Herrnhut Prayer

Hopefully you watched the video presentation and now desire to know more on Herrnhutt.

There have been times in history which have released the favor of God. Herrnhutt was one such place. A prophetic word was spoken and was birthed out of hardship and persecution. Read this account and story below and may hope rise up out of the desperate circumstance you may be facing.

Herrnhut – Impacted America

The greatest revival in modern history was begun in a little village what was formerly East Germany. It was a town called Herrnhut and led by Count Nicholas Von Zinzendorf. In 1727, a group of Moravians was fleeing persecution in Czechoslovakia and immigrated to Germany. Zinzendorf allowed them to settle on his estate. They came and built a village they called Hernnhut which means the “Watch of the Lord”.

Earlier in their history a prophet by the name of Malchoir Schaefer, gave a prophetic word that stated, “God will place a light on these hills that will illumine the whole world.” This may appear to be impossible as a group of 300-400 people in a little village could birth such a word. These were refugees, kicked out of their own country who were living in an obscure place in a backwater corner in Germany. Can you believe that God would do something here that would affect the world?

In 1722, Zinzendorf bought the Berthelsdorf estate from his grandmother and installed a Pietistic preacher in the local Lutheran church. That same year Zinzendorf came into contact with a Moravian preacher, Christian David, who persuaded the young Count of the sufferings of the persecuted Protestants in Moravia. These Moravians known as the Unitas Fratrum were the remains of John Huss’ followers in Bohemia.

Since the 1600s, these saints had suffered under the hands of successive repressive Catholic monarchs. Zinzendorf offered them asylum on his lands. Christian David returned to Bohemia and brought many to settle on Zinzendorf’s estate, forming the community of Herrnhut (The Watch of the Lord). The community quickly grew to over three hundred. Yet due to divisions and tension in the infant community, Zinzendorf gave up his court position and became the leader of the brethren, instituting a new constitution for the community.

On August 13^th, 1727, they went to a nearby village of Berthelsdorf to meet together in the Lutheran Church for a communion service. Count Zinzendorf got up to lead the service and got partway through when the Spirit of God fell. No one who was there ever gave a detailed description of what happened. They just said the fire of God fell, there were signs, wonders, and miracles, and they were never the same again.

There was a new spirituality that characterized this community, with men and women being committed to encouraging one another in the life of God. August of 1727 is seen as the Moravian Pentecost. Zinzendorf said August 13th was “a day of the outpourings of the Holy Spirit upon the congregation; it was its Pentecost.” The next week they said, “How do we keep this going? God’s presence is with us. How do we keep it?” They turned in their Bibles and found that in Exodus 29, God gave instructions and how to live in His presence! If you keep the fire burning on the altar (Exodus 29), I will dwell with you! They determined to keep the fire on the altar. They divided the clock into watches and took turns praying 24 hours a day 7 days a week!

Within two weeks of the outpouring, twenty-four men and twenty-four women covenanted to pray “hourly intercessions,” thus praying every hour around the clock.

They were committed to see that “The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out” (Exodus 29, Leviticus 6:13). The numbers committed to this endeavor soon increased to around seventy from the community. This prayer meeting would go non-stop for over one hundred years and is seen by many as the spiritual power behind the impact the Moravians had on the world. The result was that the glory of God rested in their midst.

The Spirit of God began to send them out as missionaries. In the 1700’s missionaries went from here to Greenland, North and South America, South Africa, Australia, and even Tibet. They also went to England and one person that was saved there through their ministry was John Wesley. He met a Moravian Bishop Peter Bohler as they were crossing the Atlantic on a ship in the mid 1700’s. They came upon a storm and the ship was being overwhelmed and the British passengers were in panic as they thought they were going to die. John Wesley was stunned by the calmness of the group of Moravians led by Bohler. These German Moravians were singing hymns and had this sense of peace.

Wesley thought they were unaware of the storms severity and they were about to perish. He approached Peter Bohler and said we are about to die. Bohler responded by saying, “We’re not afraid to die. We die daily.” This impacted Wesley so much that he resolved to learn about these people. He went to Herrnhut and caught the fire of the Lord and brought revival to England. Wesley was a spark that led to the first Great Awakening. The nation was “transformed” and England was saved from a bloody revolution that France endured.

