On June 4, Christians throughout the world will unite in prayer through the Global Day of Prayer (GDOP) to seek God’s blessing on all the nations, “so that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord.’ (Hab. 2:14)
GDOP is an annual event organised by the International Prayer Council. In Malaysia, the NECF Malaysia Prayer Commission is mobilising local Christians to participate in the event to be held at the Heritage Centre, Petaling Jaya, on June 4 at 8.00pm.
GDOP was born from “Transformation Africa”, a prayer event in South Africa in 2001 when 45,000 Christians gathered at a stadium in Cape Town to pray for the country. In 2002, Christians gathered in eight different stadiums across South Africa.
In 2003, millions of Christians across 28 African countries united in prayer and in 2004 all 56 African countries, including the islands, prayed for God’s blessing on Africa.
Then Africa invited the world to join the African continent in a Global Day of Prayer. On 15 May 2005, millions of Christians from all denominations in more than 156 countries united in prayer to ask God to bless the nations, “ . . . so that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord.” (Hab.2:14)
This event marked the greatest Christian gathering in the world with more than 220 million Christians praying together.
International television channels broadcast numerous events reaching people who could not gather at a stadium, church or other public venue.
Even in countries where Christians are still persecuted they came together secretly in order to join the rest of the world.
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