24h Prayer Switzerland

How it all began in Switzerland

It started in 1994 when God spoke to me in a most impressive and urgent way about the condition of the Christians in Switzerland. It was, and still is, a very serious word, but the Lord also spoke a definite and wonderful promise at the same time: “When you (Christians) do, what I tell you, then I will also keep My word.”

The vision

(written by Werner Woiwode in September 1994)

And the Lord says: „I want you to share in my pain over this land and this people who are named after Me. For they have left Me, the fresh spring of living water and have dug up for themselves stinking cisterns full of holes. You say you are rich and are in the need of nothing. Yet you don’t know that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked. You celebrate your services, hold your prayermeetings and talk about Me. And I, the Lord, stand outside before the door and knock. Nevertheless you leave Me standing outside. I, who am holy, have also called you to be holy in your whole walk with Me. Yet you go your own way and so profane My name.

This land needs healing. In spite of everything I want to heal. I want to save. I want revival. But I can only do this when My people who are called by My name, humble themselves when they pray, seek My face and turn from their wicked ways. Therefore you should go through the land in every capital city (cultural, spiritual and economical centers) and should worship and proclaim My name and prepare the way for My people.

Pass through, pass through the gates. Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway. Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations. (Isaiah 62.10)

Go into every Canton capital city and through your prayers prepare the way for My people. Help in prayer to clean and purify the cities. Raise up a banner everywhere with the Name of Jesus Christ.

I want to restore this land again by placing watchmen over every capital city who will call on Me day and night. Through your prayers, spiritual leaders, amongst other things, will be released. They will see things in a new way, so that they will turn to eachother and seek my face. There will arise new prayergroups who will be watchmen with the same ministry as you. Existing prayergroups will be encouraged and seized anew by My Spirit. I will add to these groups watchmen who are afire for Me. This will all contribute to the spiritual change coming to this land. There will be, in the invisible and visible world, shakings of small, insignificant but also of great magnitude. This land will be pulled more and more out of joint.

But through the earnest prayers of my children, many of my people will be prepared to humble themselves, to pray (to cry out with all their hearts) to seek My face and to turn from their wicked ways. And the day will come, when you have done what I have told you, that many of My people, who are called by My name will unanimously come together to repent and worship Me. And I will hear them and I will heal and deliver many people in this land. There will be a revival amongst My people and people in the world will be caught up in it. Personalities out of the political, economical and cultural areas will be taken and will repent. And you will once again be salt that penetrates and conserves. You won’t be useless and stale anymore. I, the Lord, will do it.“

He will say: „I have long been silent, yes, I have restrained myself. But now I will give full vent to my fury, I will gasp and pant like a woman giving birth.” Isaiah 42,14

The developments in the Kingdom of God in the past few years, at present and in the future, must be judged in the light of these words from the prophet Isaiah. This not only applies, of course, to Israel and the Jews, but also to the Nations and the Body of Christ worldwide.

