JERUSALEM, Israel – Messianic Israelis have joined international Christian groups in a call for 1 million people to pray one hour for Israel as Jews around the world mark Yom Kippur with fasting and prayer on the holiest day on the Jewish calendar.
Yom Kippur begins Sunday evening, September 24th, and continues until an hour after sunset on Monday, September 25th.
Mike Bickle, director of the International House of Prayer (IHOP) in Kansas City, MO, issued the call with Ron Cantor, a Messianic leader in Israel.
The Isaiah 62 Fast organization, headed by Bickle, issued a statement saying, “Over 5,000,000 believers came together this spring from May 7th to May 28th (leading up to Pentecost and the Jewish holiday of Shavuot) to pray at least one hour a day for Israel.” Bickle was “overwhelmed” by the response of 12,000 ministries who pledged to participate.
In the Yom Kippur appeal, the approach is simple. Bickle said, “We are asking 1,000,000 of you for one hour.” During the May event, he noted, “Twos and threes met in homes. Twos and threes even met in cars with their cell phones; they met in dorm rooms. Some of them met in the church foyer.”
Cantor stated, “Isaiah 62 speaks of God placing watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem.” He added, “I believe that Isaiah is looking ahead to a time when more than a billion non-Jews will have embraced the Jewish Messiah, Jesus. They will recognize that the gospel came to them through the Jewish people and will commit themselves to be Watchmen for Israel, contending for her salvation.”
The prayer time will be broacast live on GOD-TV at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time/5:00 p.m. Israel Time, on September 25th.
***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters and download the CBN News app to ensure you keep receiving the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***