At 9:15 PM on Saturday night, someone came banging on our shutters.
About twenty of us were packed into our prayer room when the commotion started. I stepped outside to find a young man passed out in front of our door. Another had crawled into our signs and was vomiting. The night club next door had just finished a massive event, and their young workers—most only 18 years old—were scattered along the sidewalk. Some were standing in a huddle supporting one another from falling over. Others sat leaning on the rail that ran along the street. All of them were feeling the effects of all the alcohol they'd consumed to hype up the crowd.
For the next two hours, we prayed for and shared the gospel with about fifteen of these kids. One told me proudly he attended a Christian university.
“I studied about John Wesley, and St. Augustine,” he said.
"That's great," I said as we sat on the rail in front of our prayer room, "but that doesn't mean much if you don't know Jesus."
He shifted uncomfortably as I continued, "Do you think it's a coincidence that you all ended up right here in front of our prayer room? God is real. He knows you and loves you, and he put you and me right here so we could talk."
This was our last night in the Shibuya Prayer Room. It was exactly what we had envisioned in our heart for this week: the overflow of our time with the Father out to the streets, and into the lives of those who are hungry and searching.
An Invitation
September 1-7, the Lord opened doors for us to establish a prayer room right in the center of Shibuya Center Gai. Pastors and missionaries asked how we secured such a prime street-level location. The answer: The Lord did it.
Opening this prayer room was one of the easiest, most joyful things Kumi and I have ever done in ministry. For us it was a confirmation of how we're called to move in this season.
In the weeks leading up to the opening, I wrestled with whether I should push harder to organize participation. I could call pastor friends, apply gentle pressure, help people take action. But I knew this wasn’t about getting as many people together as possible or filling up all the slots for prayer around the clock. What we really wanted was for God to come, and that’s not something I can make happen. As one friend beautifully put it: "We don't make the waves, we ride them."
This was our offering to the Lord. We created a space for people to meet with God. We invited people to come. And we invited Him to meet with us.
And He came.
A Week of His Presence
The presence of the Lord filled that room all week long. I know that many who participated had never experienced His presence to that degree. Again and again, people who spent an hour in the room said the same thing: "It went by so fast! I don't want to leave!"
The numbers tell part of the story: 90 unique participants (from 17 nations!), with 20-40 people in the prayer room each day. Over half of them were people Kumi and I had never met before. Friends came from overseas and across Tokyo to help set up, maintain, and clean up. No one was overly burdened (though I did put a couple guys to work pulling weeds the first day!)
From start to finish, the Holy Spirit put all the pieces together in a beautiful way.
The Outflow
On our final Sunday, we finished our time together with the shutters open. I was amazed at how many people stopped to ask what we were doing and listen as we shared about Jesus. I sensed that this was the result of our week in His presence: people were being drawn in..
Now we're looking for a permanent space. I'm convinced the Lord wants us there—front and center, right in the middle of Center Gai. He'll have to do it, but we're ready to move with Him as He opens the door.
Thank you for standing with us in what God is calling us into here in Tokyo. More to come soon! We love you and pray for you.
-J