Humbling Ourselves in Repentance: August 19-28
Teshuvah is a compound word consisting of the Hebrew Tashan, meaning “return,” and hey, the last letter of the JHVH name for God. The hey in JHVH represents the Shekinah, or manifest presence of God. Thus, Teshuvah is a time to return to the presence of God. It is also understood that returning to God is accompanied by repentance.
Teshuvah occurs during the forty days beginning the first day of the sixth month of the Jewish religious calendar and ending on the Day of Atonement, on the tenth day of the seventh month. Observant Jews have an understanding that this forty day period, and especially the last ten days between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement, represent an opportunity to repent and avoid the judgment of God. It is very likely that Jesus observed the Teshuvah season to spend his 40 days in the desert. For Christians, these forty days are an invitation to repent and enter into unity with God through the blood of Christ. However, for unbelievers, Teshuvah is a solemn warning of the judgment to come.
This duality of Teshuvah—as an invitation and a warning— is illustrated in two of the scriptures that are associated with it. Psalm 27 speaks to the benefits of living in God’s presence and seeking His face. He will keep us in time of trouble and allow us to see His goodness while we live. In Ezekiel 33 the Lord commands us to warn the unbelievers to repent and save themselves from the judgment to come. We are also told that we must warn the righteous of their folly so they can repent, lest they suffer judgment. Thus, Teshuvah calls believers to repent and come into God’s presence and also calls on us to evangelize a lost and dying world.
On August 21, 2017, the first day of Teshuvah, a solemn assembly was held in Kansas City to pray for national repentance. In prayer the next day at the International House of Prayer the word was given that “Judgements are Decreed.” Since that time we have seen worldwide events of record rainfall, flooding, ice storms, wildfire, and unsettled weather (See Job 37:6-13). We have seen the secret sins of powerful men exposed (See Proverbs 26:24-26), including abuse of women and children. Further, some of our highest government officials were found to have conspired to disrupt our free political process. Then in 2020 violence and riots have been unleashed along with the deadly plague of the coronavirus.
The coronavirus judgment was a total social judgment similar to the Plagues of Egypt. There, the Egyptians gods from the Nile River to the first born son of Pharaoh were humiliated. Here, our gods of science, medicine, government, money, education, entertainment, and sports have been shown to be powerless.
But now something is stirring in the spirit. God has called on us to pray for the eradication of the coronavirus judgment.
As people or prayer we know that God sends judgement to bring righteousness (Isaiah 26:9). He is also gracious and compassionate and may relent from sending further calamity if we return to Him (Joel 2:12-14). Let us seek His face for repentance, and let it begin with us.
During the first to ten days of Teshuvah, from August 19 to August 28, we invite you to join with us in responding to the Day of Prayer and Fasting and praying for personal repentance as we follow Jesus in His 40 day Teshuvah journey and learn to be victorious over sin by knowing who we are, having faith, practicing obedience, and loving God:
August 19 – Day of Prayer and Fasting for the eradication of Coronavirus (See PrayDallas.com). The scripture given for the day is Joshua 8:19 which calls on us to take our cities, i.e. take responsibility, and then set them on fire with revival first. However, we must prepare ourselves through repentance.
August 20 – The victorious 40-day Teshuvah Journey of Jesus. (Matthew 4:1-11 and John 14:30)
August 21– We are Children of God (Romans 8:12-15)
August 22 – Faith (Deuteronomy 8:1-5 and Matthew 4:4)
August 23 – No Condemnation for those in Christ (Romans 8:1, 2)
August 24 – Obedience (Deuteronomy 6:17-26 and Matthew 4:7)
August 25 – Forgiveness (1 John 1:9)
August 26 – Love God (Deuteronomy 6:4-15 and Matthew 4:10)
August 27 – Love brings obedience and peace (John 14:23)
August 28 – Make sure you have received salvation by grace to achieve your destiny.
(Ephesians 2:8-10)
“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing.” Joel 2:12-14
II Healing the Broken Body of Christ: August 29- September 7
The word Teshuvah literally means to return to the presence of God. It is a season of introspection and repentance for Christians to come into unity with God, as Jesus prayed in John 17:21. However, as Jesus prayed, unity with God also requires unity with each other in Christ. (John 17:20-23).
Yet, almost since the beginning of Christianity, believers have quarreled about Christian doctrine and church government. The first Jerusalem Council served as an example of a favorably resolved dispute (Acts 15). However, other disputes resulted in division and treatment of opponents as non-Christians. As Ralph Martin famously said, “The Body of Christ is broken.”
Today there are many denominations and doctrines which create a great diversity within the body of Christ. Yet, we can still be United in Christ. Lutheran theologian Oscar Cullmann said, “Unity in the church . . . is unity in diversity . . . recognizing others in all their variety as true Christians.” Pope Francis has said, “Unity brought by the Spirit can harmonize every diversity.” Unity in diversity recognizes the contributions of other streams of Christianity and blends them together in a symphony of harmony. It is a unity of the Spirit, not in doctrine or church government.
The Unity Revival has already begun. In 2014 the Pope sent a historic video to Kenneth Copeland which you can view on the UnitedinChristInternational.com website. The Pope’s outreach to Kenneth Copeland produced a flood of Christian leaders who traveled to Rome for international reconciliation meetings. There has also been a strong movement for unity among American church leaders. However, the unity movement has not yet reached many of our cities and local churches.
