It started long ago…

On August 13, 1727, something miraculous happened in a little village called Hernhutt on the estate of Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf. After an ordinary church service, men and women suddenly began to confess their faults, lay aside their divisions, and ask each other for forgiveness. A spirit of love came over them, so much so they did not want to leave.
 
Moved by what was taking place, Zinzendorf requested food and drink to be brought down from his manor. Thus happened the first Moravian Lovefeast.
 
A few days later, the presence of God continued to pass through the members of the community. Not wanting to miss out, a group of young children started a spontaneous worship service of singing and prayer. So inspired by their faith, the adults began to pray.
 
In fact, they didn’t just pray. They began to pray every hour of every day. And they didn’t stop. No, this prayer vigil continued night and day, twenty-four hours, three hundred sixty-five days in Hernhutt for over 100 years straight!
 
You read that right. One village. One group of people. Unbroken prayer for over one hundred years!
 
During this period, there became a desire to share what God was doing with other people around the world. Over the course of the next century, scores of men and women were sent around the world to share the good news of Jesus. Some sold themselves into slavery in order to preach to slaves. Some inspired men like John Wesley and George Whitefield to evangelize England and the colonies. Some traveled to America to establish holy towns set aside for worship and service to God.
 
One of those towns was called Salem.
 
Yes. We live in a city birthed in prayer, a city literally designed to point people to Jesus.
 
We are part of a legacy 300 years in the making.
 
And we believe it is time to reignite that spirit with twenty-four-hour prayer again.