This Saturday Bill Lewis will be joining with Christian leaders of all denominations for a national prayer event on the Mall in Washington, DC. The purpose of May Day 2010 is to call Christians to pray, fast, and repent for the nation. Throughout the day Bill and other members of the May Day 2010 committee will lead in prayers of repentance for personal and corporate sin, and remembrance of God’s Sovereign work throughout our history. They will also focus on prayers for revival and reformation.
Scripture encourages solemn assemblies in times of national distress. The Old Testament abounds with stories of Israel’s deliverance because of the response of a humble-hearted people. We are called to pray, seek the face of God, repent, and turn from our wicked ways—individually and as a nation (II Chronicles 7:14). Throughout American history, our leaders and our people have honored the Biblical command for days of national prayer and repentance. It is especially fitting that May Day 2010 will take place in front of the Lincoln Memorial, as it was President Lincoln who penned these inspiring words:
“And whereas, it is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon, and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history: that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.”
-Abraham Lincoln, March 30, 1863, Proclamation appointing a National Day of Prayer and Fasting
The Lord continues to open doors at American University. Last fall during our first semester on campus we worked with the two largest Christian groups to create a Jubilee event and a day of 24-Hour Prayer. The students loved both so much that this semester we have formed a Student Prayer Leadership Team at AU. Student representatives from Christian ministries meet regularly with us to plan corporate prayer and worship events. Here’s what’s on tap this semester:
Student Prayer Leadership Wednesdays 1pm
Every week student representatives from several Christian groups on campus meet together to plan and organize the corporate prayer events.
Jubilee Worship & Prayer Feb. 27 & Apr. 23, 8-11pm
Jubilee is a unique monthly event that weaves together worship and intercession for Revival and Spiritual Awakening in a spontaneous, free-flowing manner.
24/1 Day of Prayer Mar. 30 – Apr. 1, 8am-8pm
This spring AU students are actually gearing up for 36 hours of prayer from 8am-8pm for three consecutive days. Students from all the ministries on campus will gather to cry out for a great move of God at AU and throughout the world. They’re especially excited about praying outside in a prayer tent as a testimony to students passing by going to and from classes.
Good things are afoot at Mason. You may remember Aisha, the recent convert from Islam whom we befriended last year. She is still shining! Following her recent baptism (check out the awesome video), Aisha has decided to join a local church for a missions trip to Lebanon this spring. We are excited to be meeting with her on a regular basis as she grows in her faith.
Last semester SOI 21 collaborated with other Christian groups on campus to organize a day of 24/1 Prayer during the Veritas Forum. This semester SOI 21 will partner with Campus Crusade, Chi Alpha, the Gathering, and Catholic Campus Ministry to facilitate a day of 24-Hour Prayer at Mason. We hope that a day of 24/1 Prayer will become a springboard for future corporate prayer events. We’re looking forward to what this semester holds! Here’s a glimpse of the Mason schedule:
Tent of Meeting “Prayer Evangelism” Mondays 3-5pm
Each week we set up a table outdoors (or indoors when the weather doesn’t cooperate)
to pray for Mason and to pray with students who share their requests with us. We hope to become a regular, visible “presence” on the campus.
24/1 Day of Prayer Tentatively scheduled for April
Students from all the ministries on campus will gather around the clock to cry out for a great move of God at Mason and throughout the world.
Student Prayer Leadership Thursdays 4:30pm
Our first Prayer Leadership meeting was snowed out this past week, but we are on track to meet next week to begin planning for 24/1 Prayer.
Two years ago SOI 21 first began working at George Washington
University. Since that time we’ve initiated weekly prayer meetings,
monthly Jubilee worship events, and days of 24-Hour Prayer. We’re
excited about what this semester holds! Here’s a summary of the GW
spring schedule:
Tent of Meeting “Prayer Evangelism” Tuesdays 2:30-4:30pm &
Wednesdays 3-5pm
Each week we set up a table outdoors (or indoors when the weather doesn’t cooperate) to pray for GW and to pray with students who share their requests with us. To our delight, religious skeptics, nominal Catholics, Muslims, Jews, and Christians have all asked us to pray for them! And our weekly, visible presence on the campus has created opportunities to build relationships with these students.
