Meet Operation P.R.A.Y.

The Story Behind Operation P.R.A.Y.

How a simple "Need Prayer" sign sparked a movement across California campuses.​

 

Street Level Prayer Began With Jesus

Jesus said, “He who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also… If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” (John 14:12–14)

 

This is the foundation of Operation P.R.A.Y. — simple, bold, Spirit‑led prayer offered right where people are.

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Where It Started

Street‑level prayer in our generation began with Shawn Heggi in Redlands, California.

He stood in a dirt lot across from a hospital with an A‑frame sign that read:

 

“Need Prayer?”

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People came. God moved.

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His story inspired Todd Volker, author of Street Level Prayer, who felt the Holy Spirit prompt him to begin praying in a vacant lot across from a hospital in Corona, California. He later moved his prayer booth to a farmer’s market in Fullerton, where thousands received prayer and many gave their lives to Jesus.

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A Dream That Changed Everything

Four years later, Judi Kenney had a vivid dream:

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She was holding a Need Prayer? sign in front of her local high school.

 

She wrote it down.

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She waited.

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She prayed.

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God placed a burden on her heart to pray for three high schools, three days a week, for thirty minutes a day. Soon after, God confirmed the dream through multiple moments — including a friend recommending Volker’s book and connecting her with two seasoned prayer partners, Don Decker and Darleen Padilla.

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Together, they bought a Need Prayer? banner, set up a small canopy, and began praying with students at three local high schools.

In just a few months, the team expanded and prayed for hundreds of students. The needs were deep. The stories were many. And the call became clear.

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The Birth of Operation P.R.A.Y.

The growing movement sparked a God‑sized vision:

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Prayer teams near every California public high school —1,297 campuses.

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Operation P.R.A.Y. was born from that dream, that burden, and that obedience.

This is the same street‑level prayer Jesus modeled:

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meeting people where they are, offering love, and inviting the Holy Spirit to move.

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It is our privilege to partner with God to show students the Way through prayer.

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Our Heart

We believe students are hungry for hope, truth, and the presence of Jesus.

We believe prayer opens doors no one else can open.

And we believe God is raising up believers — just like you — to stand in the gap for this generation.