24-Hour Prayer Relay Caps 100 Days of Prayer Across Inter-America

By: Libna Stevens, Inter-American Division, and Adventist Review.

Seventh-day Adventists across the Inter-American Division (IAD) capped off the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s 100 Days of Prayer initiative by completing a 24-hour prayer relay across the territory on July 4, 2020.

The prayer relay concluded with an online program that highlighted the unified efforts across the 24 major church regions of IAD since March to engage members to pray.

During the 24-hour relay, which started before sunset on July 3, each of the 24 IAD unions had a specific hour of prayer time to focus on God’s intervention during the pandemic, give thanks for God’s blessings, and present specific prayer requests.

A Word From the Leaders

In a presentation during the special online closing service, Adventist Church president Ted N. C. Wilson praised the prayer commitment of thousands of church leaders and members who gathered together virtually, in homes or individually, in earnest prayer, supplication, and praise to God.

Wilson encouraged all members to share their experience of answered prayers to inspire countless others and strengthen their faith.

“There are so many blessings that prayer brings into the spiritual life of the church,” he said. “It invigorates the life of the members, it brings peace and harmony as we submit our will to the will of God, and it brings focus and purpose to the mission.”

Wilson challenged members to pray and take God at His Word, rest in His love, trust in God’s grace, and rejoice in His power.

“Let’s keep moving forward in God’s mission and total member involvement until Jesus comes,” he said.

IAD president Elie Henry thanked church leaders and members for their participation in prayer sessions, seminars, spiritual messages, and comprehensive media campaigns across the territory.

“We want to thank the Lord for the way He leads us, inspires us, and talks to us,” Henry said. “We give thanks to the Lord because He has been hearing our prayers.”

Launching a New Culture

The one-hour online program at the end of the 24-hour prayer relay included Bible readings and statements by children and young people, along with music. It also featured testimonies by health-care workers, chaplains, teachers, women’s ministries leaders, pastors, literature evangelists, and other church members.

The online event, which was tagged as a jubilee celebration of faithful prayer, will mark the beginning of a new culture across the territory when it comes to intercessory prayer, said Samuel Telemaque, Sabbath School director for IAD and main organizer of the event.

“It was a blessing to celebrate what God has done in His people’s lives through the ministry of intercessory prayer during the past 100 days,” Telemaque said. “We see this initiative as a catalyst for all the ministries of the church.”

The original version of this story was posted on the Inter-American Division news site.