Pentecost Prayer
©June 5, 2011 Asher Intrater

We are ready for the first all-night Shavuot-Pentecost prayer vigil, this Tuesday-Wednesday night, June 7-8, from 10:00 PM to 10:00 AM. The intercession will focus on one overall theme: international revival in the end times, as it is written, “In the end days, I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh” – Acts 2:17. (See the summary of prayer topics and verses attached below.)

In Israel, cooperating in the event will be Revive Israel, Ohalei Rahamim, the Messianic Jewish Alliance, five local houses of prayer, and various pastors and praise teams. We will be joined by Christians and Messianic Jews with prayer networks in many nations. Please invite friends and pray together with us vigorously (James 5:17), with groaning (Romans 8:26), labor pains (Galatians 4:19), and tears and shouting (Hebrews 5:7) for a mighty breakthrough and outpouring.

Syrian Upheaval

This weekend a reported 20,000 Syrians took to the streets in demonstrations against the Assad government, despite the imposed curfew. A reported 73 demonstrators were killed by the Syrian army, 53 of them in the town of Hamath, and 20 in other cities.

Liberman

In the Ma’ariv newspaper (Musafshabbat, p. 4), Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Liberman was quoted: “There is one Jewish state, opposite 57 Islamic states. In any international forum, they take over. For example, Canada, one of the nations that support us, was blocked from becoming part of the U.N. Security Council, just because of their support for us.  There are 7 million people in Israel, living on 21 thousand sq. kilometers. The Islamic nations include 1½  billion people, covering 63 million sq. kilometers.”

Shalit’s Captors

Five years ago, at 4:45 AM, June 25, 2006, a group of eight terrorists crossed from Gaza into Israel through a tunnel dug under the border, in an operation that had been planned for months by the commanders of the “military wing” of Hamas. They stopped an Israeli patrol, and killed two soldiers. A third, Gilad Shalit, was kidnapped. Two of the terrorist were killed in the skirmish. By 5:21 AM Shalit had already been abducted back into Gaza.  All the six other terrorists have been subsequently found and killed by the Israeli army.  One of the planners has been captured, yet the two highest commanders are still alive in Gaza. Israeli military intelligence reports that Israel does not know where Shalit’s exact location is, and that neither do the top Hamas political leaders in Gaza, a measure purposely taken by Hamas in order to prevent an information leak.

Apostolic Action

The book of Acts holds a special place for us as Messianic Jews. We have no Christian “denomination” to turn to, so we naturally look to the first century Messianic Jews as our pattern of what a community of faith should look like. This is a radical perspective on the book of Acts. “Acts” is not just a document of past actions, but a pattern for our present actions. We want to preach the content of what they preached, live the lifestyle they lived, see the results they saw, and relate to the Jewish community around us the way they did.

One element that stands out in the book of Acts is supernatural miraculous intervention. Just to look at a few examples, we see:

Acts 1:9 - Yeshua ascends into heaven before their eyes,

Acts 2:3 – Tongues of fire fall on Shavuot morning,

Acts 3:7 – Crippled man at the Temple mount instantly healed,

Acts 4:31 – Earthquake during congregational prayer meeting,

Acts 5:5 – Hananiah drops dead in prayer meeting after lying about money donated,

Acts 5:19 – Angel opens the door to prison to set apostles free,

Acts 6:15 – Stephen’s face shines with glory light before the Sanhedrin,

Acts 7:55 – Heavens open over Stephen’s head as he is stoned,

Acts 8:39 – Phillip is supernaturally transported from Gaza road to Ashdod,

… And the list goes on throughout the book. Another element we see is growth in numbers of people saved:

Acts 2:41 – 3,000 saved on Shavuot morning,

Acts 2:47 – daily newly saved were being added,

Acts 4:4 – 5,000 saved after crippled man healed,

Acts 5:14 – more added despite persecution,

Acts 6:1 – so many added that administrative problems arose between those who spoke Hebrew and those who spoke Greek,

Acts 6:7 – numbers greatly increase in Jerusalem, including priests in Temple,

Acts 8:6 – almost whole city of Samaria comes to faith by Phillip’s ministry,

Acts 11:21, 24 – many in Antioch come to Lord with Barnabas,

Acts 16:5 – in cities throughout Greece numbers grew daily with Paul (Saul),

Acts 21:20 – 10’s of thousands of religious Jews believe in Jerusalem with James (Yaakov),

… And the list goes on. The combination of supernatural power and evangelistic growth is a central part of what we are all praying for together in our Shavuot-Pentecost night of intercession.

Shavuot-Pentecost All Night Prayer Schedule

Theme: Acts 2:17 – "In the last days, I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh."

Watch 1 – Unity of the Body of Messiah

John 17:21 – "That they all may be one." (also Acts 1:14)

10:00-11:00PM – Praise, 11:00-12:00PM – Prayer

Watch 2 – Coming of the Kingdom of God

Matthew 6:10 – "Let Your kingdom Come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (also Revelation 11:15)

12:00-1:00AM – Praise, 1:00 – 2:00AM – Prayer

Watch 3 – Reaching the Nations

Acts 1:8 – "Be witnesses of Me in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (also Matthew 24:14; Psalm 2:8)

2:00 – 3:00AM – Praise, 3:00 – 4:00AM – Prayer

Watch 4 – Miraculous Power of Holy Spirit

Acts 4:29 – "…Stretch out Your hand to heal, that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy servant Yeshua." (also Isaiah 61:1)

4:00 – 5:00AM – Praise, 5:00 – 6:00AM – Prayer

Watch 5 – Salvation of Israel

Romans 11:26 – "And so, all Israel will be saved." (also Romans 9:1; 10:1)

6:00 – 7:00AM – Praise, 7:00 – 8:00AM – Prayer

Watch 6 – Coming of Yeshua

Matthew 23:39 – "Blessed be He who comes in the name of the Lord." (also Revelation 21:20)

8:00 – 9:00AM – Praise, 9:00 – 10:00AM – Prayer