A Call to Pray During the Islamic Holiday, Ramadan

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Chuck D. Pierce, founder of Glory of Zion ministries, is calling believers to pray for two reasons: (1) According to the Hebraic calendar, we have just entered a new year; and (2) Muslims around the world have begun their annual monthlong observance of Ramadan, a period during which their religious zeal is heightened and they are more focused on following the radical teachings of Islam.

“This is a key time for the blood-bought disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ to rise up and pray fervently. On Wednesday, Sept. 12, at sundown we entered the new Hebraic year—5768.

“The next day we entered the month during which Muslims celebrate Ramadan. I encourage you to pray for the millions upon millions of Muslims who will be observing this religious season.

“The word Ramadan is an Arabic word meaning “intense, scorching heat or dryness, especially toward the ground.” Another definition refers to Ramadan as “sun-baked sand.

“One intent of Ramadan is to “scorch out” sins with good deeds. Ramadan releases religious zeal among Muslims of all ages. Devout Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset as an act of faith and worship toward Allah and as a means of suppressing their desires and abstaining from earthly pleasures. This fast is intended to be an exacting act of deep, personal worship in which Muslims seek a raised level of closeness to Allah.

“During Ramadan, Muslims are also expected to put more effort into following the teachings of Islam as well as refraining from anger, envy, greed, lust, sarcastic reports, backstabbing and gossip. During this month of Ramadan, which began Sept. 13, let us join our hearts, faith and prayers.”

Every day until the end of Ramadan, Oct. 12, intercessors are praying for a different Islamic nation.

September 13

Afghanistan

September 14

Azerbaijan

September 15

Albania

September 16

Algeria

September 17

Bahrain

September 18

Bangladesh

September 19

Brunei

September 20

Arab Republic of Egypt

September 21

Indonesia

September 22

Islamic Republic of Iran

September 23

Republic of Iraq

September 24

State of Israel

September 25

Jordan

September 26

Republic of Kazakhstan

September 27

State of Kuwait

September 28

Lebanon

September 29

Libya

September 30

Malaysia

October 1

Morocco

October 2

Sultanate of Oman

October 3

Pakistan

October 4

Qatar

October 5

Saudi Arabia

October 6

Sudan

October 7

Syria

October 8

Tunisia

October 9

Turkey

October 10

United Arab Emirates

October 11

Uzbekistan

October 12

Yemen

Miracles During Purity Siege

Across the country young people have been praying and worshipping in front of nightclubs and bars as part of an initiative called “Purity Siege,” sponsored by Mike and Cindy Jacobs’ ministry Generals International (www.generals.org). “In much the same way people protest against governmental or business aspects of society, youth across the nation will ‘siege’ sites of impurity in their city, by doing on-location prayer,” the ministry’s Web site states. “They will be protesting the machinations of evil, such as pornography, injustice, abortion, and other strongholds. They will stand outside of spiritual strongholds and visually demonstrate their opposition.” At a recent siege outside a known homosexual nightclub in Dallas, young people prayed for and evangelized homosexuals, transgenders and transvestites. A self-proclaimed homosexual atheist who called the police to report the purity siege as a disruption gave his life to Christ that night after one of the seige volunteers began to talk to him. “[He] was one of many who fell under the power of the Holy Spirit that night,” Cindy Jacobs said. “He then accepted Christ as his Savior … and spoke in tongues.” He immedialtly left his partner and family and enrolled in a bible college. “I am willing to talk to any homosexual, drug addict or sex addict because I know what hell feels like, but now I know what heaven feels like and it is so much better,” he said. To find out how you can get involved in prayer sieges around the country e-mail joe@joeodenministries.com or visit www.joeodenministries.com.

Judge Rules Jesus Can Remain in Courthouse

A federal judge rebuffed a request by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in early September by refusing to remove a painting of Jesus Christ from a display at the Slidell city courthouse lobby in Slidell, La. “The court today recognized that the First Amendment allows public officials, and not the ACLU, to determine what is appropriate for acknowledging our nation’s legal and cultural heritage,” said Mike Johnson, senior counsel at the Alliance Defense Fund, which represented the city of Slidell, a Slidell city judge, and the parish of St. Tammany in the suit filed by the ACLU in July. The Jesus painting is mounted in the courthouse alongside 15 other portraits of notable lawgivers in history, including Moses, Charlemagne and Sir William Blackstone.

Americans Believe U.S. is a Christian Nation

An annual first amendment study, which gauges American attitudes toward issues such as freedom of religion, speech and the press, found that the majority of Americans believe the founding fathers (65 percent) and the Constitution (55 percent) established the U. S. as a Christian nation. Released Sept. 12 by the First Amendment Center, the survey found that 58 percent believed teachers should be allowed to lead students in prayer, compared to 52 percent last year; 56 percent of respondents believed freedom of religion applies to all groups regardless of how extreme their views are, down from 72 percent in 2000; and 43 percent said schools should be allowed to have Nativity plays with Christian music. Though the figures indicate widespread Christian sentiment in modern society, Gene Policinski, executive director of the First Amendment Center, said that doesn’t technically mean America was founded as a Christian nation. “People are applying their own values ... rather than educated knowledge of the Constitution,” he told USA Today, which he said “clearly establishes the U.S. as a secular nation.” The survey, dubbed State of the First Amendment 2007, has been conducted annually since 1997.

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