A.S.K. Campus-wide Prayer Tuesdays 4:30-5:30pm
Every week students have the opportunity to gather in a spirit of unity to pray for Revival and Spiritual Awakening at GW.
Jubilee Worship & Prayer Last Tuesday of every month 7-9pm
Jubilee is a unique monthly event that weaves together worship and intercession for Revival and Spiritual Awakening in a spontaneous, free-flowing manner.
24/1 Day of Prayer Tentatively scheduled for
April 20-21st
Each semester students from all the ministries on campus gather around the clock to cry out for a great move of God at GW and around the world.
Student Prayer Leadership Tuesdays 5:30-6pm
Every week student representatives from each of the Christian groups on campus meet together to plan and organize the corporate prayer events.
This past semester SOI 21 helped facilitate 24 Hour Prayer at George Mason University (10/29), George Washington University (11/30-12/1), and American University (12/2-3). On all three campuses students literally prayed around the clock! Here’s some of the awesome feedback we received:
“there is always something special about gathering with a body of believers to pray and worship. 24/1 has been an empowering experience and has prepared me to take on the rest of the week remembering I am not alone in my faith on this campus.”
“It meant a lot for me personally to be able to be involved in this and renewed my commitment to active prayer. I was reminded of the power and awesomeness of communication with God.”
“24/1 was awesome. Prayer is the only thing that is gonna change our university. We are changing the spiritual atmosphere at this campus.”
“God’s timing is perfect. I was struggling to open up about a traumatic event in my life that took place 13 years ago. I was scared and didn’t want to talk about it, but I’m so glad I did. I really felt the Lord’s healing touch when everyone prayed for me. Someone got Is. 54:4-6 for me…the exact same Scripture another leader had given me the first time I talked about it—what an amazing confirmation.”Comments
We would like to share with you a highlight in the life of our good friend Aisha, a Muslim convert to Christianity. Last month she was baptized in front of thousands of people at local church, boldly proclaiming, "I left my household to give my life to Christ, without fear. I want to be baptized today...to proclaim my whole heartfelt love for Jesus Christ." Afterward she ran up to both of us screaming in excitement and almost knocking us over with her hugs. She later told us that she is so thankful for us in her life. Praise the Lord! We encourage you to watch her baptism, it's really moving.
On October 29th SOI 21 partnered with Campus Crusade, Coalition for Christian Outreach, International Justice Mission, and Catholic Campus Ministry to sponsor a Veritas Forum at George Mason University (www.veritas.org/gmu). Veritas seeks to gather students to discuss challenging questions in a way that stimulates spiritual seeking. The Mason forum addressed the question of evil in age of genocide and terror. Our speaker was Os Guinness, noted author, social critic, and senior fellow of the EastWest Institute. Over 500 students, faculty, and staff attended the forum, which included follow-up discussions in small groups.
SOI 21 also worked with campus ministries to plan a day of 24/1 prayer for Revival and Awakening that coincided with the Veritas Forum. We set up a “Tent of Meeting” outside on the main plaza in front of the student center. Prayer was definitely front and center at Mason for 24 hours! Students could stop by to be prayed for or write down requests and leave them in the prayer box. Here are just a few of the weighty, heartfelt needs of the students. Please continue to pray for the “Millennial Generation” on college campuses across America.
“I want my wife back.”
“Pray that I’ll be set free from guilt and shame….”
“My sister needs to re-establish her relationship with God, or else her relationship with her husband may end.”
“Please pray for my father. He is an alcoholic, and he is getting worse. Please pray to give him strength to quit.”
“A new beginning in my personal life.”
