~ The Days of Purim ~

Taking a Stand for Light in the Midst of Darkness

for the PrayerStorm
by James W. Goll, March 2008
1-877-200-1604 | www.encountersnetwork.com

From the Desk of James W. Goll

This week's PrayerStorm emphasis centers on Praying for Israel and Crisis Intercession combined as we join the global efforts of The Cry in The Days of Purim where we Take a Stand for Light in the Midst of Darkness.

This is not just a “prayer assignment” for one hour on one day only this week, but it is an attempt to be salt and light in a critical hour of history. Israel’s enemies loom on all sides. We must arise and take a stand!

Keep watching – for our weekly PrayerStorm web cast – it will begin soon – I promise! I have also made available a FREE audio download of the message Chosen: A Watchman for Israel again this week. Pass it on free to others around the globe! I also want to commend to each person involved in our Prayer Storm efforts to get a copy of my book Praying for Israel’s Destiny and also the book The Lost Art of Practicing His Presence. These two books will inspire you in your prayers at this time.

Thanks for your on going prayers for Michal Ann. She completed her third round of chemotherapy this week. She will have a fourth round in about ten days and then will possibly have scans done. She has been a bit weaker the past few days so keep praying!

Wow – this week’s Jewish/Hebrew time of Purim overlaps with the church calendar of Holy Week! That is strategic timing! Let’s join together in effective intercession this week!

Thanks for Being a Part of the PrayerStorm!

Dr. James W. Goll

Click Here to ENLIST NOW

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The Days of Purim

Taking a Stand for Light in the Midst of Darkness

In the time of Persia’s King Artaxerxes, an evil official named Haman plotted to wipe out the people of Israel in a massacre. Desperate to save her people, Queen Esther, who was a Jew, declared a three-day fast from both food and water, after which she approached the king and, through divine intervention, obtained deliverance from the imminent genocide. You can read the dramatic story in the Book of Esther.

[Mordecai sent a message that said,] “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”

Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, “Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish....”

Now it came about on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace in front of the king’s rooms, and the king was sitting on his royal throne in the throne room, opposite the entrance to the palace. When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she obtained favor in his sight; and the king extended to Esther the golden scepter which was in his hand. So Esther came near and touched the top of the scepter.

Then the king said to her, “What is troubling you, Queen Esther? And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be given to you....”

Now in the twelfth month (that is, the month Adar), on the thirteenth day when the king's command and edict were about to be executed, on the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, it was turned to the contrary so that the Jews themselves gained the mastery over those who hated them.....This [Jewish victory over their enemies] was done on the thirteenth day of the month Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing. (Esther 4:14, 16; 5:1–3, 9:1, 17 nas)

To this day, Jews celebrate Purim as a holiday that celebrates God’s deliverance of the Jewish people through Esther’s courageous actions. On the Jewish calendar, it used to be celebrated on the 14th of Adar in the unwalled cities and on the 15th of Adar in the cities that were walled in the time of Joshua. Today it is celebrated from sunset on the first day through nightfall on the second, and it is preceded by a fast that mirrors Esther’s three-day fast.

Because the Church is like a spiritual Esther, many Christian intercessors declare a three-day “Esther fast” at Purim, fasting and seeking God’s favor and protection for the Jews and for the overthrow of evil in our day.

Desperate times require desperate measures. Purim is a good time to intercede against the plots and schemes of the modern-day spirit of Haman. I call this annual time of fasting and intervention intercession The Cry. We are now merging this annual prayer and fasting thrust into our weekly PrayerStorm. Give yourself to the Lord as a modern day Mordecai and or Esther for such a time as this. Stand in the gap for Israel and the Jewish People worldwide!

Various Forms of Fasting

There are various forms of fasting given to us through out scripture. See my book The Lost Art of Practicing His Presence on the chapter "The Fasted Lifestyle" for details on this subject. To undertake a complete Esther Fast, as in the Book of Esther, do not eat or drink (except for taking Holy Communion) for the duration of the three days. I do not recommend undertaking the Esther fast unless you are in good health. Please follow normal guidelines for starting and ending the time of fasting. If necessary, adapt the type of fast to fit your life and schedule but whatever you do – do it with all your heart!

