Anglican Prayer for All Nations Network: We Stand in the Gap
In the ongoing work of the Kingdom of God, nothing is more important than intercessory prayer.
“For my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” Isaiah 56:7
The Anglican Prayer for All Nations Network (APFANN) seeks to help the Church respond to God’s call to uphold and advance His kingdom through prayer and praise. We seek to increase the number of Anglicans interceding regularly for the world.
“I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.” Ezekiel 22:30
God is seeking his Church to stand in the gap on behalf of the land, interceding and praying for its protection and preservation. This network exists to stand in the gap.
We stand in the gap:
For the Church serving in places of great war and civil unrest, disasters and famine
For our brothers and sisters suffering persecution for their faith in Jesus
For the unreached nations - approximately 42% of the world have little or no access to the Gospel
For cross-cultural workers serving in very difficult places
The Beginnings of a Prayer Group
After viewing banners highlighting the persecuted church, and unreached people groups which were placed around the auditorium during the 2019 New Wineskins Global Mission Conference, a few ladies from the Diocese of Fort Worth felt a strong call to start a prayer group that would intercede for the nations. This group met in person weekly to pray until Covid hit, and then it moved to Zoom. God truly led the group in what to pray for – as they began, there was a focus on praying for our nation, and gradually, the spiritual and physical prayer needs of the nations of the world started reaching the group through different channels. When you open your eyes, ears and heart, God brings you things to pray for!
At the same time this prayer group was forming, a group from a small Anglican church in South Carolina was discerning a call to partner with the Rev. Bisoke Bernard, an Anglican priest in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Bisoke lives in a town called Bunia in the northeastern part of the country which has long been affected by violence between clashing militias. Many internally displaced people live in camps near the Peace Center that Bisoke and his staff run – it is a shelter in the storm of war, addressing needs for food, clothing, shelter, and for hope.
It was a match! The Prayer for the Nations group was introduced to the South Carolina group and the praying began, and it hasn’t stopped since.
The intercessory prayer team grew in members and in prayer opportunities. Today the team continues to meet weekly to pray for our nation, for Syria, for Nigeria, for Myanmar, for prisoners in Iran, for Ukraine and Russia, and for so many other people and nations as God downloads information and sparks in us a desire to pray.
Here’s how members of the group responded to these questions:
Why is it important to be a part of this group?
“One reason that I like being a part of the prayer group is that the needs in the world can be so overwhelming, that it is strengthening to pray with others, and to hear how God is directing their thinking and praying. I seem to have certain areas where I gravitate, and it is good to be expanded by the burdens and prayers of others. I love the way that we spend quite a bit of time on one country or one person and not merely mention them.
I have also noticed that after we pray for the countries or the individuals that are on our heart, globally, that we also share personal needs or burdens, and again, the group prays for those requests. Sometimes there are practical suggestions or recommendations for our personal prayer needs, which have been a great help to me.”
What have you personally gained through our weekly meetings?
“The benefits of our group are numerous! The news is usually overwhelming, but when we join together in prayer, we know God is with us, even if there are only two! He is in our midst, He hears us, He cares way more than we know! We are not alone. It is good to have others with which we can share our victories and our sorrows. Each intercessor brings requests from different areas, all important, all lifted up to God. It is a blessing to know our burdens are being shared with those who pray! We are obeying God in this thing that benefits us greatly! He knows we need Him and each other. We come to one mind and one heart in these matters of prayer. Unity! God wants us in unity. Lord may we all be transformed into the likeness of Jesus! I am greatly encouraged when we hear answers to our prayers and experience them firsthand!”
Standing in the gap for the people and nations suffering and serving in this world is something WE CAN DO when we feel helpless. God gives us the opportunity to come together to lift up the people and nations of the earth. He invites us to be a part of His kingdom work! Do you have a group of friends who feel called to start a group like this? We want to help!
Lollie serves on the board of SAMS and NWMN. She is a co-founder of the Anglican Prayer for All Nations Network and has come to know the importance of prayer as the foundation for all mission activities. She was former mission chair for the Diocese of Fort Worth and lead the Mobilizing the Church Task Group of Anglican Partners that has produced such resources as the Litany for Mission, the Parish Mission Leader Certification Program and Anglicans in Prayer. Her passion and greatest joy is to raise up the next generation of missionaries by sharing the gospel with children.
Becky Powell is a member of the World Missions Committee for the Diocese of Fort Worth, and serves on the Mission Committee of Christ the Redeemer Anglican Church in Fort Worth. Her particular interests are learning to pray for the nations, and gathering Christians together to learn why it is so important to intercede for our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world.