“My Dad works too much and my Mom feels like he doesn’t like Grandma around.”
“I am an athlete at GMU and believe very strongly in the healing power of prayer. I have a lower leg injury and a prayer my way would really be appreciated. God bless.”
Thank you for your prayers–Jubilee at American University (10/14)
and George Washington University (10/27) were awesome!! Students
from Christian groups on both campuses came together for whole
evenings of corporate worship and prayer. Our first-ever Jubilee at
AU was especially powerful. The sense of unity in God’s Presence
was amazing. Here are excerpts from some emails that students sent
the day after the event:
Student at Chi Alpha:
“How awesome was JUBILEE!?!….I am still swimming in the blessing
of last night….I looked around the room and was overjoyed to see
students from different organizations holding hands in prayer,
laying hands on one another, having compassion on each other, and
beginning to join together in community to support and lift each
other up. SO AWESOME!”
Student Leader at The Gathering:
“I am so amazed at how God shone through all of you last
night!….The Holy Spirit is going to use this as a great tool in
spreading God’s love on this campus!”
Student Leader at United Methodist-Protestant Community:
“I’m so grateful for groups like SOI 21 who helped us put this
together. I love what y’all are doing. I really believe it will
have an impact on this campus.”
The Lord has opened what promises to be a very effective door
for ministry on a new campus in Washington, DC, the American
University. We’ve had several awesome meetings with two student
leaders from different ministries. Both have a passion for prayer
and long to see a prayer movement on campus. They had been a part
of spontaneous, student-initiated, student-led prayer last
semester. They have enthusiastically embraced a corporate prayer vision for campus and
are ready to move forward. The AU schedule, though
tentative, will look something like this:
Student Prayer Leadership Wednesdays 10am
Every week student representatives from several Christian groups on
campus meet together to plan and organize the corporate prayer
events.
Jubilee Worship & Prayer Wednesday, Oct. 14, 7-9pm
Jubilee is a unique monthly event that weaves together worship and
intercession for Revival and Spiritual Awakening in a spontaneous,
free-flowing manner.
24/1 Day of Prayer November 17-18
Students from all the ministries on campus will gather around the
clock to cry out for a great move of God at AU and throughout the
world.
You may remember Aisha, the recent convert from Islam whom we
befriended last year. She is positively shining! Aisha is a sponge,
absorbing all she can about Jesus, the Bible, and Christianity.
She’s tearing through all the books we have given her. Her
countenance is radiant. She recently told us she’s never been
happier in her life. Although her family doesn’t want to have
anything to do with her, they are not actively trying to force her
to come home or forsake her faith. We plan to conduct a weekly
evangelistic Bible study with Aisha as our helper. Her circle of
unbelieving friends will hopefully form a core group.
SOI 21 will also partner with Christian Coalition Outreach, Campus
Crusade, and the Catholic Campus Ministry to sponsor a Veritas
Forum on Thursday, October 29th. Check it out at
www.veritas.org/gmu. Veritas seeks to gather students to discuss
challenging questions in a way that stimulates spiritual seeking.
Our forum will address the question of evil. SOI 21 will also work
with campus ministries to plan a day of 24/1 prayer for Awakening
that will coincide with the Veritas Forum. In addition, we will
help rally students from the various fellowships for a weekly
A.S.K.-type meeting. We’re excited about what this semester holds!
Here’s a glimpse of the Mason schedule:
Tent of Meeting “Prayer Evangelism” Mondays 3-4:15pm
Each week we are setting up a table outdoors not only to pray for Mason, but also to be available to pray for students’ needs. We hope to become a regular, visible “presence” on the campus.
A.S.K. Campus-wide Prayer Mondays 4:15-6pm
Every week students have the opportunity to gather in a spirit of unity to pray for Revival and Spiritual Awakening at Mason.
Evangelistic Study Wednesdays 4:15-6pm
An opportunity for students to explore the Christian faith. No question is off-limits.