The revival in England affected America. It was called “The Great Awakening”. This “transformed “America” as it swept through the colonies. Church attendance doubled in the America. The U.S. Constitution was written, for most part, by men impacted by the “Great Awakening”. The very foundations of our government were impacted by this prayer movement where people were faithful to take watches before the Lord and pray.

From the prayer room at Herrnhut resulted in a missionary zeal which has hardly been surpassed in church history. The spark initially came from Zinzendorf’s encounter in Denmark with Eskimos who had been converted by Lutherans. The Count returned to Herrnhut and conveyed his passion to see the Gospel go to the nations. As a result, many of the community went out into the world to preach the gospel, some even selling themselves into slavery in order to fulfill the great commission.

A simple statistic would best convey the impact that this prayer movement had upon the world. Normally, when it comes to world missions the Protestant laity to missionary ratio has been 5000:1. The Moravians however saw a much increased ratio of 60:1. By 1776, some 226 missionaries had been sent out from the community at Herrnhut.

It is clear through the teaching of the so-called “Father of Modern Missions”, William Carey, that the Moravians had a profound impact on him in regard to their zeal for missionary activity. The impact of this little community in Saxony which committed to seek the face of the Lord day and night has truly been immeasurable. From this “Watch of the Lord” laborers went into the harvest field of the world. There is no telling how many millions of souls were saved. God will certainly intervene into man’s affairs if we seek Him wholeheartedly.

Why Michigan of all places?

We need a great awakening in our nation and especially in Michigan. This can be happen if we have faith to believe. Michigan is the tail of the nation economically at this time. People in great numbers are leaving our state seeking work in other states. Is it possible that Michigan is being pruned for great fruit to manifest? People have lost there jobs, businesses, and homes. This has trickled down and is affecting churches, families, and our social structure throughout the state of Michigan. Empty store fronts and industrial buildings are popping up everywhere as businesses are leaving the state.

The welfare system is being abused as handouts are creating a dependent society on the government of man destroying our work ethic and stifling human ingenuity. Escapism through entertainment, alcohol, and drugs are on the increase. The very fabric of life is being eroded. As you drive through Detroit and other urban areas we see a crumbling infrastructure as poverty has gripped many areas with an increasing crime rate.

Michigan also has one of the largest or even maybe the largest Muslim population area in the United States (Dearborn and Southeast Detroit). Islam is a state first and religion second that has the motive to control and take over. Many Muslims have declared Michigan will be the first Islamic state in the nation.

There are those who live in these areas who have the seeds of terrorism within them with a design to bring destruction to America. Do you realize that the city of Hamtramck presently in Michigan has 5 a day prayer going up from loudspeakers of a Mosque in that city?

So I hope this is enough to convince you that Michigan has a manifest destiny to fulfill. The state is being pruned for a great visitation by God and His glory if we will respond to the call and keep the fire on the altar burning (day and night 24/7/365 prayer).

Michigan is a Hand and a Flame of Fire

When you look down on a map of the state of Michigan it is in the shape of a hand. Is it possible that this could be a sign to the nation that the hand of God is upon it? Looking down on the map we see Michigan can be a right hand that has the palm of the hand up. When the palm is up it is in the receiving mode – but also is the right hand of authority. Is Jesus Christ who sits at the right hand of our Father in Heaven making intercession for us? Yes!

Can you imagine the left hand of God coming down on top of the right hand of Michigan? Will Jesus agree with our intercessory prayer requests? This is why we are making the declaration that Michigan will be the next Hernnhut. As Jesus agrees with our prayers of desperation He extends His right hand over the nation. Can you see how we have the opportunity to change a nation and be recorded in heavenly history?

As individuals, churches, and ministries make a decision to make prayer a primary focus we will see a true transformation of society. In Michigan the process has begun and day and night prayer connecting 83 counties in our state is beginning to manifest.

There is still much to do but God is moving in our midst.