Dynamic Steward: What is Room 57¢
Early in my min-
istry | met Pastor Manolo Damasio. His
father-in-law, Pastor Moura, now re-
tired, was the one who, many years ago,
coined the expression Room 57. The
purpose of the room was to seek the
daily baptism of the Holy Spirit in the
early hours of the day, between 5and 7
am. From my interactions with Pr. Dam-
asio, | deepened my personal studies
about the Holy Spirit. Investing the early
hours of the day in prayer and studies
became a daily routine.
| started realizing that something was
missing in my ministry. There was a need
for me to lean more on prayer and to
develop a practical life in the Spirit, not
only theologically, but to live in a close
relationship with Him. | realized that not
having Him as an active partner was the
cause of my regular weaknesses and dis-
appointments.
DS: Why from 5to7am.?
This time of the day is highly
favorable for the development of a rela-
tionship with God.
There is a lower risk of interruptions.
That was the lifestyle of the Master him-
self while He was living among men. | have
personally experienced that dedicating the
early hours of the day is crucial to keeping
the spiritual life active and strong,
APRIL-JUNE 2023
DS: Can you explain the beginning
and growth of Room 57 as a prayer
movements
Besides practicing Room 57
in my personal life, for thirteen years, |
have encouraged my members, in all the
churches | have pastored, to develop the
habit of seeking God at dawn.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, af-
ter the annual ten days of prayer, some
members continued to gather through
Zoom, with the aim of studying the Bible
in the early hours of the day. | was asked
to coordinate these meetings, which had
a regular attendance of fifteen families. |
accepted the invitation and changed the
whole dynamic. This was the beginning
of Room 57 as it is known today. | led the
group to experience four concepts that
| have learned from the Bible and in the
Spirit of Prophecy:
Experiencing communion with God by
highlighting the role of the Holy Spirit
Demonstrating unconditional love in
our relationships with others
Growing healthy church communities
Engaging in appealing witnessing
Room 57 is broadcasted through
two online platforms: Zoom and You-
Tube. | believe that the growth of Room
57 is providential. The initial plan was to
strengthen the pastoral district, and the
Spirit of God made it possible for us to
reach thousands of people.
Our morning worship service was
available to my district during the pan-
demic, and through the sharing of the
links, it has reached more people in Brazil
and beyond. It started with fifteen fami-
lies, went on to sixty, and today reaches
a much bigger audience. Recently on
Zoom, during the live meeting, we had
1,000 hits accessed by mobile phone or
computer. For YouTube, during the peak
of the COVID-19 pandemic, we had 8,500
viewers on a permanent basis, and on a
rotation, just about 25,000 daily.
Today, after the pandemic, we have
reached 15000 families in rotating at-
tendance, whereas in permanent atten-
dance we have 6,000 every day for the
live YouTube meetings. Another indicator
of growth is the 25000 viewers who ac-
cess our YouTube videos at a later time.
DS: What happens during these
prayer meetings?
Our main goal is the daily bap-
tism of the Holy Spirit. We follow a regu-
lar, simple program but remain flexible
to the needs of our viewers and spiritual
direction.
Icebreaker, prayer
Opening hymn, with emphasis on the
Holy Spirit
Study of the Sabbath School lesson
(10 minutes)
Moment of intercession
Showing a video which narrates the vi-
sion of the valley of dry bones of Ezekiel
37. The goal is to highlight the purpose
of the meeting, for us not to lose sight
of our main focus.
Reading and meditation of the Word
Sharing of witnessing experiences
Final prayer
Fellowship time
DS: How has the prayer movement
impacted the lives of those
who attend it?
Two great changes are visible
among the participants: a deepening and
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