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World War Watch

May 30   -  Jon & Jolene Hamill

I had a vision of George Washington, perhaps still our nation’s greatest general. In the vision, General Washington spoke to me with great fierceness, “I am again praying by the river!”  It is no coincidence that, a year after the vision, Jolene and I are residing in River House, literally overlooking the Pentagon. By no means did we plan this. Our friend, Jason Hershey, director of the Washington House of Prayer, connected us with this apartment after Rick Ridings shared his sense we were to focus for this season on our nation’s Capitol.

World War Watch


It’s also no coincidence that, a year later, the Lord began speaking to us about the urgent need to watch and pray. In this apartment, He recently whispered the words, “World War Watch.” I felt He emphasized the dates between 5-8-2012 and 8-5-2012 for this extended season of intercession.

Commissioned to Pray for America


Since before 9/11, the Holy Spirit has strongly quickened me to seasons of prayer for our Nation. My time working for the Department of Homeland Security only increased this intercessory burden for our intelligence communities, first responders, military, State Department, President and elected officials. Like many fellow believers, I honestly feel like a novice in praying for these arenas. Thank God for the power of praying in the Spirit, asking God to fulfill the actual intercession!

Commissioned to Pray for Israel


Since 2002, the Holy Spirit has strongly quickened me to pray for Israel. At the time, I was one of the original “intercessory missionaries” at IHOP-KC and had helped to start an Israel prayer watch there. However, it wasn’t until December 2002, at a prayer gathering in Washington DC, that the Lord actually commissioned me as an intercessor for Israel.  When the Holy Spirit spoke to me about this commissioning, Rick Ridings laid his hands on me and sealed it with prayer. Over ten years later, God used Rick again to intervene, this time calling Jolene and me to move to Washington DC with a call to pray for America and Israel.

Intercession: Averting Crisis


This leads us to the World War Watch. I am fully aware this is an unusual and sobering word. Many people have been with us on this journey for a long time. Together we have seen crisis both exposed and averted, and it is my ardent hope this season of intercession will bring forth the same. If no bombings occur during this World War Watch, and folks say we missed it in our warnings, we will rejoice all the more!

Protect and Defend


I know in the depths of my spirit the danger is very real, as is the urgency of this call to prayer. Jolene awoke one morning with the same sense of urgency, speaking the words, “Protect and Defend.” To be fair, we had just had a private prayer meeting where I shared on these themes, but those who know Jolene know the Lord speaks to us in very different ways. For her to receive the same directive is extremely rare and, historically, has been extremely confirming.
 
Legacy of Rees Howells


Our call for this season is, “Protect and defend!” I am reminded of the legacy of intercessor Rees Howells in this regard. (I really commend to you the book Rees Howells, Intercessor for inspiration in this season!)

Rees got radically saved in America and returned to Wales just as the Welsh revival was breaking forth. For decades, the Holy Spirit taught and trained him in the ways of prayer. Just as Hitler was beginning to gain influence in Germany, the Lord quickened this Welshman to purchase land and start a Bible school. Rees and this group of young, radical believers watched in prayer throughout World War II. God would give them literal battle strategies, which they would pray through and then watch as their very prayers became headlines later in the week.

Rees Howells’ primary commission was to his homeland, through intercession, to protect and defend. Story after story recounts how Nazi air strikes were supernaturally turned back - even through an air battle where they encountered British fighter planes when none were actually in the air!
 
You explain that! I can. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen labor in vain (Psalm 127:1); but when the Lord is watching, protect and defend!

Randy Demain, a friend and key apostolic leader, recounted his recent visit to Wales. Randy could still feel the awesome power of Holy Spirit on the land of that Bible institute founded by Rees Howells!  Not coincidentally, while praying for years through World War II, Rees was gripped by the Holy Spirit with continual travail to see a new nation birthed. The nation was Israel!

Now the Holy Spirit is summoning many of you to pray for the legacies our forefathers in the faith spent their lives on and ultimately gave their lives for. Let’s stand in prayer for God’s covenant in America and Israel to be fully secured and greatly advanced. We are in a World War Watch!

Tisha B’Av


My greatest warning so far has been to intercede for the enemy’s plans to be halted. I feel strongly the enemy desires to ignite this world war and impel Israel into war around the time of the 9th of Av. If you are not familiar with tisha b’av, please do some research. This time period historically has marked Israel’s most devastating times, from rejecting the invitation to the Promised Land to the destruction of the First and Second Temple to the slaughter of Jews, pogroms, and eventually key aspects of the Holocaust. These all occurred on or around the same date - 9 Av.
We need to pray against the enemy’s plans to draw Israel once more into this legacy of tragedy. The 9th of Av occurs July 28-29 this year. Please begin praying now!

5-8 to 8-5


I don’t know whether the dates 5-8 through 8-5 for this World War Watch are figurative, literal or both. Revelation 5:8 recounts how God’s saints come before His throne with harps and bowls full of incense. Revelation 8:5 recounts how, when our prayers fill the bowls before God’s altar of incense, these bowls are poured out. Lightning, thunderings, voices, and an earthquake shake the earth in the outpouring!

This is a picture of God’s war, a war in which we are all engaged, a war in which His breakthrough eventually shakes the earth with revival. We encourage you to picture these throne room scenes as you pray. Every whisper is treasured by our generous Savior, and every prayer helps fill these bowls of incense! The Lord empower you to see, stand and pray!