We just returned from the 52nd National Day of Prayer services in Washington D.C. During the past four years, we’ve learned of a number of churches, ministries, and denominations that have begun major initiatives in prayer. The recurring theme is a call to repentance to receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Most recently, we discovered a grass-roots movement within the Seventh-day Adventist Church called “Operation Global Rain.” It began with a few churches in California. They committed to a ten-day call to prayer patterned after the upper room experience described in the second chapter of Acts. There were no keynote speakers, just seasons of prayer prompted and directed by scripture. The people who came were united in purpose: to pray that they would be filled with God’s Spirit in preparation for Christ’s soon return as promised in James 5:7–8. The results in the various churches were the same: a spirit of unity, forgiveness, and revival.

Operation Global Rain is a movement. Though not an initiative established by the denomination, it is supported and endorsed by its leadership, including Jerry Page, president of the Central California Conference, and Ruthie Jacobsen, director of prayer ministries for the North American Division.

The dream is big—to have 16 million Seventh-day Adventists around the world praying for the Latter Rain during the same ten-day period. Although there is no prophetic significance, it seemed appropriate to choose Sabbath, July 7, 2007 (07/07/07), to be the tenth day of the initiative beginning June 27.

Thousands around the world are now joining in the call to prayer through the website: http://operationglobalrain.org. The website has created a virtual community of people who have registered and shared their testimonies and pictures. The site also includes a community forum blog and chat room. A navigational map allows you to view various areas around the world where people have registered Operation Global Rain sites. To register a church, the church must have officially appointed you to do so. Individuals are free to register personal sites. At the time this publication went to press, there were 45 countries represented.

There are a number of resources on the website, including downloadable posters, a video, theme sheets, questions and answers, articles, links, and contact information.

Gary Burns, Lake Union Conference communication director