Switzerland

Twelve years ago GOD gave us a vision about the condition of our country, in particular, about the lack of prayer among HIS people. That was the necessary impulse that triggered off a national prayer mobilisation which is still in progress today. Between 1994 -1996 and again in 2000-2001 we visited every county capital town or city and invited and encouraged the local Christians to partake in prayer and fasting. In 1997 we organised and carried out a Prayer March in the form of a cross throughout the whole country. Over a period of 7 weeks hundreds of Christians took part walking from the northern border to the southern and from the eastern border to the western. The final service of this Prayer March was celebrated by around 6-7,000 Christians in Parliament Square in Bern on the Swiss national Thanksgiving, Repentance and Prayer day. This time of repentance and proclamation can, in hindsight, be seen as a time of “breakthrough”, as the way was made free for all that has occurred since. In the ensuing years new prayer initiatives, prayer houses and thousands of new prayer groups have been formed. Since this time the group “Mother in contact” has formed 1,300 prayer groups from nothing.
In 1998, a nationwide 24-hour prayer was initiated. For the last 8 years, we have been praying day and night for Israel. Hundreds of believers from very different church backgrounds have formed a permanent prayer and blessings bridge from Switzerland to Israel.
In 2002, we printed the booklet “Jesus Christ in Switzerland” and distributed it to each of the 3.7 million households in Switzerland, as a message to the Swiss people, calling them to repentance and change.
Christ Day 2004 was a highlight as it broke through into a new dimension. In St. Jacobs Park football stadium in Basel, 40,000 Christians came together, so many, in fact, that thousands could not get in. Around 3,000 Flag carriers from every corner of the country were present. They represented all the political communities in Switzerland, for whom they had promised to support in prayer.
In 2005, we felt a strong urging to go back to Parliament Square in Bern to proclaim a “Blow the Horn” gathering. The word of GOD was proclaimed and prayer was made in all four languages of Switzerland, and the Shofar was repeatedly blown.
Very important for GOD are the mountains and peaks in our country. So in 2003, we were, on the Top of Europe (Jungfraujoch). About 100 intercessors proclaimed Psalm 24, at 3,600 metres above sea level, over every country in Europe, over Israel and over every county in Switzerland. Again this year, 2006, intercessors were on 70 mountains and peaks to pray, proclaim GOD’s word and blow the Shofar.
Also this year, the prayer initiative CH06 was launched and carried out by young Christians. Each week in a different venue, throughout the whole year, a 24/7 prayer room was opened and Christians came to pray non-stop there for a whole week.
For next year and in the near future we have the impression, along with many leaders in this country, that GOD has, once more, the subjects of deaconry and social engagement on HIS heart. We are believing that, in this regard, a divinely inspired mobilisation is taking place. Our prayers must result in corresponding action. GOD wants to manifest HIS love and mercy to the needy in our neighbourhood. To this affect we are organising an Isaiah 58 Conference in 2007. It should be a wake-up call, a mobilising and sensitizing to what is on GOD’s heart.

Europe

We have been able to help our brothers and sisters in a number of different European countries (e.g. Austria, Croatia, Ireland, Italy, Rumania and Estonia). In 1997, we were on an assignment in Berlin, Germany. Our team was impressed to pray at the gates of Berlin. We prayed for the constitution of “prayer watches” in Berlin, itself, and Germany, as a whole. The following year, GOD gave someone a vision for “prayer watches” in Germany. Since then more than 200 towns have joined in these prayer watches.
In Rumania we were involved in the vision and implementation of the first Israel conference in that country.
In Yverdon, Switzerland, we organised the first European prayer altar conference. Delegates from different European countries came and, at the same time, a period of 72 hours non-stop prayer and worship was offered up.
Prayer for Europe from the “Top of Europe”.
We are involved in a number of different prayer initiatives not only in Europe but also worldwide: European Coalition Israel (ECI), Toward Jerusalem Council II (TJC II).

The World

We are aligned with friends in different countries, whom we were able to help in the past few years. As a result we could minister at a conference in Samara, and help organise a pastor’s conference in Burkina Faso. Over 3,000 pastors came to whom we gave great encouragement in prayer and other areas, (e.g. Israel). Also in Argentina we had the privilege to speak and minister in seven churches and at a pastors’ conference. In the latter, a foundation stone was laid for a prayer mountain. A few weeks ago, I was invited to speak at a children’s intercessory prayer conference in Chennai/India. About 2,000 children attended (see separate report). I believe that this is another major point that GOD is emphasising in these times – that children will become worshippers, prayer warriors, preachers and church builders, as is the case in India, at the moment.

Israel

No one can circumnavigate the subject of Israel. After all we can’t have the GOD of Israel without HIS people. We can’t say “Our Father” without HIS first-born, our older brother. Israel must be, or must become, a matter of importance for every Christian, Church, or Ministry, just as other subjects like prayer, evangelism, holiness or ministering to the needy are important. GOD is working today on the Jews and Israel and through them on the nations of this world. Also in this area we have been able to experience many blessings, both in giving and receiving, through ministries with and for Israel, here in Switzerland, in Israel and in other countries. Anti-semitism is again raising its ugly head and we, as Christians, will have to decide on the position we will take, either to remain silent and look the other way or to stand alongside the Jews and, above all our Messianic brothers and sisters.

Werner Woiwode
Abraham Ministries