The (52)

DAY FIFTEEN:
VERSES:
and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,  that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead....(Philippians 3:9-11)
PRAYER:

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BLESSED ARE YOU LORD GOD, KING OF THE UNIVERSE, FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS, ALL LIFE, ALL LIBERTY, ALL GOODNESS FLOWS. YOU ARE WORTHY OF ALL PRAISE, ADORATION REVERENCE AND AWE. YOU ARE MAJESTIC AS YOU REIGN, SOVEREIGN AS YOU RULE, RIGHTEOUS AS YOU ARE ALWAYS RIGHT, HOLY AS YOUR NATURE IS. LET ALL THE PEOPLE SAY AMEN AND GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, FOR HIS LOVE NEVER ENDS, LET ALL THE PEOPLE SAY AMEN.

BLESS THE LORD, OH MY SOUL AND ALL THAT IS WITHIN ME, BLESS YOUR HOLY NAME. BLESS YOU FOR ALL YOUR BENEFITS HAVE ACCRUED TO ME, THROUGH THE LOVE, SACRIFICE, FINISHED WORK AND BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST, CREATOR OF ALL THINGS....FOR WHOM ALL THINGS WERE CREATED FOR AND BY HIM. MAY I NOT JUST BE FOUND IN HIM, DAILY, IF ACCUSED OF BEING A CHRISTIAN, BUT MAY THE EVIDENCE BE SO OVERWHELMING THAT THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF JESUS CHRIST IS EMBEDDED IN THE VERY FIBER OF MY BEING, AND ALL WHO ARE CALLED BY YOUR NAME, THAT THOSE WHO ARE ACCUSE US OF FOLLOWING THE WAY OF YAHWEH, WOULD SAY "HE IS ONE OF THEM...OR SHE IS ONE OF THEM"....THEM BEING - FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT, BLESSED TRINITY! OH HALLELUJAH, GLORY TO THE LAMB OF GOD, PRAISE YOUR GREAT NAME!

FATHER GOD, LET THIS LIFE OF CHRIST, FREELY GIVEN LIKE LIVING WATER TO ALL WHO ASK, SO RICHLY DWELL IN ME THAT IT WOULD BE OBVIOUS IT CAME NOT FROM ME, FROM IN ME OR FROM NOTHING ANY OF US HAVE DONE, BUT CAME DIRECTLY FROM THE FAITH YOU IN YOUR LOVE, COMPASSION, MERCY AND LONG SUFFERING GAVE TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US. LORD, YOU CALLED FOR US NOT TO BE CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD, BUT TO BE MORPHED, TRANSFORMED, CHANGED TO THE LIKENESS OF IMAGO DEI - THE IMAGE OF GOD, IN WHOSE FASHION YOU FIRST CREATED MAN, THROUGH THE FIRST MAN WHO SINNED, ADAM. THE SECOND AND FINAL ADAM- YAHWEH, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST - NEVER SINNED BUT SUFFERED FOR ALL SIN OF ALL MANKIND FOR ALL TIME.

HE HAS CALLED US TO THAT SAME WITNESS AND THEREFORE SUFFERING IN ORDER THAT WE MAY BE HIS DISCIPLES. MAY WE TAKE UP THE DAILY CROSS AND CRUCIFY OUR BENT AND NATURE TO FOLLOW AFTER THIS WORLD, EVEN IF WE KNOW BETTER, BUT AS WE RISE DAILY, MAY WE PUT TO DEATH THAT TENDENCY TO SIN, TO PERVERT, TO STRAY AND DISTRACT AND MAY WE THEN, THROUGH THE SACRIFICIAL LOVE WE SHOW TO OTHERS AND MORE IMPORTANTLY TO YOU, IN ALL WE SAY DO AND THINK, BE A REFLECTION OF THE SURRENDER AND OBEDIENCE WHICH YOU EXPECT FROM THOSE OF US, WHO ARE COMPLETELY COMMITTED TO YOU.

FATHER, IT IS ONLY BY THE ACT OF BEING A MARTYR, METAPHORICALLY SPEAKING, BEING A MARTYR AND NOT AN INDULGER OF THE CORRUPT THINGS OF THIS SOON-PERISHING WORLD, WOULD BE BE FOUND WORTHY OF OUR POSITIONAL SALVATION IN YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT TRUTH, THAT KNOWLEDGE AND THE DYNAMIC POWER TO EXECUTE YOUR COMMAND AND EXPECTATIONS IN OUR MOMENT BY MOMENT LIVING. WE LOVE YOU, WE PRAISE YOU, WE WORSHIP AND ADORE YOU, THROUGH CHRIST YOUR SON AND KING, AMEN.

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DAYS 1-11 ARE HERE

DAY TWELVE:
VERSE:
As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him....(1 John 2:27)
PRAYER:
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Most gracious, kind merciful Heavenly Father, Who gives all things to all all people, we thank You for the special"chrisma" (gift of anointing) You have given Your anointed and those upon whom You have placed a special calling to reach, teach, preach and outreach to a lost and dying world. These are those who are truly called by Your Name, those who have been reborn and brought into the Kingdom of Your Son. 
Because You have given us Your Spirit, we cannot be deceived by the god of this world and even if distracted, we shall soon learn the errors of our ways. There are some things which bible colleges, Sunday School teachers and preachers cannot teach and that is how to listen to You, how to respond to You and how to obey the promptings and directions which Your Holy Spirit, Who is our true friend in the Faith imparts and inputes into us. He infuses more oil and blessing daily from our first calling on our lives and the Truth can only be found in Him.
 
So most compassionate, gracious and long-suffering God, we lift up on this special day of recognition of Your anointing on the lives of your true followers, those who take this Word across the globe. We lift up Your missionaries who abide and rest more on You for their moment by moment nourishment, guidance, protection and direction than the rest of us. Lord, not only are Your true missionaries, i.e., those whom You have actually sent out to dangerous and seemingly unproductive lands, not only are they solely dependent on You, but sometimes they lose courage in the face of evil persecution as seen with Your servants the Burnhams when Martin was killed by islamic guerrillas in the Philippines in 2002. Lord as the flesh told Gracia, his dear wife to see revenge, Your Grace and Your Love encouraged her to show love, mercy and compassion. Because of that, she "learned to fly again" and won many more souls to Christ, a testimony for us not to give up and even in the pain and suffering in her own family, to see the bigger picture of the Love You have, which put Christ on the Cross.

Father, we also pray for those of us who are missionaries in our own "Jerusalem"- namely outside our own front doors. May we never tire of the hard work that it is to reach on and teach and care for the lost when their hearts are so hard and they literally hate You, while professing to love and know You at Christmas and Easter time. Father, we pray for those of us that we persevere, never give in, never give up and in fact live up to the standards and the call with which You have have called. We do this because Your Call is True, Your Word is True, Your Love is True and Your Promises are Yes and Amen....and we believe it, because of Jesus Christ, our soon coming Lord and Savior, in His Name, amen.
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PTAP: Taken Captive by the Devil

For many believers, churches, denominations, and missions organizations prayer has been lost. The Apostle Paul says: "Pray without ceasing," or "Pray continually," or "Never stop praying."

