What happens when we pray fervently over current events? God moves in unexpected ways.

“It started with one man standing up and saying, ‘We’re going to believe God.’”

Author Craig von Buseck points to Rees Howells is a powerful historical figure who prayed hard over current events. Rees served as the head of a Bible college in England when all of Europe had been invaded by the Nazi regime. At that time, it looked as though Great Britain would also fall to Hitler. In the face of fear and turmoil, Rees Howell said,

We need to pray against this. We need to go to God. Either the God of the Bible and the promises of Scripture are true or they’re not. And now is a time where we need to do this.”

He called for the students of the Bible college to pray and fast morning and night. As people in the community heard about his plan, they started filtering in to pray with Rees and his students.

God moved through their prayers. 

“Prayer spread to other nearby communities and then it spread to other regions. Pretty soon, the entire nation of Great Britain was praying against the Nazi regime, praying that God would have mercy and intervene.”

“To this day, historians don’t know why Hitler called off the attacks. The intensity of the attacks turned and it gave the Royal Air Force time to retool and renew their strategy, and it turned the tide of the war.

“It was a clear connection to the prayer that was happening all across the nation.”

This history making moment started with one man standing up in God’s name. Rees called people to prayer and repentance and because of his obedience God moved on the prayers of thousands.

What might God want to do through your prayers and repentance? Your prayers are powerful! 

Key Scriptures: Psalm 18:2-3

Featured Songs: Love Take Me Over by Steven Curtis Chapman; Gotta Let it Go by Mercy Me; Awakening by Chris Tomlin

Highlight : The intercessory example of Rees Howells

Praying the news