Pastor Jonathan Oloyede is a man with a sincere heart for people and a passion for prayer. Formerly a Muslim, he was born in the UK, grew up in Nigeria yet returned here after graduating from medical school. Following his conversion to Christianity, he gave up his profession to answer the call of full time ministry.
As an associate pastor for London's Glory House church, he has been instrumental in many outreach programmes which includes founding Global Day of Prayer London. Jonathan (as he prefers to be called) possesses a God-given mandate to champion prayer, understanding it as a crucial tool and believing in its’ unparalleled power to create positive change.
Maya: Tell me a bit about how your journey began…
Jonathan: When I was a Muslim, I prayed to Allah every day. I was searching and wanted him to talk to me, but it never happened. My queries always met a pre-packaged response that Allah hears our prayers and decides which he chooses to answer. At university, I met people who told me about Jesus, but I argued with them about Christian doctrine. They invited me to church but I never went until eventually one day I decide to go. As I walked in, I got a revelation deep down in my spirit; I just knew this was what I’d been looking for. It was very impacting and that same night I gave my heart to Jesus, but told Him I’d make Him my God on one condition: that He speak to me every day, and He said 'deal'!
Maya: Did Islam, which requires followers to pray five times a day, give you your zeal for prayer?
Jonathan: I’d always been searching for God and believe He put the desire to pray in my heart, not Islam. Becoming a devout Muslim came from a drive to know God, but I didn’t find it in there. I’ve always loved to pray, but for me it’s more than a religious expression or duty, it’s fellowship. I really want to know God and my ultimate dream in life, if God permits me the opportunity, is to see Jesus, sit down and talk with him face to face before I die and go to heaven!
Maya: So how did the vision for the Global Day of Prayer London - a nationally-recognised prayer event - come about?
Jonathan: The Lord began speaking to me about this nation a long time ago. He said “You’re not here by accident but by divine design, to prepare my people for the return of Christ.” God told me to drop my agenda and then revealed He wanted me to be a catalyst for prayer. I began having visions; in one I saw a stadium filled with Christians praying. I set up local weekly prayer meetings about seven years ago and only recently God released me to develop it at this level. In 2006, He instructed me to call the UK leaders together and present the vision He’d given me; they were all very supportive and wanted to be involved. GDoP already existed, operating throughout Africa, and God directed me to develop the prayer event under its banner, so that’s how the UK branch was established.
Maya: Tell me about how the prayer points are decided upon?
Jonathan: The three things we centre GDoP London on are prayer, unity and transformation. They are the foundation of the programme, as well as structuring it around The Lord’s Prayer. We also deal with issues affecting our city; this year we focused on the killings as a result of gun and knife crime. We also pray for government and people in need throughout the world, like those suffering in Burma. In principle we want our prayers not to be Heretical, but practical. It’s also about encouraging Christians to become part of the answer.
Maya: In 2007 you established a 24/7 prayer chain throughout the year, tell me a bit more about this…
Jonathan: What God has put on my heart is a movement of prayer. Right from the beginning it’s been about more than just a day but instead is ongoing. I challenged Christians to continue in prayer, and we have not stopped, so every hour of every day is covered - for the nation as well as for the Capital. We call it the ‘Canopy of Prayer’; the UK is a lost nation and needs it!
Maya: Are there any testimonies that have come as a result?
Jonathan: There are so many! One young man came to GDoP last year; he was deeply into gang culture, but met Jesus and is now in church. Also, a lot of people feel that because of unceasing prayer the 7/7 perpetrators have been caught and further planned bombings were prevented. Reliable sources at The Metropolitan Police tell me crime rates are falling in London, even though organised crime is up, so now we want to focus on that and we believe our prayers will be answered. We do not take credit, but all this is evidence that the prayers of the saints are effective.
Maya: In your letter to UK leaders, you stated prayer is a key pillar of spiritual life. Why do you think it is so important?
Jonathan: A way I like to illustrate is through the story of Mary and Martha. Mary sat with Jesus while her sister Martha was in the kitchen busy cooking. But you need to be with Jesus to know what He wants, don’t just presume, I always encourage people to do things with The Lord not just for the Him. He’s your friend and wants to talk to us about every area of our lives. Also, prayer is not just a duty, it builds relationship. The more we commune with God, the more we’ll enjoy life.
Maya: What practical tips can you give people to improve their prayer life?
Jonathan: We live in a very busy and pressurised world so first we all need to create space to be quiet; away from friends, family, college, work, TV and so on. Schedule it in to your diary. Lock yourself in the bathroom or go for a walk if necessary, just take time in the day to reflect and then release all your burdens. It’s healthy to distress and express yourself. Talk to God and tell Him how you feel. If you can’t do it alone, find a prayer partner to can help you. Reading Psalms and Proverbs is also a really good place to start.
Maya: One focus of GDoP is the youth and issues affecting them. What is your message to the upcoming next generation?
Jonathan: Be closer to Jesus than to anyone or anything! Let the volume of His voice be louder than the volume of circumstances or other people’s voices. Firstly be Christ-centred, and in discovering Him, you’ll discover yourself. Also, understand the balanced Gospel: There is a price as well as a prize. Furthermore I’d say you have the capacity to change your world, so arise and shine, as Jesus said. Stand up and step forward for God. My challenge is to pursue the greatness of God in them through a relationship with Jesus.