24/1 Day of Prayer October 29th Midnight to Midnight
Students from all the ministries on campus will gather around the clock to cry out for a great move of God at Mason and throughout the world.
Veritas Forum October 29th 11-2pm, 7-11pm
Os Guinness, Christian author and speaker, will address the topic of evil in two lectures followed by Q & A with students.
This fall marks the first anniversary of 24/1 Prayer at GW. Since that time we’ve initiated both weekly prayer meetings and monthly Jubilee worship events. We recently had a phenomenal meeting with the staff representative for InterVarsity (IV), the largest ministry on campus. It couldn’t have gone better, and she is very excited about deepening IV’s cooperation with SOI 21. IV will be more involved with weekly A.S.K. prayer, monthly Jubilee worship, and of course, 24/1 Prayer. We’re excited about what this semester holds! Here’s a summary of the GW fall schedule:
Tent of Meeting “Prayer Evangelism” Tuesdays 2-4:30pm
Each week we are setting up a table outdoors not only to pray for GW, but also to be available to pray for students’ needs. We hope to become a regular, visible “presence” on the campus.
A.S.K. Campus-wide Prayer Tuesdays 4:30-6pm
Every week students have the opportunity to gather in a spirit of unity to pray for Revival and Spiritual Awakening at GW.
Jubilee Worship & Prayer Last Tuesday of every month 7-9pm
Jubilee is a unique monthly event that weaves together worship and intercession for Revival and Spiritual Awakening in a spontaneous, free-flowing manner.
24/1 Day of Prayer Tentatively scheduled for November 12-13th
Each semester students from all the ministries on campus gather around the clock to cry out for a great move of God at GW and around the world.
Student Prayer Leadership Tuesdays 6-7pm
Every week student representatives from each of the Christian groups on campus meet together to plan and organize the corporate prayer events.
In 1683, over 138,000 Muslim Ottoman Turks surrounded Vienna, Austria. For two months they starved the 11,000 Hapsburg-Austrian defenders. Sultan Mehmed IV sent a message to Austrian King, Leopold I: “Await us in your residence . . . so we can decapitate you.”
Secretly, Polish King Jan Sobieski, gathered 81,000 Polish, Austrian and German troops and on September 11, 1683, led a surprise attack causing the Turks to flee in confusion. Upon entering the abandonded Turkish tents, they found bags of beans – coffee beans – revealing how Turks could fight day and night. Shortly thereafter, Polish General Kulczycki opened one of Vienna’s first coffeehouses and coffee quickly spread across Europe.
Whereas the Pope and European leaders hailed Jan Sobieski as the “Savior of Western Civilization,” the humiliated Muslim army beheaded their general, Mustafa Pasha, and sent his head back to Sultan Mehmed IV in a velvet bag.
President Theodore Roosevelt wrote in his 1916 book, Fear God and Take Your Own Part: “From the hammer of Charles Martel to the sword of Jan Sobieski, Christianity owed its safety in Europe to the fact it . . . could and would fight as well as the Mohammedan aggressor.”
Suppose a nation in some distant region should take the Bible for their only law book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited! Every member would be obliged in conscience, to temperance, frugality, and industry; to justice, kindness, and charity towards his fellow men; and to piety, love, and reverence toward Almighty God…What a Eutopia, what a Paradise would this region be.
Diary Entry of John Adams, later the 2nd president of the United States, on February 22, 1756
The Rules and Precepts of Harvard University, 1642.
2. Let every Student be plainly instructed, and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and studies, is to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life (John 17:3) and therefore to lay Christ in the bottom as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning….Let everyone seriously set himself by prayer in secret.
3. Everyone one shall so exercise himself in reading the Scriptures twice a day, that he shall be ready to give an account of his proficiency therein.
