immigrant from China. “It is strong. It is powerful.”
MissionGTA chair Rev. Alvin Nicholson believed the Global Day of Prayer was a significant event for the world.
“When you have half a billion people praying the same prayer with that intensity, I believe God and heaven will respond.”
With its explosive growth and momentum, the Global Day of Prayer seems likely to meet its goal of reaching every city in every nation by 2010. With the world-wide community of Christians uniting in prayer, event organizers believe the Global Day of Prayer could be the fulfillment of the scriptures found in Habakkuk 2:14 which states that, “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”
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