FROM THE HEART OF SISTER GWEN
A Call to Prayer

At that time, Hezekiah got sick. He was about to die. The prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, visited him and said, “God says, ‘Prepare your affairs and your family. This is it. You’re going to die. You’re not going to get well.’” 

            Hezekiah turned away from Isaiah and, facing the wall, prayed to God: “God, please, I beg you: Remember how I’ve lived my life. I’ve lived faithfully in your presence, lived out of a heart that was totally yours. You’ve seen how I’ve lived, the good I have done.” And Hezekiah wept as he prayed—painful tears.

            Then God told Isaiah, “Go and speak with Hezekiah. Give him this Message from me, God, the God of your ancestor David: ‘I’ve heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll add fifteen years to your life. And I’ll save both you and this city from the king of Assyria. I have my hand on this city.

            And this is your confirming sign, confirming that I, God, will do exactly what I have promised. Watch for this: As the sun goes down and the shadow lengthens in the sundial of Ahaz, I’m going to reverse the shadow ten notches, on the dial.” And that’s what happened. The declining sun’s shadow reversed ten notches on the dial. (Isaiah 38:1-8). (Message Bible)

            It seemed like the end had come for Judah and Jerusalem. The land was occupied by the Assyrian army that was now camping around the city of Jerusalem, holding it under siege. Besides that, King Hezekiah was on his death-bed. Isaiah the true prophet of the Lord was sent by God to come and warn Hezekiah that he must prepare for death. “Write your last will, speak your last wishes, and say goodbye to your family.”

            Hezekiah began to travail, weeping loudly, calling upon the Lord to remember how he had lived a holy life, had cleansed the land from false gods and idols, renewed the feasts of the Lord, and brought revival—and how he had loved the Lord all the days of his life. He brought forth his strong reasons why he should live (Isaiah 41:21). And God answered his prayer; He turned back the hands of time, and gave Hezekiah fifteen more years to live.

            “AMERICA, YOU ARE TOO YOUNG TO DIE! That is the sermon Col. Eugene Bird preached at our World Convention in 1987 in St. Louis. We will never forget it! He came all the way from Berlin to preach it. Col Bird was retired from the USA Army. He was one of our first soldiers to march into Berlin after WWII. And he served as Commander of Spandau Prison where the top Nazi POWs were held. He preached a prophetic message to America, a message that inspired Shelly Baker to paint “The Travail of the Flag” by a vision she received as he preached. *

            Today, America is “dying” economically, spiritually, and militarily, as Iran and North Korea and Russia, and half of the South American nations link up as the axis against us. The prophets have spoken,  IT IS THE END! Prepare for the nuclear destruction of some of our cities, economical collapse  (The day the dollar dies has arrived), plagues of HIV, Cancer, and other strange new diseases, burning forests, hurricanes destroying our cities, tornadoes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, illicit and crime.  And we play on! (Fiddling while Rome is burning), tearing each other apart, attacking prophets, preachers, ( sincere servants of the Lord are being attacked by fellow Christians), lies, defamation of character, unfaithfulness, unholiness, adultery in the house of God, and a terrible spirit of uncleaness.            

            I ask, as we go into a month of intercession and travail, “Are there enough righteous intercessors among us who have power with God to save the city?”  Can God turn the tide and give us another fifteen years? Do we have enough “brownie points” to make God turn his face back to us, listen to our crying and weeping, and STOP the sun from going down on us right now?

OR IS THERE ANYBODY WHO IS REALLY WEEPING FOR AMERICA?  This is a BIG ship! If we go down, the world will go down with us. Don’t forget it for a moment. There will be no safe place, no safe currency, even your gold won’t save you, James said, “And a final word to you arrogant rich: Take some lessons in lament. You’ll need buckets for the tears when the crash comes upon you. Your money is corrupt and your fine clothes stink. Your greedy luxuries are a cancer in your gut, destroying your life from within. You thought you wee piling up wealth. What you’ve piled up is judgment. All the workers you’ve exploited and cheated have cried out for judgment. The groans of the workers you used and abused are a roar in the ears of the Master Avenger. You’ve looted the earth and lived it up. But all you’ll have to show for it is a fatter than usual corpse. In fact, what you’ve done is condemn and murder perfectly good persons, who stand there and take it. (James 5:1-8. M.B.)

            America, you are weighed in the balances and found wanting. Only the intercessors can save you now!

            Read Ezekiel chapter Seven carefully and prayerfully, and let God speak to you loud and clearly!

            May God  help us all to be faithful to the voice of God in these treacherous days!.   Sister Gwen