10 Days of Prayer Northfield, 2008.

Brief History of the 10 Days of Prayer

Last fall, during a time of corporate fasting and repentance based on the Old Testament “Days of Awe” (Rosh HaShannah to Yom Kippur) the Spirit said to me (Jonathan), “Call 120 to pray for 10 days leading up to Pentecost.” The Spirit gave no agenda for the prayer time. We were to do it “because we love Him.”

I shared what God had said with trusted mentors who encouraged me to press forward. Slowly, word began to get out to more and more people as I shared in meetings and over the email. In a miraculous series of events, God brought David McCahon from the Pioneer Valley along to help. Dave sensed that God might be calling us to the Northfield School, a prep school founded by evangelist D.L. Moody on his family’s homestead. I had never heard of the place, but we listened to what God was saying through Dave. Later, God strongly confirmed this direction as we discovered that D.L. Moody used to have 10 day calls to prayer “for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit” when the school was founded (D.L. Moody, A Call to Belivers, 1880.)  We were amazed that God had called us back to the same place to do the same thing that had been done 127 years earlier!

As God led step by step, the original vision finally became the 10 Days of Prayer Northfield, 2007. A core group of 15 people were there the entire time. All told, 122 people showed up to pray with us. We would pray in 3 hour shifts from 6:00am to 6:00pm and then eat together, worship together, and take communion together in the evening. We also lived together as a community, sharing cleaning, cooking, and childcare responsibilities. As we were praying in Northfield, millions were praying around the world in preparation for the Global Day of Prayer on May 27th, Pentecost Sunday.

Unity was the hallmark of these 10 Days. We were a cross-section of the Body of Christ ethnically and denominationally. We loved the diversity in ages—participants ranged from 1 to 80+ years old! Steven Sutton, a participant says, “There was a degree of unity in Christ that I did not realize was possible before heaven.” Out of this place of unity God began to pour out blessings (Ps. 133). Several received dramatic physical healings. The dramatic healings were only the tip of the iceberg. God was transforming us in deep places. As one participant said, “My gifts came out and I feel like . . . I grew ten years in 10 days.”

For many years I have wondered, “Lord, what would happen if your people dropped everything and sought you together.” Now we have tasted unity and tasted the Lord and my wonder has been transformed into a hunger for more. Those of us who have tasted earnestly invite you to set yourself apart to seek the Lord. 

In the words of the Song of Songs—“Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away” (Sgs 2:10).

--Jonathan Friz

May 1-11, 2008