2020 Vision

2020 Vision

Challenging 10,000 young, pioneering leaders to plant prayer furnaces all over the earth by 2020.

18th Century – Moravian Movement of Prayer and Missions

On August 13, 1727, the Holy Spirit was poured out on a group of young refugees living in Germany under the leadership of Count Niklaus Ludwig Von Zinzendorf. Within two weeks of this outpouring of the Holy Spirit on this community known as the Moravians, twenty-four men and twenty-four women were mobilized to each pray for one hour a day, thus covering 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Their motivation was to “keep the fire burning on the altar continuously that it might not go out” (Leviticus 6:13).

This prayer meeting would last over 120 years and stir these young Moravian men and women into radical missionary activity. Some in this young community would eventually even sell themselves into slavery in order to preach the gospel to unreachable slave colonies. Through their sincere devotion to Jesus in the place of prayer and, subsequently, missions, this prayer movement that God raised up among the Moravians would touch the ends of the earth and redefine Christianity in the 18th century and beyond.

19th/20th Century – Student Volunteer Movement

Then, in the 19th century, following the 1857 Great Prayer Revival, God again stirred up a group of young men in North America under the leadership of D.L. Moody, A.T. Pierson, John R. Mott, and others who launched a new movement of prayer and missions that would come to be known as the Student Volunteer Movement. This movement would challenge young adults to give themselves to the place of prayer and to full-time missionary service. The challenge that the Lord had cast before them was “the evangelization of the world in this generation.”

By the end of the movement in the mid-20th century, over 100,000 students were mobilized to prayer for the nations by the Student Volunteer Movement with over 20,000 of these launched into the foreign mission field. Many of the young adults that would be sent to the nations through the Student Volunteer Movement would eventually lay down their lives in foreign lands for the sake of the Gospel going forth throughout the entire earth.

21st Century – Global Prayer Movement

Today, a new breed is arising all across the earth that is refusing the status quo of religion to embrace an authentic, biblical faith firmly rooted in intimacy with the Son. No longer are they satisfied to live from the emptiness of frenetic activity, but energized by love and intimacy with God, they are recklessly abandoned to see the purpose of God birthed in this generation. Presently, God is beginning to change the expression and understanding of Christianity in this generation as an army of leaders are beginning to march out to the ends of the earth to plant prayer furnaces that transform communities, finish the task of world evangelization, and prepare the way for Jesus to return to the planet.

Crisis

The world stands at a critical juncture in this dramatic hour of human history. All around the globe, the earth convulses under the threat of natural disasters, lawlessness, wars and rumors of wars. Entire nations in the West tremble at the menace of radical Islam and seek “peaceful” coexistence, all but bowing their knee to its demands, as it marches toward global domination. But even beyond the haunting specter of radical Islam, the prevailing sentiment worldwide has become one of fear, unbelief, and mistrust as the earth shudders under the weight of man’s futile rebellion (Psalm 2).

The crisis only deepens as we realize that much of the Church is in desperate need for revival. We have substituted the call to be a “House of Prayer for all nations” (Isaiah 56:7) for methodology and church growth mechanics. We have hidden our barrenness behind the fig leaves of superficial cultural relevance instead of pressing in to the depths and fullness of living out the First and Greatest Commandment (Matthew 22:37-38). And we have forsaken the call to disciple the nations (Matthew 28:19) with ministry given to pizza parties, bowling nights, and video games. Even as we have redoubled our evangelistic efforts and discipleship programs, we are quickly losing a young generation to the spirit of the age.

Opportunity

But it’s always darkest before the dawn and this dark night is about to break as a generation is poised to enter into its finest hour. There are moments in history when a door for massive change opens. Great revolutions for good or for evil occur in the vacuum created by these openings. It is in these moments that key men and women – sometimes even entire generations – become the hinge of history – that pivotal point that determines which way the door will swing. This generation is living in such a moment today.

With rapid advancements in technology, the distance between nations and cultures is ever shrinking all the while amplifying the ability of our voices to reach a much broader audience. And because Western media and culture, for better or for worse, has captured the attention of most of the world, this newly-resulting global village has created the platform by which we can finish the task of world evangelization. For the first time in history, the dream of the witness of the gospel of the Kingdom going forth throughout the ends of the earth and reaching every unengaged, unreached people group is no longer just a dream, but a real possibility (Matthew 24:14).

But how will we reach a lost and dying generation? What is the summons?

Challenge: 2020 Vision

Like the heroes of the faith that have preceded us, this generation is being prepared to change the expression and understanding of Christianity in one generation. All around the world, prayer ministries contending for the fullness of the Holy Spirit are emerging and challenging the Church to become a “House of Prayer for all nations” (Isaiah 56:7). Thus, 2020 Vision is the mandate of Luke18 Project to release 10,000 young pioneering leaders to plant prayer furnaces throughout the ends of the earth by 2020.

Our initial thrust in Luke18 Project’s 2020 Vision is to establish a prayer furnace on all 2,600 college campuses in America by 2012. These prayer furnaces on the college campuses will create “sacred space” for students to encounter the Living God, but also provide a discipleship apparatus that makes training available to students in the context of day and night prayer right on their college campus.

As students receive “on-the-job” training for their future occupation during their four years of study at college, the purpose of establishing a prayer furnace on the college campus is to create a parallel track of study in the “school of the Spirit” to train young leaders to live prayerful and missional lives. Just as students declare their major and field of study in their second year of college, at the same time, we want to challenge students to prayerfully consider declaring their mission field (i.e. foreign nations, marketplace, or college campuses) and give themselves to that mission field as prayer missionaries establishing and sustaining prayer furnaces post-graduation.

Then, similar to the Student Volunteer Movement of the 19th and 20th centuries, our vision is to rally college students to pledge two years of their lives immediately following graduation to their mission field to plant prayer furnaces in every region of the earth that God might receive the praise due His name (Malachi 1:11) and to release the transforming presence of God (Isaiah 42:10-13).

In the context of night and day prayer, a new generation of young leaders will emerge that will move in boldness in establishing these prayer furnaces and, undoubtedly, some will even give their lives (Revelation 12:11).

This is our vision. This is our invitation. Will you answer the call?

For more information about Luke18 Project’s 2020 Vision, please email info@Luke18Project.com.

To plant a prayer furnace with Luke18 Project, please download the application below.