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Every February College of Prayer leaders from around the world gather in Atlanta for fellowship, prayer, learning, impartation, and activation. This year was no different. Leaders from Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa, South America, and North America came together to share what God is doing in their nations through the College of Prayer.
We were grateful to hear about pastors whose entire families have been changed by the College of Prayer teachings in Pakistan. And then there are Russian Christians who have been challenged to go deeper into the Presence of God through prayer. We were excited to hear that the College of Prayer is being taught in Bible Colleges and Seminaries, helping a new generations of church leaders learn to move from religion into relationship. Praise God for what He is doing on the earth today to build His house of prayer for all nations! The following report was submitted by Pastor Joshua Bencomo.
January 18-20 marked the date we held our first ENCIENDE (Ignite) Conference in Mexico. There were more than 150 pastors and church leaders in attendance. We spent three days in the Upper Room, and it made a significant, long-lasting impact in the lives and ministries of those who came hungry for God. Pastors and leaders came from all over Mexico, from big cities to small towns, and even from the remote areas in the mountains. Some drove for days to get to Ciudad Juarez, with great expectancy and with great need of an encounter with God. During our time together, we were led by Pastors Don Young, Luis Calderon, and Joshua Bencomo. We were invited to minister to the presence of God, and each moment was led by the Holy Spirit. Prayers were lifted in the various languages that were represented, including Spanish, English, Tarahumara, Huichol, Nahuatl, and Sapoteco. As we worshipped, Christ's manifest presence filled the place. At one point, a room sized map of Mexico was laid out on the floor. We experienced an "only God" moment when Don and Luis invited the pastors to step onto the map, specifically on one of the 19 states that had not yet been reached by the College of Prayer. One by one each remaining state was filled with someone standing and interceding for each state in Mexico. We continue to receive testimony after testimony of what God did in the lives of the pastors and leaders. The purpose was accomplished—God ignited each pastor and key leader to go out and reach a lost world through a revived church! You will be thrilled to learn that the College of Prayer is now being taught in every university in Nigeria. Praise the Lord!
Five years ago the Fellowship of Christian Students (FCS) invited the College of Prayer to train their leaders, and they adopted the goal to take the College of Prayer to every elementary school, middle school, high school, college, and university student in Nigeria. This means that over 30 million students in Nigeria will have the opportunity to receive training in the College of Prayer. For further testimony on this miracle, enjoy this video: Revival Updates: Every University and College in Nigeria Thank you for your partnership with the College of Prayer in making this happen. What a special three days we had at our Ignite conference this past month! The "Back to the Presence" theme lit a fire in our hearts and renewed our focus of being a people of One thing, of ministering to God's presence, and of ministering to others from His presence and out of the fullness we receive from being baptized in the Holy Spirit. It was such a joy to interact with others and encourage and pray for one another. God's faithfulness to meet with us led to amazing testimonies of physical and emotional healings along with two baptisms.
One church leader said, "Ignite was such a blessing and highlight in my walk with Christ—especially gaining a deeper understanding of the manifest presence of God. Thanks to you and the College of Prayer team for an amazing event." If you would like to access the teachings from Ignite, you can do so on our Revival Now Media platform. Please click here. The following report is from Jimbo Hull, a missionary and College of Prayer leader in Uruguay. A couple months ago I heard from a missionary friend about a revival happening in one of the worst prisons in our country of Uruguay. This is a ministry that began 20 years ago that saw little fruit until recent years. In the past year this ministry has exploded. He told me that half of the 1200 prisoners have accepted Christ in the last year. I had to go see what is happening for myself.
