"The most important thing I observed was how every tribe, tongue, and race could come together in unity, love each other, and join in corporate prayer for Detroit and our nation. Being on a football field did feel like I was on the sea of glass mentioned in Revelations 4:5,6," said San Antonio resident, Daniel Murphy after he returned from the massive prayer rally held in Detroit, Michigan on November 11, 2011 and organized by Lou Engle of The Call.

Murphy joined thousands of Christians from around the country to fast and pray for America, and he definitely sees this as a significant “end times” event. “My experience there was truly miraculous. We prayed for 24 hours without stopping that abortion would end… racial walls would break down… adoption among Christians would increase… gangs would be dissolved… murder and violence would cease… our leaders in Washington would fear the Lord… all Americans would have a face to face encounter with the Lord… churches would put aside their programs and return to the Lord’s house becoming a house of prayer… America would experience a third Great Awakening.” Murphy sees Detroit as a representation of Nineveh and believes that if God can rescue a desperate city like Detroit, then any city in America can change.

He is among many Christians who believe the world is in the midst of what is referred to as “end times,” but has elected to face these days with hope, praise, and prayer. Others have faced the challenges of our time with service and founding new ministries. God works daily through his people to accomplish big things.

The Christian Beacon staff would like to pay special attention to a few of those powerful moments from 2011 when Christians stepped forward to make a difference. Unfortunately, not all can be recognized from the thousands, but hopefully these stories will encourage others.

Nine-year-old Natasha Leininger of Boerne loves God, reading, and Africa. Though her family works regularly for the Haiti Children’s Mission, Natasha felt called to help the children of Uganda and that is exactly what she did by raising $25,000 to fund a new school.

She was inspired by Austin Gutwein, a teen who began a basketball free throw campaign to raise money for orphans with AIDS in Africa. From this beginning, Natasha planned a reading marathon. Between donations for number of pages read and business sponsorships, Natasha raised the money for the school and helped to encourage reading amongst her peers.

As the year ends with increased tension between Iraq and Iran, stories from the various battlefields continue to grip American hearts. In September, Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer stood before television cameras as the lone survivor of a team ambushed in Kunar Province, Afghanistan.

Meyer told Fox News, “I’m definitely not a hero. That was the farthest thing from the truth.” His heart breaks because of the comrades who did not return with him, but it was not for lack of trying. “He drove into the center of an ambush rescuing Afghan troops and providing cover so U.S. troops could escape. The record shows that dozens of people, U.S. and Afghan, now owe their lives to his actions. He kept returning in the line of fire over and over again in search of his comrades, but only to eventually find them all dead.

Ron Brown knew that when his Nebraska football players took the field against Penn State on Saturday, November 12 that it would not be an ordinary football game. The Penn State team was rocked to its core the week before as scandal surged through the coaching staff when assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was charged with multiple counts of child abuse. Brown, an assistant coach for Nebraska, believed the situation called for prayer at a secular football game like never before. The sold out stadium sat in silence as Brown lead both teams in prayer at the beginning of the game. It was a moment when the Holy Spirit moved across international broadcasting airwaves, and suddenly, all talk of church and state did not matter.

“For such a time as this,” has become a meaningful verse from the book of Esther for Christians living through times that appear to match Scripturally with end times prophecy. As the body of Christ, together Christians can make a huge difference and bring hope to what otherwise seem to be depressing headlines. The Christian Beacon will bring these stories whenever possible throughout 2012!