What's up with the National Day of Prayer?

Churches across the nation are gearing up again to take part in the National Day of Prayer on May 5. Last year, I reported that New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) teachings and practices have made inroads into the National Day of Prayer and asked the question, "Has the National Day of Prayer been hijacked by the NAR?"

Unfortunately, this year, the NAR appears to have gained more ground in this event. The National Day of Prayer Task Force teamed up with Generals International--an influential NAR organization led by the controversial prophet Cindy Jacobs--along with NAR leaders Dutch Sheets and the prophet Lou Engle for an initiative called "As One." As One is a massive "prayer walk" across every zip code and neighborhood in the nation. Participants are praying for "revival" and "awakening."

So, what's the problem?

Prayer for our nation--of course!--is biblical and a very good thing. But one must understand that, in the NAR, terms like "prayer," "revival," and "awakening" are loaded with meaning that most others, who are not part of the NAR, aren't aware of. In NAR terms, prayerwalking is not just an innocuous practice of walking through your neighborhood and asking God to save the people who live there. NAR "prayerwalking" is a spiritual warfare strategy when participants team up to walk neighborhoods, cities, and campuses and engage in a type of NAR prayer known as "warfare prayer"--commanding demonic spirits to leave those places. They also make authoritative "faith declarations." These are not simply humble requests that God do something--the view of prayer held by most Christians. They're spoken words, often wrested from Scripture, that supposedly release God's power and create new realities--like the way God spoke things into existence. This is a radically different understanding of prayer. Learn more about faith declarations and warfare prayer, including why they're not biblical, in my first post about the NAR-tional Day of Prayer?

Probably not all participants in the As One prayer walk know of the NAR teachings that undergird it. But the NAR organizers certainly do. And prayerwalking is a gateway activity that opens up people to deeper involvement with the NAR.

So why has the National Day of Prayer partnered with NAR organizations? If you're concerned about these developments, let your church leaders and others know of your concerns.

[Updated on May 2, 2023] Learn more about the New Apostolic Reformation by reading my co-authored book, Counterfeit Kingdom: The Dangers of New Revelation, New Prophets, and New Age Practices in the Church.