The devil has been taking people captive to do his will (2 Timothy 2:26) since the fall of man. The land and kingdoms of this earth are controlled by him (Matthew 4:8-9). As we think about advancing the Kingdom of God we know that there is a fight between two kingdoms. There are places in the Arabian Peninsula that have been controlled for years by the devil. Pray that the land of the AP will be freed from the devil and his control. Pray that the hearts of Gulf Muslims would be freed from the hardness the devil places there, especially the hardness against knowing Jesus the Son of God and the full truths about Jesus. Pray for a growing movement among people who will seek Jesus to advance His great name in families, villages, towns and cities across the AP. The devil has been in control too long, we are seeking the God of all creation to have a great victory in the AP.

A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people's hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil's trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants. 2 Timothy 2:24-26

Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. "I will give it all to you," he said, "if you will kneel down and worship me." 

Matthew 4:8-9

What did Jesus respond? "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" Matthew 4:10

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Fire in the Night In Your City


“Your city is God’s city. The people are made in His image. Satan is an invader and a usurper operating in our territory. God did not give demons authority over your city. Demons have infested the earth’s atmosphere since before the creation of mankind, but they can only extend their authority into a town or an institution when people sin. When you look into the history of your city, you will find clues as to what is oppressing the people today. This is our planet, and the only authority Satan has is stolen human authority.” 


Buildings were set ablaze, businesses were looted, cars were torched, and gunshots were fired. There was fire in the night! Police and violent protesters were all over the main street. Anger and emotions were high. The situation was tense as agitators and violent protestors forced police to fire tear gas. This all happened recently in Ferguson, Missouri in the U.S., but it can happen anywhere. Violence is increasing in cities all over the world.

This rise of crime touches us deeply because we desperately want to see peace in our cities. In the above quote, John Dawson emphasizes the fact that this is our planet and that our cities belongs to God. We have authority in prayer to protect and change the atmosphere of our city, but we must learn to fervently pray in faith with watchful eyes. The Greek words used for “to guard” are “gregoreuo” and “agrupneo,” which both mean to be awake or sleepless. This implies protection.

We need to be God’s watchmen day and night on the lookout for danger in our cities. 

The Night Watch

"I will allow no sleep to my eyes, no slumber to my eyelids, till I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling place of the Mighty One of Jacob" (Psalm 132:4). 

At the same time as violence increases worldwide, God is raising up prayer in churches and cities, and he is also raising up the Night Watch. Many will rise up to this call and embrace the lifestyle of the Night Watch. Here at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City (IHOPKC Prayer Room), there are many who love to pray in the middle of the night. It especially appeals to the youth and is called Fire in the Night. The Holy Spirit is stirring the hearts of a community of people worldwide who will pray and contend for the mercy and power of God in the night season (Joel 1:13). 

They will be vigilant and watchful. 

The Fire in the Night Watchmen at IHOP make a lifestyle change. They actually rearrange their lives in order to intercede through the night hours. They train their bodies to adjust to a new time schedule in eating and sleeping. They are intercessors, singers, and musicians who believe that they will see the Lord's victory in the night. We can most effectively do works of justice in the context of night and day prayer. We desperately need God's justice in our cities. The atmosphere of God's presence and fire in the night opens the way for justice and the harvest of souls.

"And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly" 
(Luke 18:7-8).

Psalm 134 speaks of those in the night watch. This is critical to the divine strategy of God in order to see transformation in our cities. So many evil things happen in the night—murder, theft, immorality, and witchcraft. Light can invade the darkness through prayer and worship. We receive the blessing that the Lord promises those who minister in His house through the night.

“Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD who minister in the house of the LORD. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD. May the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion” (Psalm 134).

As we look at what took place in Ferguson, there is an urgency of the hour to pray for our cities. The present emphasis on prayer makes day and night prayer a possibility in this generation. The commitment of a rising group of young people to be God’s night watchmen should stimulate each one of us to give ourselves to prayer. Let’s seek to be people who learn to pray not only in the day but also in the night. "On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night" (Psalm 63:6).

As more of God’s people pray and bless the Lord at night, the spiritual atmosphere changes in the city. His fire is released in the night!       

How to Pray for Your City

"I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day and all night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth" (Isaiah 62:6-7).

The following are some ways you can bring authoritative intercession for your city into your prayer life:

  • Cover your city with continuous praise and worship - God gives you His heart for your city through worship and a positive attitude. Instead of complaining and reacting toward the sin in your city, praise God for the good things. Satan is already an accuser, so praising God and declaring by faith the eternal purpose and dream of God over your city brings in His presence and defeats the enemy.

  • Wait on the Lord for insight - Don’t depend on your own wisdom, but listen to God with childlike dependence. God will open your eyes as to what He wants to do in your city when you set aside your own agenda and wait upon Him. The Lord will give you His strategies for reaching and blessing your city. 

  • Identify with the sins of the city - We can all identify with the roots of any sin in our city. The potential is in each one of us. We need to identify in personal and corporate repentance. Nehemiah identified with the sins in his city and prayed: I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you” (Nehemiah 1:6-7).

  • Overcome evil with good - Come in the opposite spirit. If there is a lot of violence, demonstrate the spirit of peace. If your city is full of greed, demonstrate generosity. If there is hate, live a life of love. This will give you great victory in your city.

  • Travail over your city - Just as a pregnant woman travails to give birth to a child, you birth God’s dream in your city through travail (John 16:21). You must pray until something happens; this takes dedication and perseverance. This has everything to do with faith for your city and revival. The Apostle Paul is an excellent example (2 Corinthians 11:27-28).

A few years ago we were praying day and night in southern Spain. I remember a particularly weary time of prayer early in the morning while it was still dark, and I was feeling very alone in the prayer room. God reminded me of when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane and His disciples fell asleep. He had asked them to watch with Him. In the same way, I felt like the Lord was quietly and tenderly speaking to me, saying:

"Will you not watch with me one hour? Will you not watch and pray here in the dark for the land and the salvation of souls?"

I realized at that moment that I needed to say "yes" to the Lord. He is looking for those who will stand watch even when it is not easy. He is looking for those with an intense desire to see His peace and presence in their city. We have two possibilities before us. We can either release God's holy fire in the night or the enemy will release fires of sin and destruction in our cities. Will you be God’s watchman at such an important hour, even when others are sleeping? 

Will you release His fire in the night through pray until He brings deliverance to your city?  

A Prayer for Your City

Dear Lord, change the atmosphere of our city through our prayers. Help us to guard our city as watchmen. Our city belongs to You [Name your city.] Teach us to continually cover it with praise and worship day and night. We long to release Your fire in the night season. Give us insight into how to pray for our city and how to take action in love as we wait on You. Teach us the secret of travailing prayer. Give us great faith for peace and revival for our city. We will pray until Your deliverance comes. We choose to give ourselves no rest (Isaiah 62:6-7). We praise You for You are mighty and powerful, and You can do all things. We choose to remember Your name in the night. We praise You for what You are going to do in our city as we pray and reach out to the lost. In Jesus’ name, amen.

