Pastor Joel Engel, renowned for his intense dedication to intercession, is mobilizing pastors from all regions of Brazil to initiate the 24/7 prayer movement in every state across the country. 

The goal is to establish a continuous 24-hour prayer cycle, every day of the week, interceding for the Brazilian nation.

Engel explains that the structure of this movement involves leaders coordinating weekly prayer shifts, changing every hour to ensure constant and uninterrupted vigilance.

24/7 Prayer: a Practice Rooted in the Bible

Joel Engel explains that the concept of this movement is based on the biblical history of David’s Tabernacle.

“David’s Tabernacle was so significant that it was prophesied in the Bible, both in the Old and New Covenants. It had great relevance in worship and encouragement from the God of Israel. God wanted to change and teach His model of worship, so He used David to establish what we call the ‘Four Levels of Worship.’ In Moses’ Tabernacle, only the high priest could minister before the Ark once a year because there was a veil separating that area from others. But in David’s Tabernacle, everyone could minister before the Ark to worship the Lord continuously,” Engel explains.

The pastor continues, “We are close to one of the greatest manifestations of God in our time, the restoration of David’s Tabernacle. God’s call for us, His Church, in these last days, is to enter into such a deep level of maturity that we plan to give Him praise and spirit 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, just as in the days of King David. This understanding will equip the House of God with ‘worship teams’ that, like in the days of King David, will provide the Lord with continuous stimulation, minute by minute, hour by hour, every day of the week.”

Engel recalls that this movement has spread worldwide. “In the mid-2000s, there were only a few dozen 24/7 prayer watchtowers in action. In less than ten years, that number grew to a few thousand. The goal of these 24-hour prayer sentinels is to place intercessors on the walls, to mobilize churches, regions, and nations to worship God, praise, and intercede day and night,” the pastor added.

In a practical way, how to apply this vision in local churches? The pastor gives the following suggestion: “The ideal is to raise thousands of churches to establish 24-hour prayer sentinels in their communities. One way to start realizing this project is to have a local congregation pray for 24 hours, initially, at least once a week. This period can be systematically extended. Another way is by encouraging churches to start 24/7 prayer rooms to interceed for their communities, towns, cities, and countries, literally uninterrupted.”

Fireball: The Beginning of the Movement

The 24/7 prayer movement led by Joel Engel has deep roots in events that marked the spiritual history of Brazil. On May 12, 1987, there was a vision of a fireball crossing the skies of a city called Faxinal do Soturno, in Rio Grande do Sul State, Southern Brazil. The result was 52 people baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire. Since then, 24/7 prayers have been going on at the Mount of Worship, a watchtower that was the precursor of more than 200 Houses of Prayer in Brazil.

Joel Engel shares his experiences during this transformative period:

“I was still living in the city of Cachoeira do Sul and was going through a rough patch in my ministry. I had given up everything to serve the Lord: businesses, possessions, comfort, and all the things a successful secular life could offer. Once a week, on Thursdays, I would go to Faxinal do Soturno to preach. But, for a long time, only a few people attended the meetings. One day I had a vision of a fireball coming exactly over the Mount, forming a tunnel that ended where my prayer cabin is today. A bright light descended from above, like thousands of small stars, turning into liquid and shiny gold, painting the city that rose like the New Jerusalem,” he recounted.

The pastor recalls that a woman called Ermínia greeted him and introduced Joel to everyone, saying they had come for a special meeting and prayer. “Who gathered that crowd?” he asked. “Ermínia told me all those people had dreamed with Jesus telling them to go to that house where His servant would be, on that specific day and time, to pray for healings. When I started preaching, demons manifested, leaving people. There were healings, miracles, and after that day, the news spread, attracting buses filled with people from surrounding cities straight to Ermínia’s house. Thousands were healed, and the crowd kept growing.”

Despite the healings, none of them had received the Holy Spirit until the night of May 12, around 9 PM. Pastor Engel was praying and recording a message about the new anointing when he suddenly had an experience where he was “caught up.”

“I was speaking in tongues and feeling labor pains while interceding for the period of Pentecost. At that moment, the Holy Spirit came upon 52 people, and they all began speaking in other tongues,” he recounted. “They were the first to receive the Holy Spirit. When I arrived on Thursday, everyone was speaking at the same time, but not in Portuguese. They were drunk with the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues and saying they all saw a fireball over the city. I understood then that a Pentecost-like move had happened, just as in the days of the apostles.”

That fireball seen during Pentecost that year marked the Engel Ministry before and after.

“God chose Faxinal do Soturno to be a holy city, born with labor pains, where the prayer warriors from our David’s Tabernacle were to be born. It was the cradle of revival in Southern Brazil, which spread to the rest of the country and other nations. To this day, that city is different for having had the privilege of the Holy Spirit descending so strongly, so visibly. Being on that mount is powerful; the Holy Spirit descended like fire and continues to visit us to this day,” said Engel.

He concluded, “37 years later, we are still witnessing the baptism with the Holy Spirit. This anointing is real and unique!”