The 14th annual million hour prayer movement “Do This Prayer” was held last month at the Hong Kong football stadium, which drew over 10,000 believers from throughout Hong Kong.
With the theme “Stop, Think – Prayer, Life, Positive Energy”, the organizing committee - Hong Kong Jireh Foundation and Hong Kong Campus Crusade for Christ – has placed this year's focus on youth’s saying no to drugs. The speakers for this year’s venue were Rev. Ping-Kwong Li, chairman of the Hong Kong Church Network for the Poor, and Dr. Philemon Choi, honorary director of Breakthrough Ministries.
On January 23, around 3,300 students wearing different colored wind-breakers stood in formations that spelled out the word “SAY NO TO DRUGS!”, declaring their determination to fight against drugs and their willingness to inject positive energy into the school and community.
Li shared that what Hong Kong people lack is compassion and their problem of spiritual poverty is worse than physical poverty. He encouraged the believers to pray half an hour each day; through the word of God and prayers, positive energy can be built up and the believers can live as Jesus lived in the crowd.
Choi said that this year’s theme reflects the biggest problem in people today – “Can’t Stop”, and the biggest crisis that youths face is “doing things according to how they feel.” Quoting the passage from the Book of Psalms, he encouraged, “Blessed are those whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night”, hoping that the thoughts and actions of the believers are not in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers.”
Since 1998, “Do This Prayer” movements have completed 16 one million hours of prayer. This year’s theme originated from Mrs. Fan Chan, executive director of Jireh Foundation, who has witnessed many unfortunate cases of youth drug overdoses – four youths have died from drug-related causes.
Chan said, “These unfortunate things are happening around us, so how can we only pray and not take actions?”
The Jireh Foundation has created an anti-drug handbook edited according to biblical-principles, and have brought these handbooks to over a hundred elementary schools and middle schools and delivered anti-drug messages.
[Editor's note: reporter Grace Cheung contributed to this report.]
