Dear Intercessors:

I am forwarding two prayer focuses regarding March 3, 2003.  The first is from Pastor Ted Haggard and the World Prayer Team, and the second is from Rick Ridings in Israel. 

Blessings,
Chuck D. Pierce
pna@strategicprayer.net
http://www.glory-of-zion.org

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RE: URGENT CALL FOR 03-03-03 TO BE A "WORLDWIDE DAY OF PRAYER"

Dear World Prayer Team Member,

The World Prayer Center is calling all Christians worldwide to a Worldwide Day of Prayer on Monday, March 3, 2003.

Ted Haggard, President of The World Prayer Team, says his office has been flooded with messages from people all over the world saying that God is impressing upon them to prepare to pray on 03-03-03. "These believers do not know one another, nor are they connected to one another. They do not know that the others are saying the same thing. Clearly, the Holy Spirit is speaking to His church, and He is calling His people to pray," says Haggard.

"As these reports began to come in, we sensed in our hearts that God wants us to promote a huge outpouring of prayer on this special date. Many believe there is significance to t! his date because of its numerical sequence (03-03-03) which reminds many Christians of the Trinity. Moreover, the Holy Spirit has highlighted Jeremiah 33:3 (again, three 3's) as our call to action, 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know,'" says Haggard.

The magnitude of this date is not lost on the non-Christian world as well. The Global Consciousness movement (New Age) has for years been planning a worldwide "Largest ever experiment into global consciousness" to take place on 03-03-03. Their effort is slated to begin at 3:33am (Fiji local time), on the 3rd day of the 3rd month of the 3rd millennium. It has gained widespread notoriety in New Age circles.

Should this not be enough to cause Christians to pray, the significance of 03-03-03 becomes even more pressing as America could launch a war with Iraq at about that very hour, against a leader, Saddam Hussein, who has only recently embraced Islam as a way of gaining support from the Islamic world. Such was not the case with the first Gulf War. According to the Islamic calendar, March 3, 2003 is the eve of the Islamic New Year (Islamic year 1424 begins March 4, 2003). It is also the last day of the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, when pilgrims ! are encouraged to make a sacrifice (The Festival of Sacrifice or Eid al-Adha). The key verse in the Qu' Ran about this festival to take place this year on March 3, 2003 is, "Truly, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life or my death, are all of Allah…" This date therefore holds great significance to the Islamic world.

While all of this is beneath the radars of the secular news media, it is clear to many Christian leaders that the world is on the brink of a spiritual battle of monumental proportions. The epicenter of this struggle is the Middle East-a battle is going on for Jerusalem and Babylon (Iraq), biblical centers of spiritual light and darkness.

The World Prayer Team therefore calls on all Christian churches and individuals to set aside at least 3 minutes to pray at 3:33 PM in their time zone on 03/03/03.

PRAYER FOCUS: Pray that the armies of heaven will push back the powers of darkness in the Middle East. Pray that Saddam Husse! in will leave the country before war is required to remove hi! m from power. Pray that a spiritual shield will contain hostilities within the Iraqi borders (if war cannot be avoided), such that it doesn't spill over to the entire Islamic world. Pray that weapons of mass destruction, if they are deployed on any side of the battle, will be powerless. Pray that this date, rather than being a focal point of darkness, will be overwhelmed by the Light of God through the worldwide prayers of His people.

PLEASE FORWARD this message to every person you know as soon as possible. 03-03-03 is just a few days away.

Pastor Ted Haggard
THE WORLD PRAYER TEAM
www.worldprayerteam.org

Special Note by Steve Shultz: As several have pointed out...the above call for 3 minutes of prayer would be a bare minimum. Many are fasting and praying for days prior to and including March 3. But for those who are unable to do otherwise, the Lord will most gratefully receive every minute of prayer you give to Him. He'll take every minute He can get. He loves YOUR prayers! -- Steve Shultz


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A Season of Judgment Beginning March 3

Rick Ridings
Feb 24, 2003
A Call To Serious Prayer and Fasting Concerning March 3rd 
Written by Rick Ridings in Jerusalem on Feb. 19, 2003

Last October, I had a strong sense of an imminent unleashing of judgment upon the earth.  As we were interceding in our worship and intercession “watches” here in Jerusalem, a sense began to grow that judgment could not be totally averted, but that it might be delayed.  October 3, in a city-wide meeting we host on Thursday evenings, I felt the Lord speak clearly that He was giving us a 40-day “window of mercy” during which we were to cry out for His mercy and for 40 days of spiritual rains to prepare a harvest here in Israel and in the Middle East.

As we prayed further along these lines, some of our leaders and intercessors sensed the Lord speaking (through the story of Noah, in Genesis 7:24, 8:2) that this “window of mercy” would extend to 150 days.  If we are discerning correctly, the 150th day of this “window of mercy” would therefore end on March 2nd.   Recently, we are hearing of more and more who are sensing that March 3 will be a! very strategic day.  Interestingly enough, that will be the third day of the third month of the third year (3-3-03 in the Gregorian calendar).  Biblically, nine is the number of judgment (for further explanation see the classic “Number in Scripture” by E. W. Bullinger).

If March 3rd will be the first day of a season of God’s judgment upon many nations, then I believe it would be right for us to cry out for His mercy within those judgments.  I believe this is especially vital for the USA and Israel.  I would encourage you to set aside at least March 2nd (I feel I am to start three days before, on February 28th) for a time of serious prayer and fasting.  Pray:

·       That we in the body of Messiah (Christ) would confess our own pride, arrogance, and divisions, and truly humble ourselves before the Lord.

·       That the ! leaders of our nations would not boast of and trust in their ! own military might, but walk in dependence upon the Lord to help them carry out His mandate.

·       That there would be a real spirit of repentance and turning to the Lord among the troops stationed in the Middle East.

·       That the leaders of our nations would be moved to declare a national day of prayer and fasting, to humble ourselves before the Lord.

·       That in all that is happening, the way would be prepared for God’s borders to be established in the Middle East, and for the Pharaoh-like hold of Islam to be broken so that multitudes will see clearly the bondage that Islam has brought.
Pray that they will receive the revelation of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the salvation found only in His only begotten Son, Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ).

·       That in the pressures coming upon the USA and ! Israel, there would be a great and lasting turning to the Lord.
·       That through His judgments, the nations will learn righteousness. (Isa. 26:9)
·       That His judgments may be tempered by His mercy (Isa. 54:8; Isa. 60:10;  Hab. 3:2)

May you clearly hear His direction for you as you prayerfully consider this call.

Grace and shalom,
Rick Ridings
RickRidings@compuserve.com

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