Indonesia - 3 million PrayPete Greig - 24 May 2012

The world’s largest Muslim nation seems to be in revival. In Indonesia we are witnessing astounding church growth, social transformation and 24-7 Prayer right at the heart of it all… 

Last week I had the privilege of addressing (very briefly) a prayer meeting in Jakarta attended by more than 100,000 people, and this was just one of 376 simultaneous events across the nation with an estimated total attendance of 3 million.

After Jakarta we flew north to the city of Medan and met with a pastor whose church, planted in 1993 with 119 people, has grown to 40,000. He is currently starting a new church every 11 days, and has translated the bible into the dialects of five unreached people groups.

That pastor was emphatic that the heart and soul of this explosive growth is 24-7 prayer. They’ve been praying night-and-day since 1999 on the top floor of a shopping mall. In that 24-7 prayer room the presence of God was so strong that we could hardly stand. Carla fell to the floor, nearly weeping. All we wanted to do was to pray and worship.

The Indonesian church turned to 24-7 prayer after a series of national crises not unlike those afflicting Europe at this time. In 1998 they suffered the devaluation of their currency, ethnic violence and widespread riots which combined to topple the president after 32 years in power. Desperate Christians gave themselves to 24-7 prayer from that moment, claiming God’s promise that 

‘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 I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.’ (2 Chronicles 7:14).