"I have [earnestly] remembered Your name, O Lord, in the night, and I have observed Your law" (Psalm 119:55).

Intercessors Arise

 Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
International House of Prayer (IHOP) KC Staff
deb@intercessorsarise.org

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DAYS 1-17 ARE HERE

DAY EIGHTEEN:
VERSES:
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge...(Psalm 18:2)
PRAYER:

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Most Heavenly and Holy Father, on Christ the Solid Rock I stand, ALL other ground is sinking sand. You are the Almighty, the Lord of Heaven's Armies, the Creator of All Things, the Upholder of the Universe, the Sustainer of All, the Provider, Protector and Standard of Your people! Through You, all was created by and for You and You rule over all. You uphold the righteous, You hug the loveless, You reach out to the hopeless, You guide the careless, You discipline the reckless and You grant favor to the penniless.

You reward those who bless You and pray for Your people. But You turn Your Holy Face against the hard of heart and those who reject You. You sent down fire and brimstone to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. You destroyed Pharaoh's army in the Red Sea.  You wiped out the ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom and gave them to the Assyrians. Today, perversion and corruption reigns as the followers of evolution have denied the Creator and worship the creation (Romans 1:22-25). You have given then the ultimate pre-Judgment - You gave them over to themselves. The righteous see them rampaging through and destroying our family structure, the unborn and the great institutions You ordained with no brakes and no check in sight. But this is just for a time. They have a future eternity to think of and regret all of this.

But You oh God, are my deliverer. You sent Your Son the Savior to set the captives free, to deliver us from all evil. While we are set upon, beat up, pressed down, oppressed and spat upon by the lost, from the outhouse to the fanciest house, You stand there for us. You stand in the Gap as our Shield and Buckler. Your guardian angels protect us daily, even in our temporary folly.  Because You are unshakeable...because You always existed and there is none like You...because You are God before the foundation of the earth....because You are sinless, pure, holy, and good and because You see the beginning from the end, You are more than a fortress. You are a bulwark. You are to Whom we run when we seek refuge and comfort. You are to Whom we raise up our hopes and hands because You are the Fountain of Righteousness and Source of All Power! Words cannot describe You. You scoff at the scoffing pagans and heathens of this world as they shake their puny fists like Nimrod did and You can remove them by a single word. Yet You stay Your hand not wanting that any should perish. You are a merciful as well as powerful God and we love You. We worship and adore You. We magnify Your Powerful Name, Oh Lord of Heaven's Armies Who shall one day return to rule the earth, and it is in Jesus' Strong Name I pray, amen.

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DAY 7/31 DAYS OF PRAYER TO BEGIN 2015

VERSE: Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus...(Romans 8:1)

PRAYER:
HEAVENLY FATHER, HERE WE STOOD, ACCUSED BY THE ACCUSER OF THE BRETHREN, FOUND GUILTY BY THE GOD OF HEAVEN AND DESTINED FOR DARKNESS FOREVER MORE, BUT YOU, YOU OH GOD, FATHER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH, STOOD IN THE GAP BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE, AND PAID THE ULTIMATE COST, AS THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE POURED HIMSELF OUT FROM THE THRONE, THE ETERNAL THRONE TO BECOME A MAN.

THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT THAT ABBA FATHER, WHICH WE COULD NEVER COMPREHEND, AT LEAST ON THIS SIDE OF HEAVEN- THE VERY FACT THAT HE WHO HELD THE WORLD ON ITS FOOTINGS, WHO SPOKE THE UNIVERSE INTO CREATION, WHO FORMED ADAM FROM THE DUST AND WALKED WITH ENOCH, ABRAHAM AND MOSES - HE WOULD BE BORN UNDER THE SAME LAW HE GAVE US, THEN LIVE WITH PURPOSE AND CLARITY UNDER IT, WHILE NOT VIOLATING ONE JOT OR TITTLE OF IT. WHAT MANNER OF GOD IS HE, THE ANCIENT OF DAYS, OH MERCIFUL FATHER? WHO IS THIS KING OF GLORY, THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY? 

AND NOW,  BECAUSE HE GAVE HIS LIFE FREELY FOR OUR SAKE, FOR MY SAKE, I WORSHIP HIM IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH, FOR THIS IS WHAT THE FATHER IS LOOKING FOR IN THESE LAST DAYS. I ACCEPT THE FORGIVENESS HE OFFERS ME. I ACCEPT THE REMOVAL OF THE CHARGE OF GUILTY AND THE SENTENCE OF ETERNAL DEATH.  I ACCEPT THE REMOVAL OF ALL MY GUILTY STAINS AND SINS THAT ARE NOW AS FAR AS THE EAST IS FROM THE WEST. I NOT ONLY FREE ACCEPT THE OFFER OF THAT FORGIVENESS BUT RECEIVE IT INTO MY SPIRIT, KNOWING YOU HAVE REMOVED ME FROM THE MAJORITY OF THE CONDEMNED, YOU HAVE TAKEN ME FROM THE DOMINION OF DARKNESS INTO THE MARVELOUS LIGHT OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. THIS IS NOT JUST A PIPE DREAM OR A PROMISE YOU HAVE MADE, HEAVENLY FATHER, BUT A REALITY I LIVE RIGHT NOW, THAT WE WHO ARE CALLED BY YOUR NAME AND HAVE BEEN ADOPTED AS SONS AND DAUGHTERS ARE CURRENTLY INTEGRATED INTO!

AT THE POINT OF CONVERSION, OH GOD, YOU TOOK US FROM THE PIT INTO THE ETERNAL REALM THAT WE MAY EXPERIENCE KINGDOM LIVING, KINGDOM AUTHORITY AND KINGDOM BLESSINGS, NOT IN THE FUTURE, BUT RIGHT NOW. I LIVE IN THIS MOMENT, KNOWING THAT MY CURRENT LIFE IS BUT A PHYSICAL BREATH AWAY FROM THE REALITY OF MY ALREADY ESTABLISHED RESIDENCE AND GUARANTEED HOME IN THE ETERNAL WITH THE ANCIENT OF DAYS. THANK YOU FOR REDEEMING MY SOUL, FOR RESCUING YOUR SERVANT AND FOR RESTORING THROUGH YOUR SALVATION, SANCTIFICATION AND SOVEREIGN WILL. OH WHAT A GLORIOUS THING TO REST IN YOU, RELY IN YOU AND RESIDE IN YOUR PRESENCE, KNOWING THERE IS NO MORE CONDEMNATION FROM US WHO WERE BOUGHT AT THE CROSS, IN THE MIGHTY NAME OF THE KING OF GLORY – JESUS CHRIST, AMEN.
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DAY SEVENTEEN:
VERSES:
Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken....(Psalm 55:22)
PRAYER:

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Heavenly Father, in You alone do I both my trust and faith as the Leader and Lord of my life. Father You have been there for me all the time, even when I walked away from You countless times and did not follow Your precepts and statutes. You called me into the Kingdom of Your marvelous Light, but yet in my disobedience, many times I preferred to walk in darkness. In those times oh Lord, You were still with me, You never leaved me or forsake me because You had Your calling on my life as You do with all whom You have called out of the Egypt of despair, into the Promised Land of Eternal Destiny and Joy.

