History of LHP

Why would Mission America, a coalition of 80 denominations encompassing nearly tens of thousands of local churches and nearly 400 ministries, choose the San Francisco Bay Area to officially launch a national prayer effort? What would cause Mission America to identify the Bay Area as a birthing cradle for their 1999 goal to establish 3,000,000 Lighthouses of Prayer? Since this initial introduction, many of these ministries have aggressively pursued this goal.

At a national conference, Bill McCartney, founder of Promise Keepers challenged every man attending the Promise Keepers events to turn his home into a Lighthouse of Prayer. Storm the Gates is the theme for PK's efforts to mobilize an army of 100,000 male Pastor appointed Prayer leaders by the end of 2004. These men will encourage and sustain prayer/evangelism as a lifestyle in the church of America. Bill Bright of Campus Crusade for Christ and denominations like the Church of God and Southern Baptists have adopted similar goals. Pat Robertson of CBN’s 700 Club features stories documenting this unfolding powerful grass roots movement that is sweeping the nation. But, why San Francisco?

Some of the answer is found in the history of Pray The Bay, an affiliation of churches in the San Francisco Bay Area seeking to promote the cause of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a spirit of unity and cooperation. They share the following covenant: We the Christian Community of the San Francisco Bay Area covenant as one with the Lord Jesus Christ and His Church, to saturate our region with prayer and strategically reach every person with the powerful message of hope that is found in Jesus Christ by and beyond the year 2,000. Maybe Mission America came to San Francisco because many parts of the nation are embracing the vision of Lighthouses of Prayer, but the church in the Bay Area is one of the oldest working models.

Rev. Ed Silvoso, foremost authority on prayer/evangelism, has vital insights bringing important revelation. The concept of reaching cities for Christ is biblical...and with God’s help possible. As stated in Acts 1:8, the Great Commission begins with a city, Jerusalem. Acts 5:28 clearly indicated that within a few weeks Jerusalem was reached for Christ: “You have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine” (NKJV). In rapid succession, other cities followed, until in Acts 19:10 we read, “All who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks."

Further, Brother Silvoso points out... In John 14:12-13 Jesus says, “Greater works than these (you) will do, because I go to My Father. “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (NKJV). Jesus describes the “greater works” as prayers —“Whatever you ask in My name.” The word “glorified” seems to indicate that those prayers have to do with the lost. The early church was able to reach entire cities for Christ because each believer consistently prayed for the needs of the lost as a means of opening their eyes to salvation, the most important need they had.

The conception of the San Francisco Bay Area prayer movement can be traced back to the early 90s. In the city of San Jose, California, a handful of students and parents, including Rev. Ed and Ruth Silvoso of Harvest Evangelism, began praying for Valley Christian High School. Some of Valley Christian School discovered students and parents praying. He joined the weekly prayer meeting. They called it, “Pray Valley,” defining the goal to pray for salvation and/or spiritual renewal in the lives of every student at Valley Christian School. The goal was to establish a prayer presence...that every day every student would receive blessing prayer.

At one specific chapel time the students and faculty experienced an unexpected divine outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit. Chapel time extended through the lunch period and well into the afternoon classes. Dr. Daugherty met with Pastor John Isaacs of the South Bay Covenant Church and he too sensed God’s leading toward a South Bay prayer evangelism effort.

A small group of four or five pastors began to meet weekly for prayer and discerning God’s leading. The group slowly began to grow and by the next year, Pray Valley became Pray South Bay. The new Perimeter of Faith, the area to be saturated with daily blessing prayer as redefined to the Santa Clara County. To this day, these pastors meet weekly for prayer.

The Pastor's Track
The Pastor’s Track is committed through the Lord Jesus Christ to stand together in prayer, work on issues of reconciliation, build supportive relationships with one another, and provide servant leadership to strengthen the unity of the Church and to reach the lost.