I went and was thrilled with what God is doing. There are multiple chapel services and prisoners are brought in about fifty at a time. They worship with all their heart, they soak in the word that is preached, and respond to the invitation. We then go to what was the most dangerous part of the prison and do it all again. I say “was” because in that part of the prison, about 120 prisoners have almost all come to Christ now. It is truly amazing. (The news of this has been so transformational that a national news channel did a special report on the transformation happening in this prison. Even a guard who was observing accepted Christ, amazed by the transformation she has seen.) As we left that day after a full day of ministry, the main pastor who is leading this ministry led in prayer and asked God for strategy for what to do with this revival. I mentioned the idea of starting a school of prayer and the pastor was interested in hearing more. He asked me to present to the whole group of pastors this idea. After hearing an introduction to the College of Prayer, they were all in agreement that this is the direction God was leading. They asked me to train them, the pastors, along with the leaders they are discipling. They, in turn, would then would go into the prison and transmit what they received to the other prisoners. So today I went and entered the prison and began training the pastors and prisoners who are leaders. We began with Year One, Lesson One, "Lord, Teach Us to Pray!" It was amazing. I felt as if I lit a match and threw it on a pile of hay. We started with the three strategic prayers and the fire of God’s presence ignited. The place erupted in deep prayer and God moved deeply in hearts and we almost didn’t get to the lesson. Our God is amazing! The following report is from Jon Mitchell, Growth Director. I just returned from a 2 week trip to Jordan and Lebanon. In Lebanon we officially launched the College of Prayer, with church leaders from at least 8 denominations and multiple ethnicities present. God showed up in such a display of love and unity that it was almost shocking for a nation and Church that has been so fractured and divided. At the end of our 3-day gathering a denomination President who attended said, “Whatever you need here just ask. We are ready. We need this.” Another one there said, “I want this available for every pastor in my denomination.” One church leader said, “We have been dead, and living in a spiritual desert. This has brought back a spring of life—rivers of living water have returned. We have life again!” On and on the testimonies came. So, by the grace of God upper rooms have launched, a nationwide prayer movement has begun, and a strategy for continued mentorship is in place. All glory to Christ.
The following report is from Jimbo and Timbrel Hull, College of Prayer leaders in Uruguay. This past weekend we spent three days in Salto, Uruguay. We started Year 2 of the College of Prayer, "Lord, as Families, Teach Us to Pray!" Several weeks ago the pastor of the host church in Salto wrote and told me that people were signing up weeks in advance and were anticipating the weekend greatly. He said when we started the College of Prayer last July, he was scurrying last minute, trying to convince people to sign up. This time, basically the whole church signed up, without any campaign, weeks in advance. The anticipation was tremendous.
The first evening we met from 8-11 PM and then again 8-11 on Saturday evening, and from 9-12 on Sunday morning. The place was full and it seemed the floorboards were rattling with anticipation as we began. Each meeting we met and enjoyed the manifest presence of Jesus. Everyone was open and receptive and responded at each and every opportunity. We saw the Spirit moving strongly. While teaching was in progress, people responded unprompted at times. We saw teenagers get up and walk the aisles unprompted, find their parents, and embrace them with tears flowing down their cheeks. We saw husbands and wives reconciled and recommitted. We saw single parents embraced by the church. We heard testimonies like "the environment in our house is different now" and "the way we treat our kids is different now." There was a lot of ground breaking and setting (or resetting) of foundations. There was death-to-self, healing of wounds, and shifting of atmospheres. And forgiveness--there was so much forgiveness! We saw a church deeply impacted. Relationships were reconciled, strongholds taken down, and homes dedicated to Christ. We were on holy ground. All glory goes to Jesus! He is building His church! Keep praying for the church in Salto as they contemplate and treasure the truths they have received and live out what God did throughout the weekend. Praise God for the College of Prayer that took place on March 17-18 in Porto. People attended from 6 different churches in the area. We also streamed on Zoom and had Portuguese-speaking attendees from Paris, São Tomé e Principe (islands off the coast of Gabon), and a pastor from Mozambique. This is a direct answer to prayer! Each session was excellently delivered and activated prayer. At one point a 17 year old girl spontaneously shared scripture from Leviticus 6:8-13. It's about taking out the ashes daily, keeping the fire burning, and putting on fresh wood daily. As she spoke from her seat, people listened and their jaws dropped open. She was anointed. At the end of the day we had people come forward for prayer. There was such a moving of the Holy Spirit! College of Prayer leaders from around the world gathered together February 7-11 in Atlanta, GA for their annual gathering. There were significant moments of Spirit-empowerment, repentance, worship, and testimonies.
The theme of the gathering was "Ask of Me" from Psalm 2:8. Much time was spent in intercession around the College of Prayer mandate to serve churches in every nation on earth by 2025 (currently we are working in 161 nations). Several leaders also testified to the impact the College of Prayer is having on entire denominations and church movements as well as whole communities where the spiritual atmosphere is shifting in response to prayer. Praise God as He continues to teach us to rebuild Upper Rooms that reach the nations. |
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