January 01, 1994 by

Praying Through the 10/40 Window—Update

During the month of October, all around the world, Christians joined together in "Praying Through the Window," probably the most widespread prayer effort in the history of the Church. Like never before, over 20 million Christians are focused on an area called the 10/40 Window.

This window stretches across North Africa, through the Middle East and India, on through China, from 10 degrees north of the equator to 40 degrees north.

Begun less than 18 months ago, Praying Through the Window has spread like wildfire around the world. Ben Gray, pastor of Gateway Center in Brisbane, Australia says, "The nation has never seen anything like it. It is an unprecedented wave, pulling in an incredible cross section of the church, all uniting to pray through the window. Virtually everyone who hears about it wants to do it, and at least 25% of all churches have heard about it. And the wave is still cresting."

The United States

Well over one million North Americans are also part of Praying Through the Window. From small Bible studies to mega-churches, nationwide prayer networks, national conferences, Christian radio and TV and dozens of publications, they are all involved in praying or helping to spread the word. Charisma magazine, with a circulation of 200,000, focused much of the October issue on Praying Through the Window.

The Back to the Bible Broadcast airs on 765 stations around the world in 17 languages. The organization promotes Praying Through the Window through these radio programs and in Today, its magazine which has 100,000 subscribers.

John Kyle, Executive Director of the Presbyterian Church in America's Mission to the World, has just reported that 100,000 of his denomination are involved in Praying Through the Window.

In fact, the response to Praying Through the Window has been so successful that organizers are taking about another 10/40 Window prayer initiative in June 1994.

A significant part of the "Praying Through then Window" initiative is the 249 "Prayer Journey Teams," comprised primarily of trained lay people. These teams are fanning out to all of the 62 countries of the 10/40 Window. During October, the teams "prayed on site with insight" asking God to remove whatever barriers might keep the people of that country from being able to clearly hear and respond to the gospel.

C. Peter Wagner believes that despite the obstacles, the prayer teams, "empowered by God,... can pave the way for an outpouring of the Spirit in lands previously enslaved to "spiritual darkness."

Christians focusing their united prayers on the countries of the 10/40 window is the simple theme of Praying Through the Window. But one of this initiative's great strengths is how people have adapted it to their local context.

The Pacific

The Solomon Islands are often called the South Korea of the South Pacific because of their deep commitment to prayer. And after 20 years of revival it seems an apt title. Therefore it is not surprising that the Praying Through the Window inititive has caught on there as well. Out of a total population of 800,000 people in Fiji, 100,000 "prayed through the window" during October.

Asia

Malasia--During a September visit to Malaysia, C. Peter Wagner said he believes that Malaysia has one of the world's leading prayer mobilization movements. The Malaysians were also committed to the October initiative.

Japan--Luis Bush gives a coupleof examples, "In Osaka, Japanese believers, have leased a 60,000 seat stadium for three nights of prayer rallies. Paul Ariga mobililized 9,000 intercessors to pray for this event for 180,000 hours. In Nepal, they are planning a prayer march through the capital.

China--David Wang, International Director of Asian Outreach, a cutting-edge ministry in 20 Asian nations, is airing shortwave radio broadcasts to the hundreds of thousands of house churches in China, focusing on praying through the 10/40 Window. Based upon his informed understanding of the house church situation in China and their dependence on these broadcasts for teaching and input, Wang believes that as many as 15 million Chinese and maybe more prayed with him through the Window during the month of October.

Cambodia--A letter from Cambodia, tells of their plans to gather at the Killing Fields museum to "acknowledge the goodness of God for carrying us through such a national atrocity... and to remind ourselves that those million people who died on the "killing fields," went to the next world without Christ. This compassion will lead us to double our efforts to reach the rest of our countrymen by the year 2000."

Latin America

Throughout Central America, the coverage about the 10/40 prayer initiative has been extensive, with concentrated efforts in virtually all of the Central American countries. In Brazi, Paulo Mendez, the General Secretary of the Association of Mission Agencies, pulled together over 1000 leaders from all over the country. During October, at least one million Brazilians "prayed through the window."

In Columbia--Desafio, the leading newspaper for evangelicals devoted a whole issue to Praying Through the Window.

In Argentina-- Marfa Cabrera, the co-pastor of the 80,000 member Vision of the Future Church, has a radio program which is broadcast over 550 radio stations. She has used her program and a video to train and encourage her listeners to pray through the 10/40 Window.

Many nations are reporting how this movement is bringing together charismatics, evangelicals and people from mainline denominations. "You just can't trust people to stay in their little boxes anymore," chuckles Ted Haggard, pastor of the 4,500 -strong New Life Church in Colorado Springs and head of the Christian Information Network, which is handling the logistics of Praying Through the Window.

Clearly, Praying Through the Window, is something God has laid upon the heart of many in His Church around the world. The Church is responding in prayer and now waits and watches with expectation for how the hand of God will move to touch those within the 10/40 Window.

AD 2000 Leaders Agree on Future Prayer Initiatives

Luis Bush, International Director of the AD 2000 and Beyond Movement, along with Dr. C. Peter Wagner of the AD 2000 United Prayer Track, have set some goals for the future. Desiring to build on the tremendous momentum of the Praying Through the Window initiative they have determined that in October 1995 the efforts of the AD 2000 United Prayer Track will focus on praying for the 100 largest cities in the 10/40 Window. In October of 1996 the prayer focus will be on the 200 largest unreached peoples or megapeoples in the 10/40 Window. The following year in 1997 the focus will be on praying for the 1,000 clusters of Million People Target Areas (MPTAs) as initiated by Campus Crusade for Christ in their New Life 2000 project. A phrase in a letter from Luis Bush to Peter Wagner sums up the reason behind these new initiatives. "I believe the Church around the world is ready to take the next step."

An Evangelized India by AD 2000

There are about one million villages and colonies in India, only 10 percent of which have a Christian witness. According to a preliminary survey by the Adopt-A-People Clearinghouse, the Summer Institute of Linguistics and World Vision/MARC, India has 1,727 unreached and adoptable peoples. In addition, India has 223 cities with a population over 100,000, and nine of these have more than one million people. Leaders of denominations, churches, mission and agencies are increasingly recognizing the need to work together to finish the colossal task of evangelizing India.

For example, the Council on National Service (CONS) sponsored the All India Congress on Church Development in 1990, a gathering of 1,200 frontline evangelists, missionaries and church leaders. Trusting in the power of the Holy Spirit, the attendees committed to a goal of reaching all of India with the gospel, focusing on developing the vision of reaching the entire nation, gathering data on the unreached peoples and developing training programs to prepare the grass-root level leaders for evangelism and church planting.

As a part of this vision, the India National Evangelical Fellowship has a goal of planting 1000 churches by AD 2000, and Bible-Centered Ministries (India) has already planted 249 churches of these.

India Every Home Crusade has launched "Final Thrust 5000" under the leadership of B.A.G. Prasad. Its leaders plan to connect new believers with any Bible-believing churches in their area, for nurture and fellowship. In addition, they aim to plant 250,000 churches or "Christ Groups" in the villages and towns where there are no churches. The "5,000" in the project title refers to the number of laborers who will be placed in the 4000 districts in India.

To equip workers for reaching these goals, portable training programs are training leaders of churches and mission agencies engaged in evangelism, missionary outreach, and church planting. The AD 2000 and Beyond Movement is assisting these varied ministries in working together to accomplish their goals.