In 1996 Ed Silvoso challenged the pastors to “Go for it!”. Using the National Day of Prayer as a common focus, each of the nine counties of the San Francisco Bay Area secured one location for the church to gather. The evening prayer service began by sending off pastors who drove and prayed to the next city. Pastors from San Jose drove and prayed over the area to Fremont. Fremont pastors drove and prayed to Oakland and so forth. A ring of fire was established as each vehicle arrived to bring a blessing prayer to the next city. At one point KFAX radio, a local radio station, became the common pulpit that linked together one service in the San Francisco Bay Area. Prayer for the lost and communion was shared. For the first time in the history of the Bay Area, a united prayer covering was established in the heavenlies!

It is fascinating to note that at this same time, a delegation of pastors lead by Pastor Carl Overbeek of Church of the Chimes approached Billy Graham to invite him to the Bay Area. The members of this delegation were not acquainted with Pray South Bay. It is equally intriguing to hear Billy Graham share the prophetic word he had received in 1984. Mr. Graham’s plane was diverted to San Francisco. As they were landing, God clearly told Billy Graham that he would return to the San Francisco Bay Area and conduct one crusade in three cities; San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose. The historic 1996 National Day of Prayer event, prepared the way for God’s timing to fulfill this prophesy.

In September and October of 1997, the Billy Graham Crusade was held in all three cities. Thousands of people made commitments to Christ. Favor was evident in many arenas. The San Jose Mercury News devoted most of the front page and the entire back page to the crusade. They actually printed Brother Graham’s entire prayer of repentance. A readership of nearly 350,000 were given the opportunity to receive Christ as their Savior through the paper.

The National Day of Prayer also served as a catalyst to move pastors toward greater unity. A Steering Committee of Servant Leaders from each of the nine counties was established. Pastor’s Prayer Summits; which are two to three days dedicated to seeking God for His Church to reach the Bay Area can draw nearly 300 pastors.

In 1997 another significant piece of the puzzle was put in place. Ron Walters, General Manager of KFAX Radio, made it possible for the pastors of the San Francisco Bay Area to produce and air a weekly half hour broadcast. All three separate tracks... pastors, intercessors and lighthouses of prayer... are featured to catch the pulse of the bay and remain informed about the workings of the Holy Spirit in the Bay Area.

Today Pray South Bay, representing Santa Clara County, and the other eight counties of the Bay Area are uniquely maturing with distinct leadership, application and effectiveness. On a broader scale, Pray The Bay provides a servant leaders’ umbrella for the entire San Francisco Bay Area. A Pray The Bay Steering Committee is made up of representatives from all nine counties. Like Pray South Bay, each of the nine counties cooperates with Pray The Bay for special targeted Bay Area wide events.

The Intercessors Track
 The Biblical basis for strategic intercession is found in Ephesians 3:10-11. “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms...” Many intercessors in each of the nine counties are identified and linked together to make up the Intercessors Track. They are networked together to provide immediate prayer support for any need identified by the pastors. An historic conference for intercessors from all nine counties took place. An exhaustive guide for each of the counties provides assistance for more targeted prayer. It has been said that an intercessor legislates in the heavenlies. Moses interceded for Joshua’s battle. While Moses kept his arms lifted in prayer, Joshua prevailed. When they dropped, the battle shifted. Much of what God has established through His church in the San Francisco Bay Area can be attributed to the unselfish commitment of countless intercessors.

The Lighthouse of Prayer Track
Lighthouses of Prayer represents the third track. Many churches in the San Francisco Bay Area are in transition from endorsing Lighthouses of Prayer to actually releasing the ministry from their pews. The vision penetrated deeply into some churches which now have the goal to enlist and train every member of their congregations as Lighthouses of Prayer. How inspirational it is to see school age children become Little Lighthouses of Prayer. Every age group from junior high, high school, college age, young adult to senior citizens are each applying a unique application of Lighthouses of Prayer.

Never before in the history of the San Francisco Bay Area has there been such a large group making such a long term commitment to pray and believe God for the salvation of the general public. In John 17:23 Jesus identified the result of unity… “that the world may believe that You (the Father) has sent me (the Son). Jesus Christ is made known to the world.