Mike Bickle

THE CRISIS

The earth stands in a pivotal, but precarious, moment in history. All around the globe, the earth seems to be convulsing with natural disasters, lawlessness, wars and rumors of wars. As you read this, Islam-dominated nations are violently reacting and baring their fangs over a simple cartoon depiction of their prophet, Mohammed. The ugly and violent nature of Islam has begun to rear its head, and the Church must respond with fasting and prayer to contend with the menacing threat of Islamic global domination.

THE ONGOING CONFLICT IN THE MIDDLE EAST: IRAQ, IRAN & ISRAEL

One of the greatest crises that the Church must confront is the hectoring and bullying of Israel, America and the nations by the insidious Islamic jihadists. In the recent Palestinian election, the anti-Israel terrorist group, Hamas, gained a majority in the government of the Palestinian people. Hamas is a group that not only refuses peaceful coexistence with Israel, but also is a terrorist organization that literally calls for the destruction of the nation of Israel in their original charter documents. The threat to Israel, America, and the world does not stop there. With the recent election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, and his pursuit of nuclear reactors, there is a growing, frightening sense that the world, especially nations of a Judeo-Christian background, is hurtling toward a massive confrontation with the Muslim-dominated nations of the Middle East; a crisis on the same scale as World War I and World War II. Yet there is an answer to this crisis: the praying and fasting Body of Christ. When the principalities that dominated the airwaves of the Middle East came against the people of God thousands of years ago, God raised up a single man, the prophet Daniel, in the midst of Babylon and Persia, to contend against the demonic Prince of Persia with the weapons of fasting and prayer. The Bride of Christ must understand that if it is to pierce the darkness that broods over the Middle East, and break the vice grip of Islam over the world, it will take the same resolve that Daniel had in fasting and prayer to contend with the Prince of Persia. The Church has entered into a season of Daniel 10 again and how we respond in prayer and fasting during this time will determine our future course and destiny.

"We must be clear that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).

If the Church will throw themselves into prayer and fasting during this critical season, the spoils of victory, including the souls of millions of Muslims, the restraining of the spirit of jihad, the shifting of the Iraq war, and the security and salvation of Israel, will belong to Christ and Christ alone.

REVIVAL THE HOPE

Despite the raging of the world that surrounds us, the Church ought to and must hold onto outrageous hope. Every day there are new reports being sent out and new books being published that speak of the dismal nature of the Western Church. Droves of youth are leaving our churches and not returning. The statistics are certainly shocking, but we must not let our eyes dwell on statistics. We must not look with our natural eyes; instead, we must have eyes to see the victory of the Lord even in the midst of seeming darkness. Our report should be nothing less than the cry of Joshua and Caleb, "We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it" (Numbers 13:30). The Scriptures promise that "though darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples, the Lord will rise upon you and his glory will appear upon you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising" (Isaiah 60:2-3).

GLOBAL AWAKENING AMONG THE YOUTH

While the natural world seems to be thrown into violent upheaval, there is a growing sense among prophetic voices in America that 2006 will be a glorious year for the Body of Christ. This year will not simply be a celebration of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Azusa Street 100 years ago. We believe the Lord is ready to visit us again, and pour out awakening and revival. A generation that has grown up only reading and hearing stories of national revival, but never experiencing the in-break of the Holy Spirit for themselves must learn to labor in prayer and fasting for their Great Awakening. The 40 years of wandering in the desert are up and the sound of rain can again be heard in the very-near distance. Even now, we are hearing reports about the rumblings of revival at universities around the nation. Could another Jesus Movement be on the horizon? Could God break out at universities and among the youth of our nation? Our days of rehearsal are finished; we believe God is ready to come back onto the main stage!

REFORMATION, RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUSTICE

Everything that can be shaken will be shaken. For 33 years, America has lived under the dark cloud of legalized abortion. Yet God has begun a great shakedown in our legal system. In this past year, God has removed two Supreme Court Justices and raised up two new Supreme Court Justices. If the Church will continue to pray for them, this generation may see the scourge of the death culture and the blight of national sin of abortion removed from our nation. However, the shift of our legal system is not finished. We must pray that God removes a third pro-abortion Justice and replaces the vacancy with a godly Justice who loves mercy, executes justice and walks humbly with his God.

THE CALL

Dutch Sheets, Lou Engle, Francis Frangipane, and I are calling for one million intercessors to join in 40 days of fasting beginning on MARCH 1 (Ash Wednesday) to APRIL 9 (Passover Sunday and the 100-year anniversary of the Azusa Street Outpouring that began at Bonnie Brae Street).

We are fasting and praying for Revival, for the shifting of the Supreme Court and the ending of abortion, for the Middle East crisis and the freedom of a billion souls from the vice grip of Islam, and for the security and salvation of Israel.

Mike Bickle
International House of Prayer
3535 Red Bridge Rd, Knasas City, MO 64137 USA
www.IHOP.org