“God’s heart is unity and He is using prayer.”

Craig Macartney
Spur Ottawa Writer

Ottawa believers joined tens of thousands across the world on Pentecost Sunday to celebrate the Global Day of Prayer—an event that set the record for the largest prayer rally in human history, in 2010.

“I think it’s most important because it is important to God and it brings joy to His heart,” says local lay leader Tony Copple. “I think everyone should be aware that perhaps one of the most important things one can experience in life is this knowledge of bringing joy to God. This is a prayer event, it is talking to God, so it brings joy to Him and it brings joy to us.”

The Global Day of Prayer gathers Christians for times of celebration, repentance, and prayer for the nations. The only stipulation is that every event must include the “Prayer for The World”.

“It is a universal prayer asking God to bless our country and the countries where there are bad things going on,” Copple explains. “For the people in those terrible straights, it is encouraging to know that millions of people are praying for them.”

The Global Day of Prayer started in response to a drought in South Africa, in 2001. A lay-leader named Graham Power brought together the believers in Capetown to pray for the country. The prayer movement quickly spread, with believers praying for their home countries. By 2010 more than 250 million Christians participated, with services in every nation across the world.

“Through prayer God fills us to be empowered to move into action.”

Fred Milnes, who organized the first Ottawa event, says even aside from answered prayers, the impacts are very tangible.

“God has used this to form bonds in the Body of Christ and unite us to pray, not only on the Global Day of Prayer, but regularly.”

“God’s heart is unity and I think He is using prayer to bring us to unity,” adds Nahia Haddad. “I think that is what is going to bring the Church together: praying together and seeing the power of God move through our prayers.”

Haddad is one of the founders of Burning Hearts House of Prayer, where this year’s event was held. Copple called the event a kind of homecoming because Burning Hearts was birthed out of the Global Day of Prayer.

Leading up to Pentecost, Burning Hearts held 10 evenings of prayer, worship, and teaching about the Holy Spirit. Haddad explains that they wanted to encourage people to pray, but also to go beyond prayer.

“We pray that the Holy Spirit would fill us, but for what reason? It’s that we would go out and share the gospel and pray for people [outside the Church].”

She adds that prayer and outreach must go together to be effective.

“We need that boldness to do the Lord’s will. Through prayer, He fills us to be empowered to move into action.”

The team for the Global Day of Prayer Ottawa also lists ongoing prayer and outreach events in the Ottawa area.