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Focus

72 Hours of Prayer for the USA: 15–18 May

Intention

To see the Church increase its celebration of the day of Pentecost.

Scripture

“… they returned to Jerusalem… When they arrived, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying… When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying.”

– Acts 1:12–13; 2:1–3

Reflection

My kids love to celebrate, and having tangible experiences is very important to them.

Recently, after the Passover/Easter season, they asked me: “What’s the next big thing coming up?”

Christmas — the birth of Christ. Easter — the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Often churches put a great emphasis on these. And, for good reason.

But what about Pentecost?

God is a genius. He wisely gave Israel a set of seven holy days to make tangible his goodness in providing for individuals, families and the entire nation. Passover commemorated the night God’s judgement passed over the homes of the Hebrews in Egypt, sparing them and setting their liberation in motion (Leviticus 23:5). Firstfruits and Pentecost celebrated the barley and wheat harvests, which provided the nation with their “daily bread” (Leviticus 23:9–22; Matthew 6:11).

Even more amazingly, God built his redemptive plan into the calendar. Passover pointed to the Passover lamb on the cross (1 Corinthians 5:7). Firstfruits pointed to the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20). Pentecost pointed to the Spirit. God was never improvising — he was always on time.

Luke was a careful theologian and wordsmith. He recorded Jesus commanding the disciples “not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise” (Acts 1:4). Then, in Acts 2:1 we read, “When the day of Pentecost had arrived…”. This is no incidental detail.

Firstfruits and Pentecost are inseparably tied. Jesus himself made clear he needed to be resurrected before the Spirit could be given (John 7:39) and that it was better that he was leaving earth, “because if I don’t go away the Counsellor will not come to you” (John 16:7). Peter thundered this truth home when he preached, “God has raised this Jesus; we are all witnesses of this. Therefore… he has poured out what you both see and hear” (Acts 2:32–33). They are a sequential, glorious package deal.

The thought of celebrating Firstfruits but not Pentecost makes about as much sense as celebrating the cross without the empty tomb. You need the whole story.

Imagine if the Church celebrated Pentecost with the same fervour as Christmas and Easter — gathering, praying, expectant for a fresh outpouring of the Spirit. Christmas and Easter have been incorporated into the wider cultural calendar — even those with little Christian faith know these days matter. But Pentecost? It barely registers, even in many churches. Yet without the Spirit poured out at Pentecost, the Church has no power for the mission Jesus left us.

We celebrate the gift of the Son at Christmas. We celebrate the Son giving his life for us at Easter. Shouldn’t we celebrate the gift of the Spirit with equal fervour?

No one is commanded to observe Pentecost (Romans 14:5–6) — but why wouldn’t we want to? The Canberra Declaration, alongside many others, is calling the Church to reclaim and revive Pentecost. This Pentecost, don’t just mark it on the calendar — celebrate it. Gather with your church. Pray for a fresh outpouring of the Spirit. Thank God that the same Spirit who fell in that upper room lives in you.

Find creative, tangible ways of remembering this pivotal day, so that when our children (and our churches) have celebrated Easter, we’ll have a definitive answer to this question: “What’s the next big thing coming up?”

Our answer might just change the world. After all, “turning the world upside down” (Acts 17:6) was certainly God’s intent when sending the Spirit at Pentecost — and his intent hasn’t changed.

Video

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

We pray for a Pentecost revival in the Church, so that we will celebrate the Spirit’s empowerment for the mission you’ve given as fervently as other seasons of your wonderful redemptive plan.

Move in the Australian Church to make the period between Easter and Pentecost an intensified season of prayer and evangelism each year. We pray for creativity and innovation in joyfully teaching and celebrating this day, not because we have to, but because we want to.

We pray this in the name of Jesus, through whom the Spirit was poured out on that momentous day of Pentecost. Amen.

Author Bio

Samuel lives with his wife and three young children in South Australia. He is fascinated by the impact of worldview and enjoys exploring how Christian faith relates to every area of life. An emerging writer and journalist, he has a background in the biological and geological sciences, ministry, and theology.

Prayer Points for Five4Five 2026

1. Five people to trust in Christ and to share the gospel with those five in May. Matthew 28:19–20

2. Repentance, revival and reformation in Australia and for millions to believe in Jesus Christ. Luke 24:47

3. A Church that grows in extravagant love for God and people. 2 Corinthians 5:14–15

We invite you to support this campaign to multiply prayer in Australia for revival and see millions come to faith in Christ. Every donation to the Canberra Declaration helps us promote prayer and make a stand for family, faith, freedom, life, and the good news of God’s love through Jesus Christ.

Join us for 72 hours of continuous prayer for spiritual awakening in the USA and Australia on Zoom:

DATES: Friday, 15 May to Monday, 18 May

BEGINNING TIME: 12 pm AEST on Friday; 11:30 am ACST; 10 am AWST

ENDING TIME: 12 pm AEST on Monday; 11:30 am ACST; 10 am AWST

ZOOM URL LINK: zoom.us/j/776881184

ZOOM TUTORIAL: youtube.com/watch?v=pAMDxH_H_Cs

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