Tonight’s book of Mark Bible Study has been changed to a time of prayer and a remembrance of the biblical celebration of Purim. Please read below and feel free to join us at 7:00 PM.
A Purim Call to Prayer for Israel
Today marks the beginning of the biblical Jewish celebration of Purim. Purim is a remembrance and celebration of God’s deliverance of Israel from the plot of destruction by a Persian viceroy named Haman. The book of Esther details this deliverance and establishes the celebration. In light of the recent events and the speech delivered to Congress yesterday by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu I believe that we should consecrate today as a day of prayer for the nation of Israel and also for our own nation, specifically for the Body of Christ in our nation and in our community.
Tonight, in place of our bi-weekly Bible Study, we are going to have a time of prayer from 7:00-8:00 at our home, 945 Bordentown Road in Burlington. Everyone who would like to come for this corporate time of prayer is welcome. If you are not able to come out or if the weather causes it to be difficult I am asking that from 7:00-8:00 that we would join each other in spirit and pray in our own homes with our own families if we cannot be together.
Whether we are praying together in body or in spirit I would like us to keep a specific form with specific points of intercession. First, a major part of the Purim celebration is the reading of the book of Esther. I would like for us all to read Esther today if we are able, but to begin our time of prayer at 7:00 we will be reading Esther 9:18-32 which is the call for the celebration to be kept. After we have read this passage I would like us to pray three main points:
1. The Peace and Protection of Israel
2. For the Veil to be lifted from the hearts of Israel that they would see Jesus as their Messiah
3. For the Body of Christ in our country and our community to be led by the Holy Spirit to support and intercede for Israel in a righteous manner
Again, we will be meeting at our home from 7:00-8:00; if you cannot join us here please be praying in your home at the same time, beginning with Esther 9 and then praying through these three points as the Holy Spirit leads. Of course, if this time table is not one that fits your schedule please consider keeping the same call to prayer at a different time today.
To use the powerful words of the book of Esther, when Mordecai called Esther to action on behalf of the Jews: “who knows whether you [we] have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” May we join ourselves to the heart of God for His nation that He would be glorified and that they would be blessed and that the promise of Romans would come to pass that all of Israel would be saved.
As always, if you have any questions please email me at [email protected]