When there is adversity, You are there. When there is trouble and despair, You are there. When there is doubt. You are there. When there is fear and trembling, You are there. When there is persecution and hate against Your people, You are there. Where there is no vision or hope, You are there.

You sustain the world by the Word of Your Mouth. You speak life and hope into the atmosphere and the people rejoice. You shake the Heavens and let the snow and hail fly, in times of war and battle such as now, and Your remnant stand in amazement. The world does not know You, the religious and the rulers issue documents and like Nimrod claim man's authority over the Climate You created and still control. They and their modern day scribes and pharisees claim precedence over Your Word and rewrite the code of civilization and family which You have ordained. They blaspheme You by bowing down to other useless and worthless idols who can never create a child, or explain the crops of the field or the birds of the air, and they pay more respect and honor to non-existent idols and prophets You never sent or ordained.

But You will never allow Your righteous, Your true elect to whom You have positioned as the saved, to those whom You have made righteous and now are blameless as those bought under the Precious Blood of the Most Righteous One, Whose Body was never abandoned to sheol but went down and knocked over the gates of hell and told death Who had won the Victory! O death, where is thy sting now! Thank You Jesus for defeating death and for now sitting on the Right Hand of the Sovereign One and Satan, you, evil one, have no authority, no claim, no right, no open door, no nothing on the Called ones- the Christian made right by God - because Jesus has defeated you.  Be gone, and get thee behind me and all who are Christ's.


Because Jesus Christ is my Lord, and the Lord of the millions and millions of this world, whom He has saved, we can lay our burdens at His Feet. Because He is Our Shepherd, we shall want no good thing, and no good thing means being apart from the greed and desires of this world. Because He is my Savior, we cast ALL our cares upon Him, for in the end, what it is all said and done, He cares for me and it is in the strong and mighty Name of Jesus I believe that promise, stand on that precept and follow that Good Protector and Provider and Proconsul, the Lord of Heavens' Armies, amen and amen - from now until the end of time and my days, amen.

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DAYS 1-15 FOUND HERE

DAY SIXTEEN:
VERSES:
The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want (Psalm 23:1)

PRAYER

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O most Merciful, Compassionate and Holy God, Your Name is Wonderful. Your Name is too Wonderful and being in Your Presence is too awe-inspiring to behold. I thank you for this new day of mercies, compassion and love because of Your Great Faithfulness, they never cease as You give rest and renewal to Your beloved in our sleep.

Oh Good Shepherd, we are in so grateful that You lead us, care for us, rescue us, nourish, guide and direct us. Your supernatural instincts is that none should perish, that none should be lost, that none should fall into a trap set by the foxes of this world. But Your pre-determined plan was, is and will always be for us to follow You, to stay out of the thicket of sin and to dwell in the green pastures You have ordained for Your elect, Your people.

We live in times where every one does what is right in their own eyes. We are surrounded by the false doctrine of the gods and the lost of this world who say that all religions, all systems no matter how vile, violent or void of any sort of human decency, love and mercy, those people, from the top of most so-called religious to the rulers of this world, say these things lead to You. And they are correct, these systems dreamed up by man do lead to You. They have an appointment before the Holy High Priest of Heaven and His Great White Throne when all the books are open and Judgment begins. 

But yea, though Your people are persecuted, have their churches and villages burned and their children beheaded or sold into slavery, yea, do they and too many oppressed in their spirit - those who are captives all over to world, to sin, self and satan...yea though they walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, may they fear no evil. Because by the hook of Your Shepherd's rod, we know You doth pull us out of the pit. We know that Thy Rod and Thy Staff comfort the broken-hearted; keeps the temporarily blind and disobedient from falling into a trap and keeps us moving in the direction we should go.

Thank You, heavenly Father, for Your Amazing Plan to send the Good Shepherd Jesus, for His Work, while finished on the Cross for the Salvation of the World, continues even now as He intercedes and advocates our case minute by minute before Thy Throne, since we are His flock. Father, thank You with all our hearts, that the Great Lamb of God, sacrificed and sent to us, is now the Great Shepherd of His little lambs. I would rather be one of His Sheep, following my Master, resting in the Truth of His leadership of my life, than a king or a rich man in this dirty dying world of sinful death. The Lord, He is my Shepherd, and I will never want any other, or any other thing. In that promise, I abide in my leader, and am thus, able to need nothing else, but Jesus and it is in His Name I pray, amen. Oh thank You, most Gracious God, thank You. Amen.

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DAY 6/31 DAYS OF PRAYER TO BEGIN 2015

JOIN IN HERE DAILY: #31 DAYS OF PRAYER

VERSE:

But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.  He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked....(1 John 2:5-6)

PRAYER:


Oh Most Holy and Heavenly Father, I think You that Your Word, Oh God, is written in the Heavens. I thank You that Your Word is Truth. I thank You that Your Words will never fade or pass away and therefore, because You keep Your Word, I pledge to do my part and keep Your Word hidden in my heart and shown through my actions and deeds, that Christ lives within me. 

Lord, may Your Holy Spirit, the Spirit of all Truth, Wisdom and Understand Who keeps me permanently connected to the Eternal, fortify my will to keep Your Word of Truth firmly embedded, to keep it from shame and slander, to keep it from dishonor and degradation and to keep and guard it as jealously as You guard Your Holy Name. Your Love commands, compels and gives me confidence in Your Word to remain faithful to it, to obey it and dwell on it as our Savior did. Your Word says in Hebrews 5:7 that our Savior's prayers, cries and petitions were heard because of His piety, obedience and submission to Your Will and Yours alone.


Let us now walk in that Truth, in the Path of Persistent Obedience where He, the Lord Jesus, walked that we may too be found in Him, to the praise and glory of His Name. By this Truth we know we are His, in Him, in His Will and walking in His Ways. Lord we long to be like Jesus, and to live, walk, talk and rest in You as He did and may ALL our worship be Yours and His, throughout our lives, in the Strong and Mighty Name of King Jesus I pray, amen.

