40 Weeks of Prayer and Fasting

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WEEK FORTY: Friday, August 25—Thursday, August 31, 2006

  1. REPENTANCE FOR SIN IN THE CHURCH: THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF REVELATION—LAODICEA

    On this, the final week of our 40 weeks of prayer and fasting for the sins of the church in America, we focus on the last of the Seven Churches of the Book of Revelation: the Church of Laodicea, who were judged for being lukewarm.

    “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’” (Rev. 3:14-22)

    “Father God, we ask You to forgive us for not always watching, as we should. Forgive us, Lord, for the lukewarm prayers we often recite—more from “ritual” than from a heart that is fervent towards You. We ask You to renew the fire within us, that we might seek to do Your will, only, and none of our own; and that we might search Your heart to know how we are to act and to pray ... moment by moment and day by day.

    We repent for this sin in the Church and ask Your forgiveness. Lord, we ask You to once again teach us YOUR ways, that we might repent, return to you, and be found faithful in the day of judgment. We ask You for Your mercy, dear God, in Jesus’ Name, amen.”

  2. REPENTANCE FOR THE SINS OF THE NATION: ANTI-SEMITISM

    Webster’s New World Dictionary defines an anti-Semite as: 1) one who has or shows prejudice against Jews; 2) one who discriminates against or who persecutes Jews; and 3) one who demonstrates such hostility towards Jews.

    In America today, we are guilty of anti-Semitism. In the news last month, a man (later known to be a Moslem) drove into a crowd of 14 people in front of a Jewish Community Center in San Francisco, killing one. Also last month, Naveed Afzal Haq of Pasco, Wash., broke through security at the Jewish Federation Center in Seattle and announced to staff members: "I'm a Muslim American; I'm angry at Israel.” The 30-year—old immediately began shooting randomly with a semiautomatic 9-mm handgun at the 18 employees and visitors in the offices. Other similar incidents were reported last month in rural Maryland, and these incidents are now qiuetly on the rise all across the nation.

    Moslems are not the only ones, however, who are anti-Semites in America. Unfortunately and tragically, there are some leaders in the “Christian“ community, confused by the teachings of Replacement Theology (in which the Church replaces Israel) who also promote a hatred of anything and anyone who is Jewish. The error of Replacement Theology is like a cancer in the Church that has not only caused it to violate God’s Word concerning the Jewish people and Israel, but it made us into instruments of hate, not love, in God’s name.

    In order to study the tenets of Replacement Theology in more detail, and to learn about the rise of anti-Semitism over the centuries in Europe and in America, we recommend four resources:

    1. The MAP Revolution: Anti-Christ Exposed, by Bishop Dr. Dominiquae Bierman. (This book goes into detail about the doctrine of the Nicene Creed, which gave rise to modern anti-Semitism; and offers an opportunity to repent for following its teachings.)

    2. Bridges for Peace offers a wealth of information about the history and teachings of Replacement Theology.

    3. The American Anti-Defamation League, for news of current events related to anti-Semitism.

    4. The Simon Wiesenthal Center has a lot of information on this topic, including on the Holocaust.

    Prayer of Repentance:

    “Father God, as we come to the end of our 40 weeks of prayer and fasting for the sins of our nation, we consider the plumbline that goes back to the foundation of our faith: Zion. Father God, God of Mercy, we come to You now in humble repentance, for we are grieved that our nation, and the Christian church, have perpetrated crimes over the centuries against Your people—the very people that brought us our Savior, Jesus Christ. We ask You to forgive us for this sin, which deeply grieves Your own heart, and to help us to start anew in learning to love and to reach out to our Jewish friends in America.

    We repent for entertaining and teaching the doctrines of Babylonian Christianity, the Council of Nicea, and Replacement Theology and we ask You to forgive us, for we know not what we do. Thank You for Your great mercy and for granting us a fresh start as soldiers in Your army. Help us to always walk in the truth of Your gospel, and to bring LIFE in the Name of Jesus, wherever we go—and especially to the Jewish people. In Yeshua’s Name, amen.”

    “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Gen. 12:3)
  3. THE BLESSING OF ISRAEL: HER SALVATION AND THE BODY OF MESSIAH

    Prayers for Israel’s salvation:

    Isaiah 52 leads wonderfully into praying for Israel's salvation. In Judaism, Ellul, the month before the high holy days. is know as the month of repentance. Every morning, many Jews go to synagogue and pray specific prayers asking for forgiveness. Let us join with them in the spirit, asking for God to reveal His Son and forgive His people during this time.

    Isaiah 52:1-6 "Awake, awake; put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean. Shake yourself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose yourself from the bands of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion. For thus says the LORD, You have sold yourselves for nothing; and you shall be redeemed without money. For thus says the Lord GOD, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause. Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for nothing? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the LORD; and My name continually every day is blasphemed. Therefore My people shall know My name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that does speak: behold, it is I.”
    • Yeshua, reveal Yourself to unsaved family members of believers.

    • We ask for the salvation of the exiles from Gaza.

    • Touch especially, the Gaza youth.

    • Lord, the religious who faithfully go to synagogues and pray each morning—surprise them with the reality of Your Messiah. "Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause Your face to shine; and we shall be saved.” (Psalm 80:19; cp. vvs. 3,7)

    • Use Your Word that is found in the prayer books, to bring forth a harvest. "So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)
    • Father, the multitudes of youth who have run from the religion of their fathers—and are searching for truth, peace and love in all the wrong places—O God save them by revealing to the Yeshua, the Truth; Messiah, the Prince of Peace; Your only Son who died because of Your love for mankind.

    • Continue to save many Moslems and make them provokers to jealousy of Your people. “Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come to the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fullness?” (Romans 11:11-12)
    • Use the Messianic Jews in the IDF to save a remnant for Your name’s sake.

    Prayers for the Body of Messiah:

    Isaiah 52:7-10 "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that brings good tidings, that publishes peace; that brings good tidings of good, that publishes salvation; that saith unto Zion, Your God reigns! Your watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion. Break forth into joy, sing together, you waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem. The LORD has made bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.”

    Abba, help the remnant in the Church speak the truth about Your everlasting love for this nation and her people.

    Remove any false shepherds and set up over Your flock faithful ones.

    Allow the love and commitment of Christian Zionists to overthrow the wickedness of the enemy's plans.

    This recent World Council of Churches report that said that Israel had purposed to destroy Lebanon—even before Israel was attacked—let it be exposed as the lie that it is.

    Thank You for the Messianic Body in Israel today. Please protect and nourish it.

    "I am the Good Shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of Mine. As the Father knows Me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold, and one Shepherd.” (John 10:14-16)

    (Source: Intercessors for Israel; excerpts)

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