In the early to mid-1980’s, several Christians from various church backgrounds and Christian agencies came together to pray for the UK city of Birmingham. Through prophetic words, and under the leading of the Holy Spirit, the ministry grew into ‘Pray for the Nation’ and eventually under the banner of ‘Pray for Revival’. Out of PFR, came a few ministries including the World Prayer Centre vision.
Although WPC had, and continues to have, plans for an actual building in Birmingham, the spiritual foundation stones were prayer, mission, family and the marginalised. Undergirding all that, the very DNA of the vision was the continuation of Pray for Revival.
So, here we are 40 years later in 2024 and by God’s grace and strength, we continue to pray for revival. We pray for a spiritual awakening in the Bible-believing Church, that will bring a fresh understanding, and receiving the power, presence, grace, mercy, forgiveness and joy that comes through a humble, contrite, faith-filled prayerful people.
We understand with in Isaiah 57 that God lives in a high and Holy place, yet dwells with those of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and the heart of the contrite.
Have all our prayers been answered? By no means. Have some been answered? Absolutely! Looking back over those 40 years, we can see that across the local, national, global church, the largest prayer army in the history of the Church, together with the largest mission movements are seeing new churches planted as countless thousands receive Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Watch the video below from IPC’s Jason Hubbard.
The greatest revival in world history is the resurrection of Jesus. A body that was dead, came to life. A body that could not breath, breathed, a body that could not move, moved, a body that could not see, hear, touch, eat did all those things, a fully revived, full of glory, eternity filled, Saviour of the world, totally, completely alive and who today is interceding for us in heaven.
God’s will that none should perish, but the Great Commission is yet to be completed, and thousands of people groups are yet to hear the Gospel, so in faith, we pray.
We pray for ourselves, we pray for the church in our village, town and city, we pray for the church across the nation and the nations. We turn from our wicked ways of unbelief, apathy, indifference, disunity and rejection of God’s word and ask that by His Spirit, we become a revived, breath of God-filled, moving in the power of your Spirit, united body.
We ask that your revived body here on earth, will increasingly bring life, salvation, hope and healing to those in our sphere of influence, in our family, our community, our nation and the nations.
With the Psalmist we pray, “Restore us O God of our salvation and cause Your anger toward us to cease. Will you not revive us again that Your people may rejoice in You”. (Psalm 85, 4-6)
Join us every Wednesday morning on Zoom for our Revival Prayer Hour from 9.30 – 10.30am.
Ian Cole is the founder of the World Prayer Centre Birmingham.