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LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION

Why did Jesus teach us to pray, “Lead us not into temptation.” Does God ever lead us into temptation? Doesn’t our fleshly nature and the devil lead us into temptation?
I cannot answer every question this raises. But I do have some thoughts on it.
God does not tempt us. James 1:13 makes that clear. But God does sometimes lead us into situations where we will be tempted. Being tempted does not necessarily mean you are not following God’s leadership in your life. Matthew 4:1 says Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. God did not tempt. He even sent angels to comfort Jesus. But God did lead Him into the desert. God arranged for me to be born in a part of the world where I will face temptations people born say in the upper Amazon will never know, though they face different temptations. Someone who has never seen a TV will not be tempted to watch TV too late at night. People living where there are no roads will not be tempted to break the speed limit.
An example of praying not to be led into temptation. Is found in Proverbs 30:1-9. In verse 2 the writer says he is ignorant and does not understand. This is a good beginning for prayer. In verses 5 and 6 he establishes that scripture is true whether we understand it or not. Finally in verses 7-9 he asks for two things. 1. That lies and falsehood be kept far away from him. And 2. That he would have neither riches or poverty so he would not be tempted.
These last verses give us some perspective here. Would you like to win the lottery? Have you ever prayed for such a thing? With wealth would come many temptations. Can you imagine a teenage girl praying that she would attract an older popular boy? It is hard for her not to desire such things some of the time.
In fact we will face temptations in life no matter how we pray. But this section of the Lord’s prayer sets our hearts in the right direction. I know I will face temptations. But I only want to face them because I am following God for His purposes. Even then I need to see that temptations are dangerous. I don’t want to face them because I desire the things of the world.
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WATCHING IN PRAYER 2

  Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. [1]

 

Psalm 37:4 is a particular treasure for every believer. Have you discovered wonders as you have thought about this verse this week? I would like to hear what you discovered. Last week I focused on choosing to delight. Now I want you to see that this verse calls us to delight in the Lord Himself.

DELIGHT IN THE PERSON OF THE LORD.

We ought to rejoice in His majesty. We should rejoice in His mighty power. We should rejoice in His holiness. We should rejoice in His wonderful Grace. You have sung God Is So Good, haven’t you? He is good and gracious and lovely and majestic. He is wonderful!

DELIGHT IN THE PURPOSE OF THE LORD.

Have you ever thought what a great privilege it is for God to reveal His will to you? You may say, “But I do not know God’s will for my life.” You do not know all of it. But you know something that is God’s will for you. And as you obey what He has already shown you, He will show you more.

DELIGHT IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD.

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, God dwells in your life. What is more, when we gather together as believers He is present in our fellowship. Can you imagine how the disciples felt when Jesus first appeared to them? They were locked in the upper room for fear of the authorities who had crucified Jesus when the Lord appeared in their midst. He is with us when we gather as believers. And the Holy Spirit dwelling in you ministers to me, and visa-versa. We celebrate together in His glorious presence!”

 

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[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (Ps 37:4). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

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What do all of these Christian Leaders – from different denominations, cultures, continents, and ages– have in common on Oct. 6th? They are praying for the peace of Jerusalem that day. Are YOU?

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The annual Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem is the largest Israel focused Christian prayer movement in history. Global participation, for October 6th, has strongly been endorsed by over 1300 Christian Ministry Leaders. International and well respected ministry leaders such as: Dr. Paul Cedar of Mission America Coalition, Pastor Samuel Rodriguez, President of National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, Kay Arthur of Precept Ministries International, Ron Luce of Teen Mania Ministries, T.D. Jakes - Bishop/Chief Pastor of The Potter's House, John Bornschein – Vice Chairman of The National Day of Prayer Task Force, Indian born Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias, Christian author and speaker Joyce Meyer, author and speaker Doug Stringer- Founder/CEO of Somebody Cares International, First Nations Leader Dr. Negiel Bigpond, and K.P. Yohannan, who has brought the Good News of Christ to millions in South Asia over the last three decades.

Their unit9651012668?profile=originaled call is for ALL believers to fulfill The Lord’s mandate in Psalm 122:6, to pray for God’s peace, blessing, and love to Jews, Arabs and Christians alike in God’s Holy City – Jerusalem.

As a strong supporter of God’s covenant purposes with Israel, Dr. Raleigh Washington - President and CEO of Promise Keepers - states: “Every Christian must reach out to the Jewish Community, bless them and pray for the peace of Jerusalem.”

 

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According to Dave Butts, Chairman of America's National Prayer Committee:

"There is no more urgent call to the whole body of Christ than the Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem. This prayer movement blends the dynamic of tomorrow's headlines with the imperative of praying God's Word back to Him."

 

9651012483?profile=originalIn an interview with Eagles’ Wings, Pastor Samuel Rodriguez - President of National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference - said:

“More than ever, we are in an Anti- Semitic wave, emerging not only on college & university campuses, but also in many public arenas and different governmental settings around the world. It’s aiming again at Jerusalem and the Jewish people. The Firewall against Anti -Semitism in the 21st century, IS the body of Christ… the Church of Jesus Christ…”

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 Jane Hansen Hoyt, the International President of Aglow International - a global, trans-denominational Christian organization established in 166 nations on 6 continents - explains:

Never has it been as critical as it is now that we stand in the gap for the nation of Israel and its people. The biblical mandate to ‘pray for the peace of Jerusalem’ must take on greater priority in our lives as we watch the intensity of warfare increase, both in the natural and spiritual realms, over God’s end-time purposes for His people – Israel and the body of Christ."

Joel C. Rosenberg – popular Christian author of the Last Jihad series and9651012890?profile=original founder of The Joshua Fund – shares:

 

"As the Iranian nuclear threat grows, and leaders throughout the epicenter threaten the Jewish State with annihilation, now is the time for followers of Jesus Christ to bless Israel and pray faithfully for the peace of Jerusalem."

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Rev. Phil Miglioratti - National Pastors' Prayer Network says:
 
"Many of us have ignored God’s call to pray for this globally strategic city. May this Day of Prayer be God’s way of focusing our attention for a Christ awakening in all sectors of Jerusalem."
 
 
9651014071?profile=originalDr. Dick Eastman - International President for Every Home for Christ - shared:

 

"The call to prayer for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6-8) is one of the great appeals for prayer with promises, in all the Bible. To pray daily as such demonstrates our love for God’s chosen people and with that, according to verse six, comes “security” (NIV) and prosperity (NLT). Personally I consider my daily time of prayer incomplete if I haven’t specifically prayed for the peace of Jerusalem."
 
 

Co-founded in 2002 by Dr. Robert Stearns, (CEO & founder of Eagles’ Wings) and Dr. Jack9651012677?profile=original Hayford (Chancellor of The Kings University) the annual Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem is on the first Sunday of every October and now has churches participating from over 175 nations, including those “underground” churches in China and seven Muslim nations. An offering is also collected to help all in need – both Jew and Arab – in Israel.

 

Churches can download FREE Resources , sign the prayer resolution, and register your church to participate on October 6th.

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WHAT HAS GOD ALREADY TOLD YOU?

In the beginnings of a year we often make plans for what we will do and where we wish to go in a year or a lifetime. But our own plans will not do. We need God’s plans. He alone knows the way of significance for your life. Last week I wrote to you about listening to God. This week I want to talk to you about obeying what God has told you.

