“The goal of the Odisha Prayer Walk Movement is to create momentum,” explains Bishop Hrudaya, leader of Intercede International partner ministry Orissa Follow-Up. This movement is creating a strong sense of unity among Christians in the state of Odisha, India. “Pastors and congregations are getting focused, and the gaps between denominations and churches are getting smaller,” Hrudaya confirms. “We thank God for your prayer and support in making it happen in Odisha Moving Forward. Continue to join with us in prayer.”
Recently, 30 church leaders met together to seek God and His guidance in order to be the catalysts to reach out to 27 of the 53 Unengaged People Groups inhabiting the Mayurbhanj district of Odisha. “We thank God for the desire God granted to the leaders to be united as the pastors and leaders valued the goal of the Odisha Prayer Walk Movement,” reports Hrudaya. “Our goal was to mobilize 100,000 believers all over Odisha and this target has been achieved before the scheduled timeline. Now, the second phase of mobilization is continuing for another 100,000 believers to be part of this movement. Pray for the leaders who are playing the catalytic role in seeing that 345 Unengaged People Groups in Odisha will a have Christian presence with a minimum of 20 members of each group by the end of June 2029.”
OFU’s Orissa School of Education has been encouraging its graduates to become involved with this movement. “Each year, we have trained 30 young men and 30 young women for 10 months providing skills and knowledge, based on 16 methods to plant a small church where there is no church existing,” reports Hrudaya. “We are extremely delighted to recognize four of our graduates, who returned to their respective villages last year and experimented with the methods they have learned. They are proud to declare that the methods they have learned are working effectively. They have each planted one church in their respective places with unreached and unengaged people groups. Fifty students graduated on November 8, 2024. The first assignment they have been given is to engage themselves in the Prayer Walk Movement. Through the process they will be able to identify a ‘Man of Peace’ in the villages where no Christian presence exists yet.”
Currently 100,000 Christians are engaged in the Prayer Walk Movement. “The Lord is encouraging more volunteers all over the state and various churches are taking responsibility for accomplishing the Great Commission in their respective districts,” explains Hrudaya. “Miracles are multiplying. Most of our graduates are engaged in the ministry of spiritual harvest.” Recent OFU graduates have “experienced a taste of the Prayer Walk Movement. The goal of the Movement has gone beyond our targeted numbers. Thank God, God is waking up His body in this part of our country.”
Photo: A large group of Odisha Prayer Walk Movement participants.
Intercede News Service
Alan Doerksen is Publications Editor with Intercede International and has been with Intercede for 20 years. Find his latest historical fiction novel on Amazon.
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