Prayer Targets: Billy Graham; Judgment and Mercy, Call2Fall, Colorado Fires
June 27, 2012
If my people, which are called by my name... 2 Chronicles 7:14
Dear Praying Friends,
During six decades of worldwide ministry, Dr. Billy Graham spoke of God's judgment and mercy. Modern America now openly defies God's Law and is experiencing the pangs of His judgment. The Scripture record and our own history hold out hope for God-sent revival, awakening, and reformation, but time is short. Graham writes:
God still judges nations for their sins--just as He still judges individuals. The Bible is clear: "You may be sure that your sin will find you out" (Numbers 32:23)... God hasn't changed over the centuries; He is holy and pure, and whenever we scorn Him, we run the risk of incurring His judgment. Sin is an offense to Him...sin is a deliberate denial of God and His will for our lives. When we sin, we deliberately turn our backs on God and say our way is better than His. But we are wrong--and eventually we will pay the price. The Bible warns that "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).
The same is true of a nation that rejects God. When ancient Israel turned against God, the prophets warned that God's judgment would eventually come upon them--and it did. But God also warned that the surrounding nations would be judged too because they had no regard for God--and they were. Sometimes it happens in one great catastrophe; sometimes it happens in a series of smaller disasters and defeats. But it happens.
How long can a nation scorn God before He brings judgment upon them? Only God knows the answer--but His patience has its limits. Pray for our nation, that God will bring us back to Himself before it is too late--and let it begin with you, as you turn to Christ in repentance and faith (Billy Graham Evangelistic Assn).
[T]here is always hope...because God is concerned about these things even more than we are, and He has the power to drive us to our knees and change our hearts if we will seek Him...[T]he greatest spiritual revivals in the past occurred just when the situation seemed to be the darkest... (BGEA).
Call2Fall - THIS Sunday, July 1, 2012 - Between now and November, local Churches and national ministries will conduct prayer efforts of every kind. Call2Fall is our contribution to a much larger stirring of our nation to urgent biblical repentance and prayer. God holds all who identify as "His people" responsible for our nation's condition and He charges us to humble ourselves, pray, seek His face and turn from our wicked ways, so that He can heal our land (2 Chr 7:14).
Gripped by the urgency of the hour, pastors of Christ-centered churches in every state, from many denominations and non-denominations, will lead their congregations to take a minimum of 5 minutes on their knees this Sunday. They will humble themselves in repentant prayer; cry out to God for our nation, and to acknowledge our DEPENDENCE upon Him, before we celebrate our INDEPENDENCE with picnics and fireworks on Wednesday the 4th.
Origin of Call2Fall - In 2009, Tony Perkins preached about "Real Change" in America. His was a message of biblical repentance as preached by the prophets, John the Baptist, Jesus, Peter and the apostles (see Eze 18:30-32; Mt 3:2; 4:7; Mk 6:12; Acts 2:38; 17:30). After one service, an elderly lady stood in line to greet Tony. She said his message was for the entire Church and that God was calling Tony to call the Church to "get on its knees." Tony thanked her, promising to pray about it. But she stopped him, "No, you don't understand... God has called you to call His people to get on their knees."
Later that day on the flight home, Tony began where he had left off reading a biography about Samuel Adams. His eyes fell upon the place where the Continental Congress proclaimed a day of "public humiliation, fasting, and prayer throughout the Colonies on July 20th, 1775," a year before the Declaration. The clash of arms between Britain and the colonies was already underway. God-fearing men like Samuel Adams knew what to do. They called Americans to seek the face of God. Three million heeded the urgent "call to fall." Later, Adams' friend, James Warren, described what he saw at his church:
"This fast," he wrote, "has been observed as you could wish; with that deference to the authority that appointed it; with that devotion that our circumstances require. It is a grand solemnity. Three millions of people on their knees at once, supplicating the aid of Heaven, is a striking circumstance, and a very singular one in America. May the blessings of Heaven follow in answer to our prayers!
When Tony saw the words, "three millions of people on their knees at once...," he remembered the lady and knew God was speaking to him. FRC's Pastors Council concurred, offering help with the details, and Call2Fall was launched.
It is our hope that churches across America will adopt Call2Fall as a vital part of its church calendar and take time to pray as a congregation on each Sunday nearest the 4th of July. But 2012 is uniquely important as our nation faces a tumultuous election season and is making decisions on moral matters that may determine whether America lives or dies (see Dt 28: all). Given our national circumstances, Christians ought to observe God's "call to fall" every day (1Th 5:17). Extraordinary prayer is the key to hope for our children to live in a free society, where God and the Constitution are honored, where civil government protects and defends the innocent and punishes evildoers, and where public servants labor to produce healthy, moral public policy (see Rom 13:1-7). All of these are seriously threatened today.
Call2Fall, is intended for churches, but if your church has not joined in, it is still not too late for churches or individuals to sign up. Pastors, click www.call2fall.com/host. Individuals go to Call2Fall.com and click "I'm In!" "Like" us on Facebook; tell your friends and after Sunday, post a report on our site, telling about your experience.
- May God use Call2Fall this year to impact the course of our nation! May this effort, together with the burgeoning nationwide prayer movement serve to ignite an explosion of repentance and revival in our churches and awakening throughout our land! May every "mountain" of American culture be impacted for righteousness, including law and government! (Dt 4:24-31; Is 1:18; 9:6; Jer 29:11-13; Jonah 3:4-10; Mal 3:7a; Acts 3:17-21; 17:24-31; 2 Pet 3:9; 1 Tim 6:13-16)
- May comprehensive, repentant, Christ-honoring solemn assemblies take place across America, touching every church and city! May God give our children an America where Christ is honored as Savior and Lord! May America yet surpass her former spiritual prosperity to be a light to the nations (2 Chr 7:14; Jer 3:12; 4:1-4; Joel 1:13-15; 2:12-19; Mal 3:7a; Mt 4:5-6; Acts 3:19; Jas 4:10; 1 Pet 5:6).
Finally, in Colorado Springs, home to 80 Christian Ministries, heat, dry air and high winds have contributed to ravaging fires too dangerous for professionals to assess the damage, the worst in the state's history. No loss of life has been reported, but 32,000 people were evacuated, including some from the Air Force Academy, a vacant part of which was burned. Homes and upwards of 15,000 heavily treed acres have been burned. Experts suspect arson is involved in some of the fires. Please pray for Colorado. Thank you for praying!