Community Prayer: A Forgotten Tool for Shifting a Culture

A grassroots way to gather a community in prayer: no headliner required.

On 7.7.07, my business partner Bob Perry helped with a massive 12-hour prayer meeting, The Call Nashville 7.7.07. He talks about the thrill of seeing thousands of people prayerwalking before the event began.

On 7.7.24, we released Sacred Assembly Manual. For several years, Bob organized grassroots community prayer events in all 95 counties in Tennessee. He has since organized them in other places, as well—over 100 Sacred Assemblies from Alaska and Washington State to South Carolina.

After several years of research and conversation, writing and rewriting, we are thrilled to have a practical guide for local prayer gatherings—one of the forgotten scriptural tools for spiritual breakthrough over regions.

It covers all the details we could think of, from beginning to end, whether hosting a larger scale event, or smaller scale.

Even if, like me, your initial thought about a community event is to say, “Huh. Sounds like one of those extrovert things” … you might be amazed at how often this comes up in the scriptures as a way of shifting a culture.

And though we are honored that musician Michael W. Smith gave us an endorsement for the cover, these guidelines are really meant for normal people to facilitate a Sacred Assembly, without a headliner or anyone “famous.” Any of us can use this manual in our own communities.

And on 7.7.26, we started Growing Prayer, beginning with a kickoff Zoom call. You can catch the replay at the bottom of this page:

In a different direction, and because it was TRULY lovely … the recording from Cortney’s worship hour.

Courtney, one of the attendees during the live hour, wrote, “Oh my. That was so lovely and part of it felt like God specifically leading the song for my situation and heart. Is there a recording I could watch? Thanks to you and your Cortney for hosting this. Feeling very seen and encouraged by the Lord.”

Worth watching!

Today, and every day, is a good day to pray and worship the Lord.

Lord, you are marvelous. We love you. Amen.

Celebrate!

Amy Joy

You are invited! Sign up for the Prayer Refresh, an email series with short prayers to pray as you go about your day. The first five readers all wrote me at different times and said, “This is changing my life.”