Call to prayer and fasting

Dear friends and intercessors for Israel, This call by way of my friend and sister Christine Darg is to suggest that you seriously consider setting aside each week especially Friday as a day in which you pray and fast for the negative power of ISLAM and its terrorism to be broken before it causes even more destruction. This also will redound to the peace in the Middle East prophesied by Isaiah the prophet when he said: In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria–a blessing in the midst of the land, whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, „Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.” (Isaiah 19:24,25) Here are her own words: A MOST SOLEMN CALL TO BELIEVERS WORLDWIDE TO FAST ON EVERY FRIDAY TO CONTAIN ISLAMIC TERRORISM Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? (Isaiah 58: 6) Early in the morning before the July 7 bombings in London, sleep eluded me. The Lord said solemnly, „I am calling you to call my people to fast and pray every Friday to contain Islamic terrorism.” The same morning, a brother in Baghdad who is translating into Arabic my book, „The Jesus Visions: Signs and Wonders in the Muslim World,” emailed me concerning Islamic terrorism. He quoted Jesus in Matthew 17:21: „This kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting.” We covenanted to obey the heavenly call and to add regular fasting to our prayers on Fridays. Within a few hours the call to fast was confirmed by the coordinated attacks on London transport; the subsequent failed attempts of similar coordinated attacks in London encourages us that disasters can be diverted through prayer and fasting. For many years many of us have been praying and fasting individually for the Moslem people, but the Islamic world is no longer a „special interest group” of concern to just some believers in the Church. The threat of Islamic terrorism has now become the concern of every true worshipper of the God of Israel. In Derek Prince’s book, „Shaping History Through Prayer and Fasting,” he stated that there are some answers we never obtain until we add fasting to our prayers. Friday is the day that much hatred, violence and blood-thirsty rhetoric is fomented in fundamentalist mosques around the world. The Lord’s solemn call to fast and pray is not intended to extend into the Sabbath day of rest, which begins Friday evening at mealtime, but is intended to consist of afflicting our souls with fasting during breakfast and/or lunch on Fridays as a way of humbling ourselves and to entreat His mercy corporately. Islamic terrorists crave an „Hiroshima” upon their enemies. In Israel, a fence can deter some terrorism, but in most nations we cannot build a wall to protect ourselves from sleeper cells. Nevertheless „The weapons of our warfare are not physical but are mighty through God for the pulling down of strongholds.” The weapons of corporate prayer and fasting can bring victory and delay divine judgments in this time of great peril. Corporate fasting is part of the process of humbling ourselves that is being required by Heaven. „If My people who are called by My name [YHVH, not Allah] shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7: 14) As we gave this solemn call first in England at an „Open Heaven” conference July 9 and also in churches in Virginia and in the Washington, D.C. area this past weekend, many have responded to the Spirit’s call and have asked what is involved in this fast. Some say they are not able to fast because of sicknesses. (Be healed!) But this call is not intended to be a „religious” fast. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how to participate in this Prophetic Summons during these strategic hours on Fridays: perhaps forfeit one meal, two meals, perhaps a partial fast. But do something by faith to be a part of this corporate response to Heaven. For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. (2 Chronicles 16:9) Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. (Amos 3: 7) We humbly implore you not to disregard this call. Many of us for many years in Jerusalem have faithfully banded together to pray specifically for the irreversible overthrow of the Anti-Christ Pharaoh-like principality of Islam that is holding a billion souls captive. Therefore this call from Heaven was not given to us by chance but because in some measure we have gained a place in intercession concerning this grave issue. Therefore the Lord says, „Be not distracted nor indulgent but put your hand to this plough of fasting and prayer and you will be numbered among those who stand in the gap and build up My hedge to avert many calamities and disasters.” As you fast, pray: –that we will be forgiven for our gross national sins (bullying Israel, abortion, same sex marriages, euthanasia, pornography, sexual predators on children, playing God in laboratories yet denying God and his commandments in schools, courthouses). As we humble ourselves Heaven may decide not to allow the Islamic terrorists to scourge us with weapons of mass destruction. God who is plenteous in mercy may leave behind a blessing and stay his Hand on ripe judgments. –that the hatred and curses hurled from fundamentalist mosques will be bound and nullified –that sleeper cells will be exposed and all military intelligence will be accurate to avert many national disasters –that our political and religious leaders will cease being politically correct and will deal decisively with Islamic terror in a bold, courageous manner –that the terrorists will be miraculously converted for „they know not what they do” and in their misguided zeal believe they are doing their god a service –pray for many of the terrorists to have dreams and visions and to repent –that misguided suicide bombers and all terrorists will receive a vision and understanding that they are indeed dupes, pawns, murderers and not martyrs and that the reality of their destiny is eternal damnation unless they repent Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast. . . . Let the priests, the ministers of YHVH, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O YHVH. . . . (Joel 2:15-17) Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? (Isaiah 58: 6) (Christine Darg, an author and broadcaster who ministers in Israel and the nations, received this call. Her contact is [email protected]) The following, written by a Christian Coptic priest from Egypt, should open the eyes of anybody still believing, as President Bush once mistakenly said, „that ISLAM is a peaceful religion”: Coptic Priest Zakaria Boutrus on the Spreading of Islam By the Sword Boutrus: „Islam, as portrayed in the encyclopedia of Islam, in the Koran and the hadith, was spread by means of the sword. ‘The sword played a major role in spreading Islam in the past, and it is the sword that preserves Islam today. Islam relies upon Jihad in spreading the religion.’ This is very clear in the encyclopedia. This appears in section 11, page. 3,245. It says: ‘Spreading Islam by means of the sword is a duty incumbent upon all Muslims.’ Thus, Islam is spread by means of the sword. „Another thing is the punishment for apostasy. ‘The punishment of killing any Muslim who abandons Islam is one of the most important factors terrifying all Muslim. He does not dare question the truth of Islam, so that his thoughts will not lead him to abandon Islam. In such a case, he would receive the punishment for apostasy: He would lose his life, and his property and wives would permitted for all.’ „This reminds me of a true story that I heard about the preachers who spread Islam in Africa. They reached a certain place in order to spread Islam, and they asked one of the locals: ‘Do you prefer to worship one god and have four wives, or to worship three gods and have one wife?’ We, of course, don’t worship three gods, but that’s what they said. The African said ‘I like four women, and I don’t care which god. I want four women.’ So they told him to say the shahada, and he did.” (Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), 26/07/2005) As Paul however said: For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12) So Christine Darg is right in calling the Christians to pray and fast in this battle. Jan Willem van der Hoeven, Director International Christian Zionist Center BPI-info