“The Lord has been very angry with your fathers. Therefore say to them, ‘Return to Me,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘and I will return to you.’” (Zechariah 1:2-3)
SOI 21 joins a growing coalition of churches and Christian ministries in a nationwide “Call to Fall” on our knees before the Lord on July 5, 2009, a day of humility and repentance for America. So far more than 20,000 individuals and groups have committed to participate. This very simple Call2Fall event on Sunday, July 5-the day after the United States celebrates her God-given liberties-provides an opportunity for believers of all denominations and ethnic backgrounds to humble themselves, confess sin, seek forgiveness, and call on the name of the Lord for healing of our land. (II Chronicles 7:14)
The Call2Fall Declaration is simple: “I will answer God’s CALL2FALL on my knees in humility and seek His face in repentance so that He might forgive me sins and heal our land.”
Please join the Call2Fall by registering to participate and then help spread the word among our family and friends.
Click here to register you and your local church in Call2Fall
“Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.”
-John Jay, co-author of the Federalist Papers and first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
October 12, 1816
“To the kindly influence of Christianity we owe that degree of civil freedom, and political and social happiness which mankind now enjoys…. All efforts to destroy the foundations of our holy religion, ultimately tend to the subversion also of our political freedom and happiness. Whenever the pillars of Christianity shall be overthrown, our present … forms of government, and all the blessings which flow from them, must fall with them.”
-Jedediah Morse, “The Father of American Geography”
“And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”
-George Washington, Farewell Speech on September 19, 1796
The Lord has connected us with Fatima (not her real name), a twenty-year-old sophomore from a Muslim background. Her father is Pakistani, and her mother is a nominal Catholic who converted to Islam. When Fatima was twelve, she had a dream in which Jesus spoke to her, “If you will lean on me, I will love you forever.” Since that time, Fatima has secretly followed Jesus in her heart. In December, she finally told her parents of her decision to commit her life to Christ. They are threatening to disown her. We are meeting with her on a weekly basis to encourage her. She’s also participating in the Truth Project. A friend of ours with another campus ministry is trying to find a Christian family that would house Fatima. Please pray for Fatima and for us as we seek to minister to her.
We recently had productive meetings with both the Campus Crusade campus staff team and the student prayer leadership. Crusade could be a key ally in beginning campus-wide prayer and hopefully planning either a Jubilee or a 24/1 prayer event later this semester. We are currently meeting with the leadership of other Christian fellowships at Mason to encourage them to embrace a campus-wide prayer vision. Pray that they would grasp the vision with enthusiasm and commit to work together.
Please continue to pray for the Lord’s blessing on ministry opportunities at both campuses. Ask Him to ignite a revival fire in the hearts of students from all the different ministries at both GW and Mason.
SOI 21 recently helped rally several campus ministries to
co-sponsor our first monthly Jubilee, an open-ended prayer and worship gathering
focused on awakening at GW. About 35 students from different
Christian fellowships gathered to worship and pray for 2 1/2 hours.
The atmosphere was awesome, and the students seemed really
engaged. The initial feedback was excellent. Students particularly
enjoyed the freedom they felt to pray and worship at their own
pace. We’re planning Jubilee gatherings for the last Tuesday of
each month. We’d appreciate your prayers for the next one
scheduled for March 31st.
The leadership team SOI 21 helped to form last semester continues
to meet every Wednesday evening. Comprised of reps from all the
active Christian fellowships on campus, the team will plan the
monthly Jubilees and the upcoming day of 24/1 prayer scheduled for
April 20-21. A.S.K, the weekly campus-wide prayer meeting for
awakening at GW, takes place each Tuesday evening from 7-9pm.
Please pray for us as we move forward with this three-pronged
strategy toward the creation of a praying community at GW:
What if SOI 21 earned a penny every time you searched the Internet? Or how about if a percentage of every purchase you made online went to support SOI 21? Well, now it can!
GoodSearch.com is a new Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. More than 75,000 nonprofits and schools now participate in GoodSearch.com and 100 new organizations join daily! Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and bless SOI 21 at the same time!