The purpose of fasting is so that you can devote yourself without reservation to extra prayer and Scripture-reading. Below you will find a list of Scriptures that you might find helpful. Use the Scriptures to guide your prayers, and be specific when you pray. Include prayers for yourself, asking God to direct and empower you in your own ministry in the Body of Christ as well as praying for reconciliation in your own personal relationships as well as among groups, regions, and nations on the earth. Pray for forgiveness for yourself and also for the sins of your nation. (I have also listed some specific prayer focuses below).

Hear my prayer, O Lord!
And let my cry for help come to You.
Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my distress;
Incline Your ear to me;
In the day when I call answer me quickly....
You will arise and have compassion on Zion;|
For it is time to be gracious to her,
For the appointed time has come....
He looked upon their distress
When He heard their cry;
And He remembered His covenant for their sake,
And relented according to the greatness of His lovingkindness.
He also made them objects of compassion
In the presence of all their captors.
Save us, O Lord our God,
And gather us from among the nations,
To give thanks to Your holy name
And glory in Your praise. (Ps. 102:1, 13; 106:44–47, NAS)

From the Prophet Isaiah!

But you, Israel, My servant,
Jacob whom I have chosen,
Descendant of Abraham My friend,
You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,
And called from its remotest parts
And said to you, “You are My servant,
I have chosen you and not rejected you.
Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
Behold, all those who are angered at you will be shamed and dishonored;
Those who contend with you will be as nothing and will perish.
(Isaiah 41:8–11, NAS)

“As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring’s offspring,” says the Lord, “from now and forever.” (Isaiah 59:21, NAS)

Additional Scriptures for Prayer

Genesis 12:1–3; 35:11-12

Deuteronomy 30:1–4

Psalm 102:1, 13; 105; 106:44–47; 122:6; 137:4–6; 147:1–2

Isaiah 11:10–12; 14:1–2; 27:12–13; 40:1–5; 41:8–11; 42:22; 43:1–13; 44:3–6; 45:2–6; 46:3–4; 49:8–10, 22; 51:14; 57:18; 59:21; 60:4, 8-9; 62:4–7,10–12

Jeremiah 16:14–16; 23:3–8; 30:10, 16–17; 31:7–11, 31–34, 37

Ezekiel 20:33–35; 34:11–16; 36:8, 17–28, 24–28; 37:12–14; 39:27–28

Hosea chapters 3, 4, 11, 14

Amos 9:11–14

Micah 4:6–7

Zephaniah 2:1–2, 6–7

Romans 11:11–12; 12:17–18; 15:27

Ephesians 3:6

Join With Me This Week!

Join thousands of others around the globe as we enter into Praying for Israel with Crisis Intervention through the power of prayer and fasting. Yes, together we shall make history before the throne of the Almighty!

Let’s agree together for four specific things this week in our PrayerStorm Efforts:

• That the Body of Christ – the universal Church of Jesus Christ – Wakes up to her call to pray and take a stand with Israel and the Jewish People worldwide!
  
• Pray for protection for the nation of Israel from her spiritual and natural enemies looming on all sides – Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Iran, and beyond.
  
• Pray that the blinders fall off Israel as a nation and off the Jewish people worldwide that they might arise and lay hold of their progressive prophetic destiny in the Lord God Almighty!
  
• Release the Israel Awakening Angel to go forth to do it’s bidding in all three areas as mentioned above. Go forth, angels of the Lord, and do battle for Israel’s sake and purposes in this hour in Jesus’ Great Name!

Join Me on the Walls of Intercession!  

Dr. James W. Goll

The Vision of PrayerStorm: To restore and release the Moravian model of the watch of the Lord into homes and prayer rooms around the world. Web based teaching, prayer bulletins and resources will be utilized to facilitate round the clock worship and prayer to win for the Lamb the rewards of His Suffering!

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Don’t you want to make history before the throne of the Almighty? Then join me and countless numbers of others from around the world as watchmen on the walls for such a time as this!

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