LATTER RAIN IN JERUSALEM!

SPECIAL PRAYER INITIATIVES AROUND SHAVUOT (PENTECOST)

BY DR. JÜRGEN BÜHLER, ICEJ PRESIDENT

The days around Pentecost were a unique time this year that carried a taste of revival in it. Many prayer initiatives culminated around these days, and it seems heaven was giving its kiss with unprecedented latter rains that lasted well into the month of June. We all were reminded of the words of the prophet Joel: “Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God … for he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before.” (Joel 2:23 / ESV)

On Pentecost this year, the ICEJ celebrated three years of our Rosh Chodesh Prayer chain, which started on Pentecost 2020 right at the onset of the Covid season. It started with a meek 12 hours of prayer in late May 2020. Initially, we were not sure if we could fill 12 hours of continual prayer. But we have witnessed this initial prayer chain quickly turn into a growing monthly prayer chain that now covers more than 280 hours of ongoing prayer every month involving prayer teams from over 80 nations – and by the grace of God it keeps growing! Yet it is not the amount of hours that matters but rather the answers to prayer that we have experienced. In our special 3-year anniversary Global Prayer Gathering in May, we received one testimony after another that through this new way of prayer, revival broke out in churches in the Philippines, while young people in particular experienced a prayer revival in many places worldwide. In Thailand, an unusual door opened for the Gospel in a nation that had never experienced a true revival. And in some countries governmental changes were seen as a result of prayer, and many personal needs were met. Also, many nations testify that during these prayer times an unprecedented unity has come in their countries between churches, pastors and ministries. Our true champion in the Rosh Chodesh monthly prayer chain is our branch in the Philippines, led by Pastor Stephen Mirpuri, who in our current monthly prayers has a network of intercessors taking over 80 hours of prayer time. Thailand and India also have passionately taken the lead with many hours of prayer in each country.

I want to encourage believers in every nation to join this unique tool of the Rosh Chodesh Prayer Chain for your nation. We have seen the effectiveness of these prayer meetings by experiencing and witnessing with our eyes that the Lord is a prayer answering God!

Another exciting prayer initiative that culminated on Pentecost Sunday, 28 May, was a 21-day prayer and fasting call that was joined by the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, the International Prayer Connect and Empowered21. Between these three ministries, literally millions of believers worldwide joined in prayer and fasting for Israel. The closing session took place at the Southern Steps of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. One highlight was a passionate call by Dr. Billy Wilson of Empowered21 to dedicate this coming decade towards completing the Great Commission that Jesus gave to his disciples to take the Good News of Jesus to all peoples by 2033. “Every person on earth needs to have at least once the chance to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit,” he said, “and what better place than to launch this here in Jerusalem.” started in the Israeli Knesset with greetings from members of Knesset and selected delegates from around the globe. I could share a few thoughts on Psalm 133. The next morning, the annual Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast took place with participation by members of parliaments from around the world as well as former heads of state. In a special dinner session, similar testimonies were shared as we experienced in our own prayer campaigns: prayers are being answered in amazing ways, even on a governmental level. It further underlined to me to be bolder in our prayers and to ask God for breakthroughs even in hopeless situations.

These exciting events at Pentecost were somewhat overshadowed, however, by media reports of the hostile protest of a known and rather aggressive anti-missionary group at the event at the Southern Steps. Some of the Hebrew banners stated that Christians are not welcome in Israel and that they are ‘thieves’ of the holy sites. Yet from all sides in Israel came strong condemnations of the protests by Israeli leaders, while the Israeli media reports were favourable to the praying Christians. During the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast, Israeli parliamentarians uniformly condemned the demonstrations. The Israeli officials defending the pro-Israel Christian community included the Speaker of the Knesset as well as MKs Matan Kahana, Ohad Tal and Tatiana Mazarsky, along with former MK Rabbi Yehuda Glick. Israel’s Foreign Ministry and the deputy mayor of Jerusalem Fleur Hassan-Nahoum were also quick to denounce the anti-Christian protest, which was spearheaded by fellow deputy mayor Arieh King, known as a radical religious activist. To be clear, there was no missionizing at the event, but believers came to pray as Jerusalem is called to be a “house of prayer for all nations” (Isaiah 56:7).

Despite the misguided protest, nothing could take away from the enthusiasm that was felt during the days of Pentecost. A Jewish observant friend told me recently: “Jürgen, there is something in the air. I cannot tell you what it is. Maybe Messiah is coming or a great spiritual awakening is going to take place. I am not sure. But I know we stand in front of something really big.”

I totally agree with my Jewish friend. We all felt it during Pentecost this year.