Manlius United Methodist Church

Can prayer move mountains? In Leipzig, people proved that it can.
At St. Nicholas Church, about ten people gathered on Monday, September 20, 1982, at 5:00 p.m. to pray. This small group continued to pray week after week, month after month, and year after year.
As time went on, more people joined this prayer meeting, called Friedensgebet, meaning “Prayer for Peace.”
Seven years later, on September 4, 1989, people who had finished the prayer meeting gathered outside the church and began to demonstrate, even though the authorities restricted public gatherings. Then, on Monday, October 9, 1989, about 70,000 people marched peacefully through Leipzig.
One month later, the Berlin Wall fell.
While I was attending Sunday worship at St. Nicholas Church, the pastor announced that the Monday evening Prayer for Peace still continues today. I wished I could attend, but I had to leave Leipzig on Monday morning for Erfurt. But I lit the candle and prayed for our churches and communities where peace is needed.
Still, I left Leipzig with this powerful reminder: prayer may begin with only a few people, but when it is faithful, persistent, and Spirit-filled, God can use it to move mountains.