The Power of Prayer

Through these activities and more, hundreds of believers from communities near and far come to hear from God. The Word of God is preached by many voices that sound like their own. National leadership is crucial in order to connect and lead the community to apply the Word together. God frequently brings miracles and answers prayers very specifically. Many people discover Jesus’ love for the first time in these houses of prayer in Gulu and Juba, and more from the outreaches that are operated from them. 

An encouraging story from the early days of Favor that exhibits this core idea of prayer is the radical Prayer Gathering at War Memorial Stadium. 

Story: The Prayer Gathering at War Memorial Stadium

The ministry was growing exponentially and impacting more and more of the culture of Gulu and other rural areas of Uganda, but the team knew there seemed to still be this wall of darkness. Despite the crowded prayer houses and revivals, there was a sense among leadership that it was still not enough to push back the enemy of the land.

As our founder prayed for guidance, she felt the Holy Spirit remind her of this old, abandoned stadium. It had been used as a war memorial stadium, which was literally a graveyard for British and Acholi soldiers during colonial wars. It’s no bigger than a football field and surrounded by a stone wall.

As she prayed, the Lord continued to prompt her to arrange a prayer gathering that could unite the whole city and nation. This would have been the first time the grounds would be used by the government for prayer. And, at first, when Favor asked permission to use the stadium, they were denied, but the team didn’t relent. Through prayer the ministry was able receive permission to hold the meeting there.  

Carole said, “I knew a revival of prayer was needed! Not only of prayer, but united repentant prayer coupled with the authority of God’s Word … This is what we began praying and fasting for across Gulu.” And so, they planned for a three-day prayer meeting set for the December of 2005 in this war memorial stadium. Radio stations were contacted to spread the news of the gathering across the broadcast frequencies. Word spread like wildfire. Well-known prayer leaders and political leaders agreed to join the effort. The day finally approached and over 1,000 people gathered inside this humble stadium to join in intense, radical, united prayer. It was a turning point for war-torn Uganda! 

As a result, many significant stories of radical transformation followed. It seemed to be a water shed moment for Northern Uganda. Pastors reported that they sensed heaven opening in a new way. Government officials called and testified of a strong sense that the spiritual climate over the area had changed. Some even openly admitted that this prayer gathering paved the way to the end of the war. Miracles were occurring in local churches. It even led to inaugurating the month of January as the month of prayer. 

As evident, prayer will never be replaced by any highly structured organization or lucrative financial plan. Heavenly power will always be funneled through humble, submitted prayer.

Building a New House of Prayer in Gulu, Uganda

We are moving from a rented facility to one owned by the ministry, which will reduce operational expenses and increase the quality of the building for House of Prayer needs. The rented site we have used for 13 years since God ended the war is scheduled to be repurposed by the landlord.

Our dream is to build a 4-story structure, with provision of rooms for multiple printing services, a bridal shop, a stationary shop, and parking facilities.

Renovating the House of Prayer in Juba, South Sudan

The House of Prayer in Juba was bursting at the seams since it opened in 2018. We are renovating the property, which Favor owns, to increase seating capacity. Temporarily, we are holding services out in the street to accommodate the community’s interest in praying.

Establishing a New House of Prayer in Yei, South Sudan

Because of Favor’s reputation, a government agency donated four compounds to the ministry to expand the reach of our ministries to the whole nation. While we now own the titles to the buildings and assets, the land titles are stuck in South Sudanese law. To expedite the process, and because the compounds are more than we need, Favor is splitting the ownership with other like-minded ministries so that we all together can obtain ownership of the land and begin investing in the local communities.