What is the 24-7/SA Prayer Network?
The 24-7/SA Prayer Network is a network of individuals who are committed to praying regularly and specifically for The Salvation Army in the UK. We come from all corners of the country, and from all walks of life, but the one thing we have in common is a passionate belief that prayer works, and that it is vitally necessary if we want to see transformation in our lives, our churches and our communities.
The network started in the mid 1990s, with a small number of intercessors covenanting together to pray for The Salvation Army. Since then, it has grown exponentially. Over 1000 individuals now receive our diaries and newsletters.
As the name '24-7/SA' suggests, there has been more to our history than just a prayer network. In May 2001, the UK Salvation Army began a year of 24-7 (non-stop) prayer. This initiative grew out of our partnership with the worldwide prayer movement known as 24-7 Prayer, and this partnership has been a continual source of inspiration and blessing to us ever since.
The year of prayer was a true watershed in the prayer life of the UK Salvation Army. We asked God to meet with us and transform us, and he did.
The year ended in May 2002, and, since then, interest in prayer has kept growing. We now run numerous prayer training events around the country, as well as helping individual Salvation Army churches to develop their prayer strategies. We also invest for the future, by training prayer leaders, who will ensure that this passion for prayer doesn't go out of fashion in the years to come.
In recent years, we have also opened several prayer centres and 'boiler rooms' (24-7 communities of prayer and mission). We believe that God is challenging us to discover what can happen when a community is grounded in continual prayer. We haven't made it yet, but the journey is an exciting one.
The story of prayer in The Salvation Army in the UK is a story of grace and miracles. If it can happen for us, it can happen anywhere!