It is foolish to ask God to reveal His plans to you, when you are showing yourself to be a poor manager of what He has already shown you. When you need a personal word from God, ask Him to remind you of what He has already told you. You may need God to change your heart or give you the courage and ability to obey what He has already shown you.

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Will you reply? God has a job to do in Jerusalem and He is looking for those who will do it with Him.

What was necessary, in the natural, during Old Testament times is still necessary in the spirit today, IF we are to see God’s purposes and plans prevail in Jerusalem, the “city of The Great King” – Jesus. (Psalm 48:2 and Matthew 5:35)

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“I have posted watchmen on your walls O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call upon the Lord, give yourselves no rest and give HIM no rest till He establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.” Isa. 62: 6

In this Isaiah 62 verse, God says He has placed “Watchmen” on the walls of Jerusalem. This Old Testament term “Watchmen” refers to the guards, sentries, or “look outs” who watched over their cities, staying alert to either enemy invasion or to friendly messengers. The important thing to note is that the Watchmen’s job, was to guard and protect the city and its inhabitants, from the enemy’s schemes, and they did so continuously – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.    

Does this city need watchmen today for God’s purposes? YES – by all means!

Today, we are seeing the actual fulfillment of prophecy from Zechariah 12:2 which says that Jerusalem is becoming a “cup of trembling” or as NIV reads “a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples [i.e., the 22 Arab nations around Israel] reeling”. Just read the headlines and listen to the world news and you will see this exemplified by the actions of the UN and the European Union. All the nations are beginning to turn against Jerusalem, just as the Prophet Zechariah forewarned. (Zech.12: 1 – 4; Zech. 14:12; Ezek. 38:16)

It is not just a battle over land as political leaders say, it is not just a battle between the Israeli9651012082?profile=original Government and the Palestinian Authority, it is not just a battle between the Israel Defense Forces and the Terrorist groups of Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, or between the Democratic values of Israel and the Theocratic beliefs of the surrounding Arab nations! It is ultimately a battle over WHO will be worshipped on that Holy Hill…Jesus, the King of the Jews, the Savior of Christians, or Allah- the god of Islam?

This spiritual battle is happening in this city because Jerusalem is THE very place where Jesus will return one day. Do we know when this will happen? NO, but we know exactly WHERE it will happen. Jesus is not returning to New York City…nor Tokyo or Colorado Springs. No – Zechariah 14:3 and Micah 4:1, 2 tell us that when Jesus returns, His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is a very literal place, in the very real city, of Jerusalem today.

God wants “Watchmen” on the walls of Jerusalem today because Jerusalem IS the center of The End Time Battle between good and evil, between the One True God and all of the false ones so prevalent on the earth today. You can be part of His Watchmen Army through the global Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem on October 6th. Join today!

This is Part III of a Five Part Series. Be sure to read Part I and Part II.

                   

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No, He commanded you to!

In Isaiah 62:6, The Lord is commanding us to give God and ourselves, no rest, until “He establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.”

9651009698?profile=originalTo whom is God speaking? The verse says that He is speaking to “You Who Call Upon The Lord.”

 

 Have you called upon the Lord for salvation? Have you called upon Him for healing, for loved ones, or for a broken marriage? If the answer is yes, then God is talking to You and to Me.

 

Other Bible versions translate that same phrase as: “You who make mention,” which even today, is a Hebrew business term describing the duty of a secretary, to remind her boss, what he has on his agenda for that day. As The Lord’s co-laborers and servants in our generation, we too are exhorted to remind God of what He has said He will do …to “make mention” of His promises and declarations to Jerusalem, that haven’t come to pass yet. It’s not that God forgets, but rather, He wants us to co-labor with Him, His Word, His Eternal Timeline, and His heart for Jerusalem.


God has only attached His Holy Name to two groups of people; the Church and the Jewish people (Deut.28: 10 and Numbers 6:27). Paul calls the Jews the root of Christianity in Romans 11, and Christians are called the “branches that were grafted in” through Jesus.

 

Has God not supernaturally ordered events to protect His Holy Land and His Holy City Jerusalem? Has He not revealed His Faithfulness to fulfill His Word and His promises to her?

  • “There is no nation in history that was twice destroyed."9651011857?profile=original
  • "Jerusalem - Israel’s capital and religious center - was twice destroyed."
  • "The people en masse were twice taken captive off the land."
  • "The last captivity was for 1900 years."
  • "The language was all but extinct."

"So for this nation to be reborn and have the same capital [the same language and the same religion] has to be seen as Supernatural” …the Sovereign act of God!" ( “Israel -The Blessing or the Curse” by John McTernan & Bill Koenig, pg. 48)

 

So what are commanded to do?

In this Isaiah 62:6 passage, God is telling us to pray: to pray day and night…to pray without ceasing…to pray without sides… and to pray from God’s perspective, not man’s.

 

We are called to sta9651010877?profile=originalnd in the gap and to pray for His Kingdom to come and His will to be done, on earth in Jerusalem - the spiritual center of the world – where the future Kingdom of God and the redemption of all mankind rests.


And we are to stand in that gap until He makes Jerusalem the praise in all the earth.


And when will that be? It is when all that God has planned and purposed for His Land, for His Covenant people, both Jewish and Christian, as well as for all the nations, come to pass through Jerusalem. It is THEN that “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the GLORY of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” (Hab. 2:14)


Let's begin now. Join millions of Christians around the world - October 6th - on The Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem.

 This is the last of a Five Part Series. Be sure to read Part I, Part II, Part III, and Part IV.

 

 

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While you and I can often become distracted with the “important” and the “urgent” of the present, we serve a God Who sees “the end from the beginning.” While you and I worship Him as “Father,” The Lord calls Himself “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” When He blesses us, He also brings an inheritance of blessings to our children and grandchildren, “to a thousand generations”. (Deuteronomy 7:9) In fact, God cares so much about the generations, that He has filled Scripture with repeated instructions about the importance of teaching our children His heart, His wisdom, and His Ways. Scripture is also filled with many admonitions and consequences if we don’t.

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Knowing God’s heart for the generations and for Jerusalem, The Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem team has developed wonderful resources to teach young people of every age why and how to pray for God’s Beloved City. What’s even more exciting is that all of these educational resources – which include lesson plans, songs, crafts, and even a video for teens – are absolutely FREE as downloads from our Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem webpage: DPPJ for Kids.

Simply go to our DPPJ website, click onto “All Ages” from the Menu along the top, and then click onto DPPJ for Kids. As you scroll down, you will find a variety of lesson plans, crafts, songs, etc., from which you can choose. Materials are categorized for children 3 – 5 years, 6 – 12 years, as well as Jr. /Sr. High students – ages 13 to 18. These equipping resources can be used by parents and teachers for Sunday School, Youth Group, Christian School, and for Home School.

ARE YOUR KIDS IN COLLEGE?

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 We have resources specifically designed for their age category as well! Just click onto the “DPPJ on Campus” option under the same “All Ages” Menu tab at the top of our Homepage. These resources are not only FREE but have also been tested by young adults on many college campuses around the country. These materials have proven themselves as highly effective tools to educate and equip Christian university students who face the most aggressive anti-Israel and anti-Christian rhetoric and indoctrination of any age group today.

