What God Is Speaking To Us For 2025

Something New Is Being Birthed in Eastern North Carolina

Dear Ministry Partner,

For the last 22 years, I’ve helped host extended times of worship, prayer, and ministry in God’s presence. A passion for His presence has also awakened a passion for His purposes. The Bible promises the unity & maturity of the Church and that the Gospel will spread to the ends of the earth so that the incense of prayer and praise to Jesus would rise ”in every place” (Malachi 1:11). This is the dream that burns in my heart.

Along with that overarching vision of a global worship, prayer & missions movement, God is simultaneously emphasizing His dreams for my region in eastern North Carolina. Over the last year or so, God has spoken clearly to me and my wife Shepard about birthing some fresh expressions of ministry here, and I think “birthing” is the right word. We don’t know all the details about the baby, but we feel the intensity growing in our spiritual wombs.

Many of the details are still unfolding. However, I can share what God has spoken thus far and invite you to go on this journey of discovery with us into this next season. Here’s what we’re sensing from the Lord:

1. On April 6, 1975, Derek Prince prophesied of a revival — the “eastern North Carolina phenomenon” — that would eclipse the Welsch revival. This April is the 50-year anniversary of that prophecy. We feel led to host a Phenomenon Conference on April 4-5 to stoke the flames of revival and prayer in the region.

2. God has spoken to us about planting a new church and making disciples of Jesus, beginning with a small “seed group” in our home. I sense that Sunday, April 6 (the 50th anniversary of the Derek Prince word) may be an important celebratory moment — a “baby shower” if you will — for this new church community God is inviting us to birth.

3. God wants us to build toward day and night worship and prayer. He has called us to host extended space for the region to minister to the Lord and cry out for revival. For now, this will be a “mobile worship room” with monthly events starting on New Year's Eve. We have also received numerous prophetic words about a physical venue coming to us in the future that we can use as a ministry base. A facility would enable us to host more frequent rhythms of prayer.

4. God is leading us to build a deeper relationship with missions ministries to provide an outlet for mobilizing global missions from our region.

5. God is leading Shepard to continue facilitating the Rooted homeschool co-op in western Pitt County.

6. This is all local/regional ministry work in addition to the ongoing leadership of Presence Pioneers Media to publish books, podcasts, and online media resources for the praying Church.

I am actively seeking counsel, praying, and fasting about how these various assignments should be stewarded. Each one of these tasks is a massive endeavor, but God is speaking clearly about each one. I desire to give myself fully to this work and see how God leads our family as we take steps of faith.

Presence Pioneers has an urgent need for an additional $24,000 (or $2000/month) for the upcoming year to help us move forward with strength. Can you take a step of faith with us to journey in partnership into this new season?

To give, simply visit fundprayer.com or mail a check to Presence Pioneers, PO Box 170, Farmville, NC. Thank you for your prayers and generosity!

Sincerely,

Matthew Lilley
President, Presence Pioneers