Similarly, GoodShop.com is a new online shopping mall which donates up to 37 percent of each purchase to a designated charity! Hundreds of great stores including Amazon, Target, Gap, Best Buy, ebay, Macy’s, and Barnes & Noble have teamed up with GoodShop, and every time you place an order, you’ll be supporting SOI 21.
All you have to do is go to www.goodsearch.com and be sure to enter SOI 21 as the charity you want to support. And, be sure to spread the word!
Tomorrow, January 13th, Bill Lewis will be a featured guest on Janet Folger’s Faith 2 Action radio program. Bill will be discussing the escalating crisis in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. The show airs from 2 – 3pm EST. For a list of radio stations in your area, click here.
More than 160 years after the first Thanksgiving was celebrated by the Pilgrims, newly elected President George Washington issued a National Day of Thanksgiving Proclamation. Similar to Bradford’s proclamation, President Washington recites God’s graceful, beneficial interposition in the history of our nation and implores our people to respond with grateful hearts.
WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour….
NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States….that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish Constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted; for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed….
And also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions….to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us); and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.
On November 29, 1623, two years after the first Thanksgiving, Governor William Bradford made an official proclamation regarding the last Thursday in November:
In as much as the great Father has given us this year an abundant harvest…and has made the forests abound with game and the sea with fish and clams, and inasmuch as He as protected us from the ravages of the savages, has spared us from pestilence and disease, has granted us freedom to worship God according to the dictates of our own conscience…I do proclaim that all ye Pilgrims…render thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings.
Yes! Our first day of 24/1 prayer at GW was held last Thursday to Friday night. SOI 21 and four other Christian student groups at GW combined their efforts to create this awesome event. We kicked off the time with a “Jubilee” set of extended worship and prayer, which was followed by three-hour prayer “watches” that continued throughout the night and into Friday. We ended the time with another “Jubilee” set and broke our corporate fast with a “love feast.”
For individual prayer students could write a letter to God, express themselves artistically on a wall canvas, or pray for locations throughout the world at several personal prayer stations throughout the room. Or students could join a group praying corporately through such topics as Revival and Spiritual Awakening, the persecuted Church, the 10/40 Window, the lost on our campus, and the unity of believers.
So far the feedback has been extremely positive. I wish we could have captured the inspiring testimonies, personal ministry, and corporate fellowship that occurred during the time. But, you can check out a clever YouTube video that one of the groups created to encourage students to come.
SOI 21, in agreement with many other Christian organizations, is calling the Body of Christ to commit to a Week of National Humility, Fasting and Prayer leading up to Election Day 2008, November 4th. This call is reminiscent of Abraham Lincoln’s proclamation at the height of the Civil War. Use his proclamation below as a prayer guide this week. Please seek the Lord as to how He would have you personally fast during this crucial week.
Our nation is at a critical crossroads in her history. The outcome of this election will significantly impact the future of our country. Please join us in crying out to the Lord for leaders according to mercy, and not according to judgment. May He raise up God-fearing leaders in all branches and levels of government.
By the President of the United States of America.
A Proclamation.
Whereas, the Senate of the United States, devoutly recognizing the Supreme Authority and just Government of Almighty God, in all the affairs of men and of nations, has, by a resolution, requested the President to designate and set apart a day for National prayer and humiliation.
And whereas it is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.
And, insomuch as we know that, by His divine law, nations like individuals are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war, which now desolates the land, may be but a punishment, inflicted upon us, for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole People? We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!
It behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.
Now, therefore, in compliance with the request, and fully concurring in the views of the Senate, I do, by this my proclamation, designate and set apart Thursday, the 30th. day of April, 1863, as a day of national humiliation, fasting and prayer. And I do hereby request all the People to abstain, on that day, from their ordinary secular pursuits, and to unite, at their several places of public worship and their respective homes, in keeping the day holy to the Lord, and devoted to the humble discharge of the religious duties proper to that solemn occasion.
