24 Hour Burn

One of my favorite memories of seeking the face of Jesus as a team was during our second 24 hour Burn set in a bombed out Catholic Church where we worshiped and prayed under the stars, scorching sun and in the end, rain! 24 hours straight. With a team of nine, and at least two people per 2 hour set, we each prayed about 8 hours.

The church was built in 1981, but two years later was bombed and used by the Arabs to store their weapons.

We slept in tents on a Catholic compound nearby, which was a battlefield during the war. Many Arabs and South Sudanese lost their lives on the land where we stood. But where death once covered the land, life was proclaimed for 24 hours straight.

We started at 8 p.m. with a two hour corporate time. We lifted the name of Jesus up while breaking down strongholds through prayer. We prayed against drunkenness, corruption, violence, passivity, laziness, etc. and replaced it with freedom, purity, peace, creativity, etc.

I know God heard our prayers and a shift took place in the spiritual realm. During the 22nd hour, thunder rolled in and a light rain fell; an outward expression of God’s glory wanting to fall in the city and country.

Worshiping on the alter of a bombed out Catholic church.

"You provide the fire. And I'll provide the sacrifice."

When it wasn't our shift, we slept in tents.

It was a rough night.

For safety reasons, our men took most of the night shifts.

Such servant hearts.

In the morning we had our quiet times and tea if we weren't at the church praying.

We even played some games.

We had fun as well.

"Don't rub your anus on the wall."

It really said that.

Santos, our amazing translator, prayed the whole 24 hours with us.

At the age of 12, Santos joined the SPLA.
As a part of the army fighting against the North, he feared no one.
In 1995, Santos escaped the military and went to Uganda, where he gave his life to Jesus.
He is an evangelist at heart and desires to see unreached people groups know the gospel message.

The bombed out Catholic church from the "outside".

The bombed out Catholic church from the "inside".

Later we found out that Moses, a man Josh Mutch had befriended and been visiting regularly, who had been an alcoholic for 30+ years stopped drinking and rededicated his life the night we prayed for 24 hours.

Praise the Lord!

Words we prayed over South Sudan:

1. Exodus 19:5-6, “You will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”
Priests invite, lead and point people to Jesus. Israel was called to be priests to the nations surrounding it. May South Sudan be the same. A nation marked by the presence of God which points other nations to Christ.
2. Revival will spring forth from the city of Yei. Revival is a fruit of a righteous kingdom seeking community. We pray this over the YWAM Yei base we stayed at.