Prayer Targets: Revival Prayer; Crisis of Leadership re. Middle East; Military Vote & Moral Failure
October 03, 2012
Gather the people. Consecrate the congregation... weep and say, "Spare your people, O Lord, and make not your heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'" Joel 2:16-17 ESV
Dear Praying Friends,
A Specialist in Prayer and Spiritual Awakening with the Oklahoma Baptist General Convention (BGCO), Dr. Gregory Frizzell has written dozens of books on prayer, revival and seeking God. Indefatigable in his determination to help God's people learn how to urgently seek God's Face, he travels the world speaking on this important theme:
There can be no question that America's greatest need is sweeping revival and spiritual awakening. An historic great awakening would powerfully renew Christ's Church, draw millions to true conversion and bring great glory to God. Such a movement would radically reverse today's moral collapse and brings dynamic changes to the social and political landscape. True revival often restores wisdom to government policies and brings infinite good to human beings... If believers consistently unite to pray God's heart with deep repentance, He promises to intervene in the land. (2 Chr 7:14)... Saints, we can only do that by embracing a serious commitment to continually seek and obey God. (Jer 29:13)...
As America teeters on the edge of economic, social and moral collapse, we must remind ourselves that God turns societal tides of evil by one primary means - an utterly committed praying remnant. Though true believers are now a remnant in a land of fast growing darkness, God is still on the throne! (Ch. 1, Forty Days of Seeking God, Dr. Frizell has sold out of his paperback edition, but the Kindle & E-book Editions are still available via Master Design Publishing).
Those who see our nation's moral landscape from a biblical worldview know that politics is not the root of our national troubles. Sin is. We must seek God's Face for ourselves, pray for God-sent revival to our churches and awakening to our nation, and pray for God-fearing men and women to be chosen for positions of authority in government and every other cultural institution. Extraordinary prayer is the necessity of the day and probably will be as long as we live. The nation and our children's very lives - temporal and eternal - are at stake.
Crisis in the Middle East and at Home - On the eve of the Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem, many Israeli families are storing food, repairing bomb shelters and preparing for the hail from 60,000 missiles reportedly aimed at them. With Iran approaching the "red-line," the Muslim Brotherhood's rise in the Mideast and the equivocation of the U.S. President in his words and actions toward Israel, many in Israel are worried. So are Americans. In his UN speech last week, President Obama mentioned six times the video he has repeatedly blamed for sparking the anti-U.S. violence across the Middle East, including the murder of four Americans. Fox News reported that, "The president devoted half of his thirty minutes to the grievances of the Muslim world. '[T]he video...is an insult to Muslims.' 'Muslims have suffered...' 'The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam.'"
Meanwhile, over a thousand Muslim activists protested in Dearborn, Mich., demanding that free speech be curtailed in America to outlaw blasphemy against the prophet Muhammad. Following the assault of the U.S. Embassy in Egypt, the Egyptian Prime Minister called for the U.S. to amend its laws regarding free speech to prevent insults to Muslims. Egyptian authorities have issued arrest warrants for the Americans who produced the film, and the head of the Arab League has called for the international community to criminalize blasphemy, calling it a serious threat to global peace and security. Before leaving town, the U.S. Senate voted 81-10 to reject Sen. Rand Paul's (R-Ky.) resolution to suspend financial aid to Libya, Egypt and Pakistan, after the violent protests in those countries. Meanwhile, President Obama, who refused to meet with PM. Netanyahu earlier, dismissed his UN "red-line" warning of Iran's imminent nuclear empowerment, saying he would not listen to "noise" out there. (see Higher Stakes, Noise, Arrest, Aid, Dearborn, International Criminalization, No US Red-lines, Iran Warns US, Day of Prayer, Israel Prepares, Trust the U.S.?).
- May God move the President and Congress not to waver in American support for Israel. May the U.S. provide whatever moral, practical and military support to protect Israel from her many militant enemies. May Americans realize that God is our Security and that as we stand in support of Israel, we can count on His support and protection! (Gen 12:3; Ps 127:1; Pr 18:24; Hos 10:6b; Mt 5:37-37; 27:3, 9; Jn 15:13; Rom 1:31; Jas 5:12)
U.S. Military Threatened by Budget Cuts, Moral Decline, Voter Suppression - As sequestration threatens military budget cuts of 10%, our Armed Forces face an epidemic of troop suicide and lawsuits alleging system-wide sexual intimidation and rape. The Obama administration crows that the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell has not made an appreciable difference, but it is unrealistic to believe that catastrophic failure would be evident in such a short span. It already appears that sexual standards in the military are already slipping. Furthermore, requests and demands have grown for broader homosexual rights, benefits and services and we are seeing more intimidation and religious censorship of chaplains, officer and enlisted men. It is beginning to make a difference.
After delays in delivering absentee ballots, the military voting turnout will be the lowest in memory. Because military families are significantly more conservative in their voting habits than civilians, this trend will hurt conservative candidates. In a related scandal, the Obama administration has asked military contractors to ignore the law and wait until after the election to notify their employees that layoffs are likely under sequestration, promising firms a taxpayer bailout to cover the cost of any lawsuits or expenses they incur.
- May strong moral Military leaders restore moral standards in the ranks. May God stir our military men at home and abroad to move quickly to make their right and their family member's right to vote count, by voting in this years Election (Jdg 15:15-17; 2 Sam 23:3; 1 Chr 12:31-32; Pr 14:34; 20:10; 29:2; Is 1:18; 45:8 1Th 5:17).
Finally, remember the various prayer efforts. At America for Jesus in Philadelphia last weekend, Tony Perkins prayed with thousands of Christians for God to preserve religious liberty and "open the President's eyes to the truth." The Summons, a four-day-long National Solemn Assembly, that begins today is sponsored by the National Day of Prayer Task Force and the National Prayer Committee. Prayer leaders from across the nation are here in Washington, representing God's people from their states and regions, to repent, pray and pray in person for our government leaders. They will also be able to spend time in David's Tent, where on the National Ellipse, 40 days of 24/7 worship is in progress. FRC is in Day Six of 40 Days of Prayer for Revival and Elections with Dr. Gregg Frizzell. Visit the blog daily, like us on Facebook, or download the 40 Day Prayer Guide! Thank you for praying with us!