Q. WHAT ARE THE AIMS?

 1. To turn the tide

The dream behind 24-7 is to turn the tide of youth culture back to Jesus. It's a big dream - maybe an impossible dream. We recognise that the Body of Christ in the West is bleeding young people. Something has to change. But clever strategy alone is not the answer. Never has been. History shows that the tide turns when God's people pray. That is why God is mobilising prayer movements like 24-7 (and others).

We're seeing thousands of young people from Alaska to Australia praying together for their friends and their heroes in a focused and persistent way. 24-7 targets youth culture at a local, national and international level; addressing demographies (like skaters and clubbers) as well as geographies (schools, communities, nations).

"Pray continually." (Jesus)

"WOW! This prayer thing actually WORKS!" (shocked student)

2. To mobilise prayer

24-7prayer is not for experts. It's for those who find prayer a struggle. 24-7 is a model that works! It has proven unusually successful at mobilising people - especially young people - to pray like they've never prayed before. People learn to pray... by praying!

24-7 captures the imagination. Young people today are more likely to turn up at a prayer meeting at 3 a.m. than at 7.30 p.m! Why? Because it's extreme. The dare is to be alone with God for a whole hour - maybe even in the middle of the night. 24-7 makes prayer easier. The arts play an important part. Many say that 'an hour feels like 10 minutes in the prayer room'.

Q. WHY CONTINUAL PRAYER?

Because bold, persistent prayer is effective. First it changes us. Then it changes the world. Jesus told stories to encourage us to "cry out day and night" (Lk 18) and to persist in prayer.

1. Pentecost came to a prayer room.

2.    Paul urged the Thessalonians to "pray constantly."

 .    The early church "joined together constantly in prayer." (Acts 1-14)

 .    Celtic Monks at Bangor Abbey in Ireland prayed continualy for 200 years. A young Celt called Ciaran formed a community in Clonmacnoise near Dublin back in 547AD. Sadly Ciaran died after just 7 months but the community prayed for about 1000 years and sent out missionaries all over the world!

 .    The pope decreed continual prayer in certain locations in the 15th century.

 .    In the 18th century, a small community of Moravians began a 24-7 prayer meeting that lasted for over a hundred years, mobilised 3000 missionaries and converted John Wesley!

 .    Many revival centres today see 24 hour prayer as a necessity.

 "I HAVE POSTED WATCHMEN ON YOUR 
WALLS O JERUSALEM; THEY WILL NEVER BE SILENT DAY OR NIGHT. YOU WHO CALL ON THE LORD GIVE YOURSELVES NO REST, AND GIVE HIM NO REST TILL HE ESTABLISHES JERUSALEM AND MAKES HER THE PRAISE OF THE 
EARTH," ISAIAH 62:6+7