 

9651010275?profile=originalChristian children and young adults have the very same Holy Spirit in them as adult believers, and God expects us to train them to cooperate with His Holy Spirit in the disciplines and the ministry of the Kingdom. Teaching a child to pray cannot be just intellectual, but must also be experiential if it is to be transformational in their lives. Plan to include EVERY GENERATION in your family and church fellowship on October 6th as you pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Download these FREE Resources today!

 Resources for Ages 3 - 19: DPPJ for Kids

Resources for College Students: DPPJ on Campus

 The more we can increase the active participation and partnership with children and young people in the work of The Kingdom, the better we serve them and the stronger The Church will be.

 

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God is looking for those believers who will pray HIS will, for the people and the places that He has on both His heart and His Eternal Timeline… and Jerusalem is on both!

9651009698?profile=originalThere is a part that we, God’s earthly Representatives, must play, in the kingdom of God, if we are to fulfill our destiny in this generation. Do you want to see what God has already established in heaven, fully manifest here on earth?

The Lord has already proclaimed in His Eternal Word, what He will do in this strategic city called Jerusalem. Can God accomplish these things without us? Of course He can, He’s God! But for the purposes of training The Bride to co-rule and reign with Christ, God chooses to co-labor with His Church. Intercession is one of the Lord’s great training methods, as John Wesley once said: “God will do nothing but in answer to prayer.”    

                   

Does God want to fulfill His Word to Jerusalem NOW?

God has not given us a specific date, but He has given us signs that would indicate He is ready to move.

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1. Jesus said in Matt. 23:39 that He would not return UNLESS and UNTIL the very people that had once rejected Him would welcome Him back as King Messiah saying “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” For them to welcome Him back, the Jewish people have to be in God’s land where Jesus lived and ministered. The Bible repeatedly tells us that although the Jewish people were scattered by God throughout the nations, that “there would be a day” when He would re-gather them into the land of their ancestors never to be uprooted again. This spiritually historic event happened in 1948 when God brought “beauty out of the ashes” of the Holocaust and Israel not only became a nation, but supernaturally survived the immediate attack of five Arab countries.

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2. Jerusalem too would have to be restored as the capital of the Jewish people, just as Zechariah prophesied, rather than be controlled by Islamic invaders. This incredibly significant event has also already happened - in 1967 - when Israel MIRACUOUSLY won Jerusalem BACK in a defensive battle against the Arab nations, making it the first time since 606BC that Jerusalem was once again the capital of an independent Israel.

God still has other plans for this land and its people, many of which are being fulfilled before our very eyes and others which have yet to happen (see Romans 11). But in order for these things to take place, significant revelation will have to take place not only in the minds and hearts of Jewish people, but also in the minds 9651010663?profile=originaland hearts of Christians as well. The sad fact is that Christian nations have historically been the source of persecution for Jewish people throughout the last 2000 years.

Many atrocities have been done to them in the name of Jesus that was NOT of God. We now have the opportunity, through The Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem, to reveal the true nature of the One we worship and serve – Jesus – Who wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41) and Jesus Who Ever Intercedes! (Rom. 8:34)

Wanted: Watchmen – those who hear His voice, know His Word, and know His heart for His Holy City and ALL who live there - Arab, Christian, and Jew. Join millions of Watchmen on October 6th for The Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem.

 

This is Part IV of a Five Part Series. Be sure to read Part I, Part II, and Part III

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God has commanded…Have you obeyed?

 

My question to us in this Five Part Series is simply this:

Does the verse Isaiah 62:6 apply to you and me today? And if our answer is “Yes”….then what are we called to do about it? And if not… why not?

 

9651009297?profile=originalIsaiah 62: 6: “I have posted watchmen on your walls O Jerusalem; they
will never be silent day or night. You who call upon the Lord, give yourselves
no rest and give Him no rest till He establishes Jerusalem and makes her the
praise of the earth.”

Because this verse is from the Old Testament, some might argue that this Isaiah passage about Jerusalem is not as pertinent to their Christian walk today as a verse from the New Testament.                        

 

So for now, let’s consider this important point in our discussion: Is the Old Testament written for us today?

 

First, the Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Tim 3:16 that, “ALL Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” Most of us know this verse well, but did you know that Paul wrote it in 66 or 67 AD, before the New Testament was fully written or circulated in 100 AD. Therefore, let me submit to you that Paul (the former Jewish Pharisee) would definitely have included this verse, from The Old Testament, in his definition of “all Scripture.” Do we reject all pre-Matthew Scriptures as the Word of God? No, of course not! It would not be sound doctrine if we did not have a unified understanding of the Bible, which includes both the Old and New Testament.

 

Jesus Really Was Jewish!

Let us remember that until about 135 AD, the entire early church was primarily made up of9651010670?profile=original Jews. They followed the Jewish Rabbi Jesus! They believed in a Jewish Messiah, who attended a Jewish synagogue, who honored the Jewish festivals and Shabbat, and who accepted the Jewish Sacred writings. Was this an accident, or the Divine choice and purpose of God? God chose to act and speak to the world through His Son Jesus, who lived like a Jew, worshipped like a Jew, and whose words, actions, and teachings were in accordance with the Jewish culture, law, and traditions. Jesus said He had not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill them. (Matt.5:17)

 

God is talking to us about something very real and very relevant for our Christian lives TODAY, even though it is written in the Old Testament. In fact, many verses in the Old Testament are key reasons why millions of Christians in over 175 nations, participate in The Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem each year on the first Sunday of every October.

Now that we have settled the "IF" question regarding this Old Testament verse, next time we'll look at the "WHERE" question - i.e., Jerusalem.

 

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When we were first approached by a young Christian mom with a vision in early April with the possibility of bringing the national prayer movement - God Belongs in My City (GBIMC), we were rightly inspired and gung-ho about the opportunity to participate in a growing national/worldwide movement which had its roots in a New York City subway! GBIMC sprung from the hearts of a youth group who happened to see a poster in the NYC subway system from 

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American Atheists which said “A Million New Yorkers Are Good without God. Are You?" They went back and reported this to their senior church leadership and were so moved that an idea was birthed. This was in October 2009. One month later, youth from all five NYC boroughs began what is now the God Belongs in My City prayer walk through Manhattan. It has since spread like wildfire to Canada, Switzerland, Africa, Puerto Rico and last year over 30 cities in America alone! 

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Sarah, Sam, Vicki Lutchman


Last Saturday August 24, 
GBIMC came to the capitol city of Illinois - Springfield and had a solid impact on the Spiritual life of this wheeling-dealing political and business oriented city of 115,000! It was not easy getting this through a closed and tightly religious system where every major church and denomination holds on firmly to its territory...all except one - Calvary Temple Christian Center. Senior Pastor there Mark Johnson caught the vision and empowered his outreach pastorStacy Barnett and contacted me and together with Ezella Millswho brought the idea in from New York, we set forth on a course which really made this take off. 

