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What kind of prayer best impacts world missions? Below are snapshots of three approaches to prayer for world mission.

Spiritual Mapping
George Otis Jr. considers spiritual mapping a significant tool for evangelism. Otis is president of The Sentinel Group, which in 1999 released “Transformations,” a 60-minute video that documents what the organization calls “evangelistic breakthroughs” in four cities on three continents. These changes were developed in response to prayer associated with spiritual mapping: showing intercessors how to investigate the “spiritual pathology” of their community and then praying against specific demonic spirits that hold the community in darkness.

“Why does spiritual darkness linger where it does?” asks Otis, who also serves as co-coordinator of the United Prayer Track for the AD 2000 and Beyond movement. He is author of “The Twilight Labyrinth,” which describes his research of idolatry and spiritual oppression. Otis believes that prayer for conversion of the world’s peoples starts with identifying spiritual strongholds and the events that created them. After this research-based spiritual mapping, intercessors in the targeted community are instructed how to pray for God to remove the spiritual oppression, releasing the area for the work of the Holy Spirit.

Praying by Paul’s Example
Prayer related to missions should follow examples given in Scripture, believes Michael Pocock, Ph.D., chair of Dallas Theological Seminary’s Department of World Mission and Intercultural Studies. “Paul was on the front lines of evangelism in places where people worshiped other gods,” Pocock says. “Look at his prayers – what he prayed and what he asked others to pray for him. Look at the end of his epistles.”

In praying for the transformation of communities, Pocock says, “I think it’s good to ask God in the name of Jesus Christ to put an end to the evil influences a people is under. That kind of prayer is absolutely legitimate.”

But Pocock doesn’t see a reason to know a lot about the evil spirits. “I find no demonstration in Scripture that we need to be aware of who the demons are,” he says. “There probably are demons assigned to certain areas, and they can gain strength through idolatrous cooperation of the people who live there. But I question whether the identifying of certain demons is mandated in Scripture.” Pocock, however, says that praying on the site of an ungodly stronghold is valid, and he strongly supports the philosophy of prayer walks. “Having a prayer walk is of incredible value. I think it makes a difference to pray on the site of the evangelistic effort. I don’t care if it costs much more to travel to a location. It’s worth it.”

Pocock previously served at the largest evangelical church in Caracas, Venezuela, where pastor Samuel Olsen instituted prayer walks. “When the church was trying to reach into a new area, Olsen and the church people went out on foot, or in cars if it was too dangerous, and block by block they prayed.”

Prevailing Prayer
“I doubt any missionary or evangelistic organization is supported by adequate prayer,” says Dr. Wesley Duewel, a 61-year veteran with OMS International where he currently is president emeritus. At the start of his missionary career, Duewel served in India where, he says, “We were in a very [spiritually] resistant area. All of the mission field is a war field for the Lord. After 25 years, on a flight back to the US for some meetings, I wondered why we weren’t getting the mighty results I hoped for.”

During his stateside travels, Duewel sensed God directing him to ask for 1,000 people to pray for 15 minutes every day for the missionary outreach in India. “We had those people praying, and that year God gave us 1,500 new converts. There were two and three churches being founded a year, and then five, and over time we saw an average of 25 years planted each year. It took that massive effort in prayer to jump start the breakthrough for God in that harvest.” Duewel believes that spiritual warfare is an element ever-present in mission work. “Spiritual warfare is more than just confronting demons and visible manifestations of evil,” he says. “It’s pushing back the darkness and taking the initiative through prayer. It requires ‘a holy hunger’ for the lost, and prayer with the whole heart and soul. I believe we should be pleading with God for souls.”

Duewel believes Christians should pray Scripture, using God’s words to prevail upon him. But more than the words prayed, he considers devotion to the work of prayer and passion for the unsaved are key. “I can’t over-emphasize the role of prayer,” Duewel says. “Our only hope for the harvest is that we prevail in prayer.”

June 22, 2001