All this being done, in sincerity and truth, let us then rest humbly in the hope authorized by the Divine teachings, that the united cry of the Nation will be heard on high, and answered with blessings, no less than the pardon of our national sins, and the restoration of our now divided and suffering Country, to its former happy condition of unity and peace.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.
Done at the City of Washington, this thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty seventh.
By the President: Abraham Lincoln
William H. Seward, Secretary of State.
“We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion….Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
SOI 21, in conjunction with Intercessors for America and many other Christian organizations, is calling the Body of Christ to commit to fast and pray for Revival and Spiritual Awakening on the first Friday of every month. Our nation stands at a great crossroads and is in desperate need of fervent intercession, particularly as Election 2008 approaches. Please join us this Friday, September 5th in crying out to God for America.
“We have staked the future of all of our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.”
- James Madison,
chief architect of the Constitution
Yesterday, June 9th, Bill Lewis was the featured guest on Janet
Folger’s Faith 2 Action radio program. The overarching theme was
“Seeking God’s Face.” In the stirring hour-long discussion, Bill
and Janet cover the link between personal and corporate revival,
as well as the need for a holy desperation for God…in our lives,
the Church, and the nation.
PARADISE is a gathering of thousands of college and high school students on May 25 in the center of the nation. Called by the Father and empowered by the Spirit, they will assemble before King Jesus to worship Him in all His majesty from sunrise to sunset.
The multitude will surround “the foundation of the heavenly throne,” built in the center of a rural field.
Many members of Christian bands and worship teams will use their instruments and voices to lead the multitude in pure praise to the very Son of God. In humility, the musicians will be hidden so all focus will be on Jesus.
Interwoven with music will be times of absolute silence and awe in the presence of His majesty. At other times worshippers will connect with one another to unite their voices in deep prayer.
Nothing will be sold or advertised. The only name called will be Jesus. No agenda will be promoted. No one will become more famous. No organization will make money. The only cause will be His glory and reign.
Like Simeon and Anna, some members of the adult church long to see the full glory of Christ revealed before they die. They may follow the students to the center of the nation in order to intercede over them . . .
. . . and to wonder whether maybe, just maybe, an awakening back to Christ—for all He is today—is about to begin.
This week in Kansas 24-7 Prayer USA is hosting a national gathering for those individuals and ministries interested in 24/7 praying communities on college campuses.
Campus America, a ministry associated with 24-7, will be leading a track focused on college campus ministry:
There is a movement of God underfoot in this nation on our colleges and universities, and it’s starting with prayer. Campus America is an initiative responding to God’s word spoken to us to “Call Campus America to pray!”, and we want to see 24-7 prayer on every one of the 2,582 campuses in America – and then we long to see students engage with the needs of the world out of this place of prayer. The Campus America Track is for students (or soon-to-be students), campus ministers, faculty, parents with kids in college, or those who have a heart and burden for the university. We’ll gather to hear each others’ stories, to pray, and to scheme how each of us can be part of this wave of God sweeping the nation.
This Friday, April 11th, Bill Lewis will be the featured guest on Janet Folger's Faith 2 Action radio program. In a stirring hour-long discussion, Bill covers Prayer, Revival, Israel, America, and the Millennial Generation. The show will be broadcast from 2-3pm EST on the VCY America radio network.
To view a list of VCY America affiliate stations in your area, visit www.vcyamerica.org.
In church yesterday, as you celebrated Easter, did you notice anything—or anyone—unusual?
In churches all over the world, there were millions of people celebrating the resurrection of Christ,
who were not there just a few years ago—because they were worshipping in a mosque instead.
It is thrilling evidence that God is doing a mighty work among Muslims.
According to the website Islam Watch, in Russia, some two million ethnic Muslims converted to Christianity last year.
