50 Day Fight is uniting people and igniting powerful prayers in anticipation for the Tuesday, Nov. 3 election. The campaign is a call to action which launched Sept. 14 and continues to build through election day. It originated in Florida, with pastors from both sides of Tampa Bay actively engaged.
Today, there are no boundaries as organizers encourage people and pastors from anywhere in the world to join them.
“We are at a critical juncture in this country,” said Daniel Bernard, founder and lead organizer of 50 Day Fight and president and co-founder of Somebody Cares Tampa Bay. “Our goal is to inspire prayer nationwide that will grow organically and go viral.”
Through a website, streaming prayer and word of mouth, 50 Day Fight has reached more than 1 million people, based on hits at www.50DayFight.com. On a daily basis, there are more than 2,000 people praying together through the livestream.
The campaign has a two-fold purpose: to pray for candidates who will uphold biblical principles and to intercede for a transformation of the Church, Bernard said.
The campaign is crossing denominational, racial and socioeconomic lines.
At 11 a.m. ET Monday through Friday, prayer warriors gather via the livestream. On Saturday and Sunday, the campaign collectively prays at 5 p.m. ET. Each day, a well-known minister opens the event. The guest ministers have included Star Parker, Steve Hawthorne, Summer Ingram, Judge Vance Day, Bishop E.W. Jackson and congressional candidate in Florida, Anna Paulina Luna.
Online and in person
Pastors are encouraged to join the campaign by organizing collective prayers at their churches or in public spaces. As an example of how the movement is growing organically, Rock Church in San Diego, California has organized more than 132 churches to pray together in public areas.
“This would be great to replicate,” Bernard said, noting there are no formulas for taking part—just hearts to pray for the election and for the direction of America. Rather than tout the campaign, the founders are encouraging people to be part of any number of prayer walks, gatherings and meetings taking place in recognition of the upcoming election.
Organizers highlight two historic prayers to help inspire today’s Christians, one by George Washington and the other by Martin Luther King, Jr.
King’s prayer reads: “O God, in these turbulent days when fear and doubt are mounting high, give us broad visions, penetrating eyes and power of endurance. … O God, have mercy upon us. Forgive us for what we could have been but failed to be. Give us the intelligence to know your will. Give us the courage to do your will. Give us the devotion to love your will. In the name and spirit of Jesus, we pray.”
The campaign encourages people to let the past be the past go and to press into the future, to be committed to the proclamation and demonstration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
“The church has been an enterprise of pushing our budgets, our buildings and our stuff to the detriment of our communities,” Bernard said. “The bottom line is that we have abnegated our position of authority and responsibility in our communities, and the result is the hurting and angry people in our streets.
“We thought the Christian life meant the good life and not the cross life,” he added.
Add a Movie Screening
At 7 p.m. Thursday, October 8, “The Trump Prophecy: A Voice of Hope—a Movement of Prayer” will again be seen in theaters—and streaming on the 50 Day Fight site. The movie depicts a man who heard God tell him about America, Israel and the world. It’s a story of prayer and hope that reminds viewers of the privilege and blessings Americans enjoy as “One Nation Under God.”
A “prayer party” will follow the screening, with Rick Eldridge, executive producer of The Trump Prophecy and chief executive officer and producer of ReelWorks Studios; Mary Colbert, author of The Trump Prophecy; and Bernard as special guests. Prayer will begin at 10 p.m. ET and CT and at midnight for MT and PT. {eoa}
