In 1984, New York city was in trouble. A murder spree began culminated with 2,400 homicides 1994. The church was fragmented and viewed as irrelevant. In 1984, God led Dr. Mac Pier to New York. Mac and his wife Marya had been missionaries in India. Sensing a call to unite God’s people in prayer, he helped organise a concert of prayer, inviting 16 churches to pray together.
Seventy-five churches showed up. They met again six months later, then six months after that, then began praying daily. Their movement expanded to included hundreds of pastors – then came
9/11. The prayer foundation laid for 13 years enabled the body of Christ to respond. Over the years, Concerts of Prayer has gathered more than 250,000 Christians to pray for the city.

How has God responded? Well, the murder rate has declined to just 648 in 2013. Churches are working together in unprecedented ways to meet needs in their city. And they have seen the evangelical population on the island of Manhattan triple. Five years ago, Christian leaders in New York City began meeting together to celebrate what God was doing and to encourage each other for even greater cultural impact. At the first “Movement Day,” leaders from 34 states and 14 countries came to see what God was doing in New York City. Five years later, “Movement Day” has gathered 6,500 leaders from 360 countries and five continents.

The Movement has spread to other cities. In Dallas, 450 different churches and ministries are now collaborating on 12 different initiatives, ranging from homelessness to sex trafficking to orphan care. The body of Christ is becoming the hands and feet of Jesus, and the Spirit is using it to His glory.

Source: Christian Headlines

BIBLE STUDY: Jonah 3:1-10

PRAISE God for this wonderful news. PRAY the work of His Spirit will continue to touch New York.