Hillsong United Supports SHOCKWAVE Global Youth Prayer

The youth pastor of Hillsong Youth in Australia has expressed his support of the upcoming global youth prayer event for the some 200 million persecuted Christians.

|PIC1|"Hey, let's be people that are serious about our faith and assisting and supporting those who are in tough situation right now. We can do that by simply gathering on Mar. 2 for SHOCKWAVE and praying and believing for a shockwave to go out across our world and impact those and encourage those whose faith is being tested right now."

Thousands across the globe will pray for some of the 200 million Christians who suffer because of their faith during a non-stop prayer for the Muslim world on Mar. 2-4. The three-day youth prayer event is organised by Underground, the youth ministry of Open Doors and will be the fifth annual SHOCKWAVE.

"Our brothers and sisters have told us what they need. First, and most important, they have begged us to pray!" said Brother Andrew, founder of Open Doors in a statement.

"It's been the same throughout my fifty-odd years of ministry; wherever I've gone to encourage my brothers and sisters, they have always requested prayer...prayer is a critical part of the work of Open Doors...prayer connects us with the body. It helps us identify with those who suffer and struggle as Christians in difficult situations. Prayer brings these problems to the one source that can really make a difference," said Brother Andrew.

SHOCKWAVE will start in New Zealand and move across the time zones and "through manmade barriers and no-go zones, literally covering the world in prayer," explained Open Doors U.K.

Young adults from New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, South Africa, Switzerland, Italy, Norway, Cameroon, Romania, United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States and Brazil participated in the SHOCKWAVE 2006. In France, over 100 groups were involved while in Namibia three schools gathered to pray with a total of 1,200 "prayer warriors."

"Prayer is desperately needed for countries such as North Korea, which remains at the top of Open Doors' World Watch List for the forth year in row, indicating it is currently the worst country for Christian persecution," according to a Open Doors U.K. news release. "North Korea is followed by the Islamic Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in second place with Islamic Iran, Somalia and the Maldives listed close behind."

According to Open Doors U.K., Irina Ratushinskaya, who was a prisoner in a Soviet prison camp for seven years, said she experienced first hand the power of prayer and wrote: "Believe me, often it happened: in the isolation cell, during the winter evenings suddenly a feeling of joy and warmth - an unmistakable word of love. And whilst I could not sleep, sitting against an icy wall - someone remembered me and pleaded before my Lord."

Phil Togwell, UK Base Leader of 24-7 Prayer, testified: "In my inbox there's an email from one of my best friends. He lives with his wife and two children in a country where it is risky to admit that you are a Christian, and he's asking me to pray. They're trying to meet with other Christians, but people get put in prison for doing this. I find this hard to imagine, but it's real, very real.

"Around the world, Christians are imprisoned and beaten and tortured, and even killed, simply because they love Jesus. SHOCKWAVE reminds us of our need to pray for the Persecuted Church, and equips us to do something too. I encourage you to get involved."

For more information visit: www.odshockwave.org