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Jessica McGee and Gigi

This was solidified after the National Day of Prayer in May, which I hosted for the eighth year in a row and we were joined by former Channel 20 Morning TV host Jessica McGee who now works as the Marketing Director for the wonderful Staab Family. She represented them magnificently and our final planning meetings were attended by PJ Staab himself, without whom we would not have had the major business involvement necessary to underwrite the upfront costs and police permits and street closure permits necessary to make this happen in the natural. PJ is a super joy to work with. He is well loved by the regions military veterans for his involvement in a huge memorial outside the city of New Berlin as well as his sense of humor.

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Calvary Temple Pastor Mark Johnson

Through all of this, we were covered in some major prayer, as there was one obstacle after another or one spiritual attack after another. We had tireless and faithful leadership from Stacy Barnett and her church support - not just from the pastoral offices and administration, but from the core of Calvary Temple. They believed in this. We have many people to thank and they will be mentioned in no particular order at the end of this post.

The Day of the Prayer Walk, which we called GOD BELONGS IN SPRINGFIELD and had hundreds and hundreds of t-shirts made up at cost by Edgar Williams of Ambitious Designs. We met at the Comer Cox Park at the corner of 18th Street and Capitol for the 1 1/2 mile walk down Capitol Avenue to the State Capitol Steps. The love and camaderie and Christian fellowship across deep racial lines was a beautiful thing to behold. Even though almost every church officially turned down this movement to re-establish Jesus as the LORD of this City, many of their members turned out anyway!

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PJ Staab
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Senator Sam McCann

One thing I will not forget is our tireless leader Stacy working so hard to get 1500 bottles of water iced down and ready for the anticipated crowd at the end of the walk; the volunteers there; the worship band already praying on the ground of the End of Walk service. My fond memories is the excitement of all different Christians in the same event T shirt all ready to work for Jesus. Stacy and I edited some ten or so prayer points which I read out all over the part to different groups of people with my bullhorn. The awesome sight of the Christian Motorcyclists Association led by brother Nick Courtney and the three Crosses behind them as almost 1000 people of all ages and backgrounds took off in a brisk walk down Capitol, was a sight to behold.

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BMIC President Bernie Lutchman

The subsequent hour long service on the Capitol Steps by the Lincoln Statue was so powerfully moving that worship, constant worship was breaking out all over the place!! PastorJerry Doss of Abundant Faith Christian Center, assisted by his magnificent choir set the mood for Prayer and the Word as they led off they service. I was next with the spirit-led Praise-Repent-Yield call to the Assembly. We went through 7 minutes of that and they pressed in!!! We were followed by the Bishop of Springfield - Thomas Paprockion Religious Liberty after he was introduced by PJ and then some powerful praying by our State Senator Sam McCann. The powerful and timely message by Pastor Mark Johnson topped off an amazing and life altering (for this city) day.  The clarion call Pastor Mark proclaimed was to stand together, united, under the Banner of Jesus, or fall. This is the underlying theme of GBIMC - not unity at any cost where we toss aside the Basics of the Christian Faith, but unity in the Essentials to get right with God, through Repentance and then lead others to Jesus. This is the only way we can make any kind of difference and thus, show the world that God really DOES belong in our city!

Thank you to Springfield First Baptist led by Pastor Mike Henderson, for being the only other church, apart from Calvary Temple and Abundant Faith, to step up and support us from early. Over 30% of their church walked with us. Thank you to Todd Green and the Green Family Stores for underwriting the costs from the City of Springfield. Thank you to PJP Autos, The Staab Family and so many more who gave selflessly to this cause. Finally thank you - and in no small measure, to our wonderful MC - Calvary Temple Outreach Pastor Stacy Barnett! We are already planning next year's event and learned several things we can improve from this our first endeavor. Our primary purpose, my friends - to Lift up the Name of Jesus and proclaim Him as King over Springfield! Mission? ACCOMPLISHED!

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In Isaiah 62:6, God says He has divinely placed His passionate and persistent Watchmen on the walls of a particular city for His eternal purposes.

Is there an actual city called Jerusalem? Not a metaphor, but an actual piece of real estate in this world today called Jerusalem? We know that there is, so God may just be speaking about THAT particular piece of land in Israel!

 

9651009698?profile=originalIsaiah 62: 6: “I have posted watchmen on your walls O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call upon the Lord, give yourselves no rest and give Him no rest till He establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.”  

 

Now this is not some wild stretch of the imagination because Scripture clearly reveals that the city of Jerusalem is a priority to God!

How do we know it’s a priority?

First, God inspired the writers of Scripture to mention Jerusalem 767 times in the Bible (KJV version); 626 times in the Old Testament and 141 times in the New Testament. As we well know, God’s word is never in vain; it always fulfills His purposes. (Isaiah 55:11). The most common reason for repetition in the Bible is to emphasize something that is really important to God. What is dear to God’s heart should be important for us to both hear and respond to. You see in the Hebrew culture, “hearing,” the Word of God, was synonymous with living out the appropriate action to His Word. One could not truly “hear” without “doing,” so God wants believers to do something regarding Jerusalem!

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Secondly, Jerusalem was so important to God that He attached His Own Name to that city- not just once, but repeatedly.  In the Bible, He calls Jerusalem the City of God (Psalm 46:4), The City of The Lord (Isaiah 60:14), My Holy Mountain or The Holy Mountain of God (Isaiah 11:9;Isa. 56:7; Isa. 57:13; Isa. 66:20; Ezekiel 20;40; Daniel 9:16; Daniel 9:20; Joel 2:1;Joel 3:17; Zephaniah 3:11, Zechariah 8:3),The Mountain of the Lord of Hosts (Zechariah 8:3), The Throne of the Lord (Jeremiah 3:17), The Zion of The Holy One of Israel (Isaiah 60:14), and the City of the Great King…i.e., Jesus (Psalm 48:2; Matthew 5:35). And when God calls Jerusalem by other names, He still reveals His affection and love by calling her: The City of Joy ( Jer. 49:25), The City of Praise (Jer. 49:25), The City of Peace (Heb. 7:2), Great Among the Nations (Lam. 1:1), and The Perfection of Beauty ( Lam. 2:15).

 

The quantity of Scripture, related to Jerusalem, reveals how significant it is to God’s heart and His future purposes for it. He cares about what is happening in Jerusalem right now, and what will happen there in the future.

 

We are Christians who have been, “grafted into the Covenant of Abraham.” We may read the promises to Jerusalem, as though “Jerusalem” meant our city or our churches here in America. That’s not wrong to do, BUT we should always remember that the personal application of Scripture, to our lives, should never deny the primary one, which was to Jerusalem. His mandates and promises for “Jerusalem” are first and foremost, to the very real city of the same name, and His Word and promises are still true to that city. This is why believers from every tongue, tribe and nation participate in the Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem each year. Check it out!

 

This is Part II of a Five Part Series. Be sure to read Part I

 

                   

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