In This Issue• Introduction
• STEP ONE
• STEP TWO
• STEP THREE
• STEP FOUR
• Addendum: Supporting Gov. Perry
Greetings!
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net
A SPECIAL CALL TO FAST AND PRAY
ON MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2011
"Is not this the fast that I have chosen?"
(Isaiah 58:6)
ON MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2011
"Is not this the fast that I have chosen?"
(Isaiah 58:6)
Introduction
Dear Friends,
We at Capitol Hill Prayer Partners continue to support Governor Rick Perry in his call to convene a day of prayer and fasting next week on Saturday, August 6 (details below).
However, the Spirit of the Lord has moved upon us to invite all of you, our Partners in Prayer, to also join us on MONDAY, AUGUST 1, for a day of fasting, prayer and repentance before the Lord our God.
Monday, August 1, brings us to the "finish line" of the debate about our debt ceiling crisis, and a decision must be made. The next day, the federal government must issue its checks for the month of August. Some of the bills that are paid by the Department of Treasury include: Social Security, Medicare, the Federal Employees' Retirement Fund, and the military. MUCH IS RIDING ON THE LINE NEXT WEEK FOR OUR NATION.
Many knowledgeable commentators are arguing that the adminstration's "scare tactic" that we will not be able to pay all of our bills by August 2nd is just that -- a scare tactic. Even so . . . it is time to pray.
In the face of this looming crisis, we also know that GOD HAS A PLAN FOR OUR PEOPLE. As we humble ourselves, fast, pray and seek His face on MONDAY, AUGUST 1, we trust that He WILL hear our prayers, and a breakthrough will occur for the good of all of our people.
Below please find several steps you may prayerfully consider taking in order to join with us in this day of corporate, united prayer, fasting and repentance.
Thank you for "being there" with us.
For such a time as this,
Sara C. Ballenger, President
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
STEP ONE: OBSERVING THE DAY OF FASTING AND PRAYER
MONDAY, AUGUST 1
The Call to Fasting
"Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke?" (Isaiah 58:6)
This call to a day of fasting, prayer and repentance is not complicated to observe. Rather, we simply ask each of you to enter into your time of fasting at midnight on Sunday night in your own time zone, and continue on through for 24 hours, ending at midnight on Monday night.
In choosing your own plan of fasting, please seek the Lord for His plan for your day. Here are a few examples you may wish to consider:
-- Some may choose to drink only liquids for that time.
-- Some may feel to forgo eating only one meal during that day.
-- And some may feel quickened to pursue the fast of Queen Esther in her own desperate day, withholding both food and water for the entire 24-hour period. -- As always, those with special medical needs may wish to choose a fasting plan that does not center around "eating" for the day, but abstaining from some other form of activity for these 24 hours.
Whichever fasting plan you choose, we will be supporting you in prayer, asking our Lord to grant you His grace and His strength throughout this 24-hour period of time. Our alignment in fasting is key, for our unity will command His blessing! (Psalm 133)
The Call to Repentance
JOB 22:21-29
21 "Yield now and be at peace with Him; Thereby good will come to you. 22 "Please receive instruction from His mouth And establish His words in your heart. 23 "If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored; If you remove unrighteousness far from your tent, 24 And place your gold in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks, 25 Then the Almighty will be your gold And choice silver to you. 26 "For then you will delight in the Almighty And lift up your face to God. 27 "You will pray to Him, and He will hear you; And you will pay your vows. 28 "You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you; And light will shine on your ways. 29 "When you are cast down, you will speak with confidence, And the humble person He will save."
STEP TWO: COMMUNION AND THE LORD'S PRAYER
TAKING COMMUNION
We invite each of our prayer partners to set aside a few minutes during the day on Monday to come before the Lord and to receive the Cup of Communion from Him directly.
In receiving Communion, we must first examine our hearts and ask our Lord to cleanse us from any sin. Then we may wish to follow His words, spoken at the Last Supper:
"For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes." (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
THE LORD'S PRAYER
After Communion, let's each recite the Lord's Prayer, carefully pondering each phrase:
"Our Father, Which art in Heaven,
Hallowed by Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil
For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, forever and ever. Amen."
(Matthew 6:9-13)
STEP THREE: JOIN US ON A CONFERENCE CALL
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners will host a conference call on Monday, August 1, at noon, Eastern Daylight Time, for one hour. Other times are:
Central: 11:00 a.m.
Mountain: 10:00 a.m.
Pacific: 9:00 a.m.
Hawaii: 6:00 a.m.
Purpose:
The purpose of this call is to give all of us an opportunity to pray in one accord for our leaders as they reach this decision for our nation.
Guidelines:
When you call in, please observe these simple guidelines:
1. This call is for the purpose of prayer, only. We will refrain from sharing news or opinions about the debt crisis, but will instead be lifting up different aspects of' this situation before our Lord.
2. Please limit your intercession to a time of 2-3 miniutes, only; allowing others the opportunity to pray.
3. If possible, plan to offer your prayer based on a Scripture . . . the foundation of our faith.
4. Finally, walk in love. We wish to LOVE our enemies, and to bless those who curse us . . . bless and curse not!
CONFERENCE NUMBER: (605) 477-2100
Access Code: 738772#
Date: Monday, August 1
Time: 12:00 noon, EDT
Caution!!
There are now thousands of you in our prayer network -- praise the Lord!!
However, this line will only accomodate 96 callers. So, you may plan to phone in a few minutes ahead of time in order to secure your place on the call.
We do thank the LORD for the joy of conference calling, and we look forward to hearing from as many of you as possible on Monday at noon. Blessings!
STEP FOUR: PLEASE TELL OTHERS
Please feel free to forward this call to fasting, prayer and repentance to others who are of like mind. We bless each and every one of you, and we do thank you, again and again, for partnering in prayer with us in Washington, D.C. for our nation.
Shalom!
Addendum: Supporting Gov. Perry
THE RESPONSE:
A Call to Prayer for a Nation in Crisis
On August 6, the nation will come together at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas for a solemn gathering of prayer and fasting for our country.
We believe that America is in a state of crisis. Not just politically, financially or morally, but because we are a nation that has not honored God in our successes or humbly called on Him in our struggles.
According to the Bible, the answer to a nation in such crisis is to gather in humility and repentance and ask God to intervene. The Response will be a historic gathering of people from across the nation to pray and fast for America.
A MESSAGE FROM GOVERNOR RICK PERRY
Fellow Americans,
Right now, America is in crisis: we have been besieged by financial debt, terrorism, and a multitude of natural disasters. As a nation, we must come together and call upon Jesus to guide us through unprecedented struggles, and thank Him for the blessings of freedom we so richly enjoy.
Some problems are beyond our power to solve, and according to the Book of Joel, Chapter 2, this historic hour demands a historic response. Therefore, on August 6, thousands will gather to pray for a historic breakthrough for our country and a renewed sense of moral purpose.
I sincerely hope you'll join me in Houston on August 6th and take your place in Reliant Stadium with praying people asking God's forgiveness, wisdom and provision for our state and nation. There is hope for America. It lies in heaven, and we will find it on our knees.
Sincerely,
Rick Perry, Governor
State of Texas
Host A Satellite Gathering
For those unable to attend this solemn gathering in Houston, we encourage you gather with your local church community, family, and friends.
A high-quality web stream of The Response will be available at TheResponseUSA.com starting at 9:00 am CST
Please register so that we know you'll be joining us in prayer on August 6.