Ten thousand French Muslims converted, as did 35,000 Turkish Muslims. In India, approximately 10,000 people abandoned Islam for Christianity.
In his book Epicenter, author Joel Rosenberg details amazing stories of Muslims converting to Christianity. In Algeria, the birthplace of St. Augustine, more than 80,000 Muslims have turned to Christ in recent years. This, despite the stiff opposition from Islamic clerics who have passed laws banning evangelism.
In Morocco, newspaper articles openly worry that 25,000 to 40,000 Muslims have become followers of Christ in recent years.
The stories are even more amazing in the heart of the Middle East. In 1996, the Egyptian Bible Society sold just 3,000 video copies of the JESUS film. In the year 2000, they sold an incredible 600,000 copies.
In Sudan, as many as five million Muslims have accepted Christ since the early 1990s, despite horrific persecution of Christians by the Sudanese government. What is behind the mass conversions? According to a Sudanese evangelical leader, “People have seen real Islam, and they want Jesus instead.”
In Iraq, “More than 5,000 Muslim converts to Christianity have been identified since the end of major combat operations,” says Islam Watch. And just a few days ago, the first-ever Roman Catholic church was consecrated in Qatar, a Sunni Muslim state where the Wahhabi brand of Islam is practiced. This was the first time Christians in Qatar have been allowed to practice their faith openly. Ten thousand people attended the opening mass.
These conversions have not escaped the notice of Islamic leaders. In 2001, Sheikh Ahmad Al Qatanni, a leading Saudi cleric, delivered the disturbing news on Al-Jazeera: Every day, he said, “16,000 Muslims convert to Christianity . . . every year, that is six million Muslims becoming Christians . . . A tragedy has happened.” It is possible the sheikh was inflating his numbers to incite a reaction against Christianity. But clearly, something is happening.
How thrilling to learn that so many Muslims have been set free from the chains of their sins—just as you and I have—by the power of Christ’s blood! We must pray for these new brothers and sisters; many are being violently persecuted for their new-found faith.
These millions of conversions give us one more reason to rejoice this Easter season. Yes, we may be in a great clash of civilizations; battling Islamo-fascists who threaten to kill us. And the future may at times look bleak. But never despair: God is on His throne, bringing people into His kingdom from the very heart of Islam.
The highest glory of the American Revolution was this; it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity.
From the day of the Declaration…they (the American people) were bound by the laws of God, which they all, and by the laws of The Gospel, which they nearly all, acknowledge as the rules of their conduct.
John Quincy Adams, the sixth President of the US.
July 4, 1821
“Almighty God: We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection: that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government, and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and their fellow citizens of the United States at large…Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen”
We want to wish you a very Merry Christmas! We hope you enjoy the celebration of our Savior’s birth.
As families and friends gather to celebrate Christmas, we remember all the blessings that fill our lives, beginning with the great blessing that came on a holy night in Bethlehem. For Christians around the world, the birth of Jesus is a central religious event; an example of God’s profound love for humanity; and the pathway to hope and to new life. Today, the Christmas story still speaks to every generation.
Having just celebrated Thanksgiving, I’m struck afresh by the covenant the Pilgrims made with the Lord and one another before they landed at Plymouth Rock. The Mayflower Compact paved the way for representative democracy in America.
In the name of God, Amen. We whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread sovereign Lord King James by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France, Ireland, King, Defender of the faith, etc.
Having undertaken, for the glory of God and advancement of the Christian Faith, and Honour of our King and Country, a Voyage to plant the First Colony in the Northern Parts of Virginia, do by these presents solemnly and mutually in the presence of God and of one another, Covenant and Combine ourselves together into a Civil Body Politic, for our better ordering and preservation, and furtherance of the ends aforesaid;
and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute and frame such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions and Offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the Colony, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience.
In witness whereof we have hereunder inscribed our names at Cape Cod, the 11th of November, in the year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord King James, of England, France and Ireland the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth. Anno Domini 1620.