The urgent need to heal the Body of Christ must be communicated from the national leadership of movements and denominations to the local churches. The city fathers must become champions of unity, bringing the Body of Christ together to impact their communities. The prayer of Jesus in John 17 is not only about unity. It is for unity with a purpose, “so that the world may believe…” (John 17:21). Unity is the key to transformation.
The Body of Christ must be healed to do its work for Christ.
During the second ten days of Teshuvah, from August 29 to September 7, we will be praying for God’s people and the healing of the broken Body of Christ as God’s people come together, united in Christ.
• August 29: The blessings of unity (Ps. 133)
• August 30: Unity in Christ (John 17:20–22)
• August 31: Accepting our brothers (Rom. 15:5–7)
• September 1: Do not judge (Rom. 14:13; Luke 6:37–38)
• September 2: Divisions (1 Cor. 3:1–9)
• September 3: Evangelism through unity (John 17:23)
• September 4: Watchmen warnings (Ezek. 33)
• September 5: Appealing to all (1 Cor. 9:27)
• September 6: Salvation for Israel (Rom. 11:11–32)
• September 7: Messianic Jews and the Toward Jerusalem Council II movement (Acts 15)
“May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me.”
John 17:23
III Praying to Heal Our Land: September 8-17
For the first ten days we prayed for eradication of the coronavirus and personal repentance in keeping with literal meaning of Teshuvah: to return to the presence of God. For the next ten days we have prayed for Church unity, in accordance with the prayer of Jesus in John 17:20-23 that we be united in Him.
The unity Jesus prayed for was a purposeful unity, so that “The World will know that You sent me” (John 17:23). Yet there are five billion people in the world who do not know Christ. In America more and more people are adopting a secular hedonistic lifestyle, leading to the rise of an anti-Christian culture. The result is a plague of fatherlessness, bringing poverty and crime, and our national shame of 60 million abortions. Christian values and Christian faith are under attack in the Public Square, and the nation is bitterly divided politically. Now is the time for God’s people to unite and pray for the healing of our land.
It is clear that only God’s people can humble themselves, pray, seek His face, and repent to bring about healing of the land (2 Chronicles 7:14). The Church must repent of its division, coming into visible unity, so the world will know Christ. We must bless and not curse, turning on the light and partnering with God so we can fulfill our calling to be a blessing (1 Peter 3: 9). Christians should transcend politics to bring Christian principles back into both political parties. And we must get out of our four walls to reach the needy with care for both their physical and spiritual needs, as confirmed by the Joshua 8:19 scripture calling for us to take our cities, i.e. take responsibility, before we can bring transformation.
“Only a united Church can heal a divided nation.” –Lou Engle
Beginning with September 8 and continuing through September 17, we will pray for the restraint of evil and the healing of our land.
• September 8: Healing the land (2 Chron. 7:14)
• September 9: Blessings and curses (Deut. 28)
• September 10: Standing in the gap (Eze 22:30-31)
• September 11: Humility (Matt. 23:12)
• September 12: Bringing heaven to Earth (Matt. 6:10)
• September 13: Praying in confidence (1 John 5:14–15)
• September 14: Unity of the Believers so the world will know God sent Christ (John 17:23)
• September 15: Protection in God’s presence (Ps.27)
• September 16: Bless and curse not (1 Peter 3:9)
• September 17: Friends of God (John 15:14)
“If my people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14
IV Praying for Revival: September 18-27
Sundown on September 18 marks the Jewish Feast of Trumpets, also known as Rosh Hashanah, and the beginning of the holiest portion of the Jewish calendar known as the Days of Awe.
This year we have been responding to a call from God to pray through the 40 day Hebrew repentance season of Teshuvah which began August 19. For the first ten days, from August 19 to August 28 we prayed for eradication of the coronavirus and personal repentance based on the literal meaning of Teshuvah as a return to the presence of God. From August 29 to September 7 we prayed for the unity of the Church, joining with the prayer of Jesus in John 17:20-23 so that the world would know Him. Then, from September 8 to September 17 we prayed for the healing of our land, remembering that God’s people can bring healing if they humble themselves, pray, and seek his face (2 Chronicles 7:14).
The last ten days of Teshuvah begin with the feast of Trumpets, which prophetically represents the Day of the Lord, Christ’s Second Coming. These ten days are truly “Days of Awe” because they began with the awesome prophecy of the return of Jesus in the Feast of Trumpets and end with the Day of Atonement, an awesome picture of God’s judgment. These ten days are the climax of our time to repent for the failures of ourselves, our churches, and our nation, and to return to the Presence of God.
The Days of Awe are also a time of release and the outpouring of God’s favor. It is during the Days of awe that the Shemitah, the 7th year Jewish Sabbath rest for the land and release of debts, begins. During the Shemitah Years, Hebrews were forgiven from all debts. After 7 Shemitahs, or 49 years, the first year of the new 7 year Sabbath (the 50th year) was the Year of Jubilee when slaves were freed, debt was forgiven, and the land was returned to its original owners.
The Shemitah and the Year of Jubilee were used by Jesus to describe His ministry (See Luke 4:18-19 quoting Isaiah 61:1-2). Like Him we are called to preach good news to the poor, set captives free, and proclaim the “Year of the Lord’s Favor”. We call it revival.
So join us this year in praying for revival and the Year of the Lord’s Favor.
• September 18: Feast of Trumpets, Isaiah 61:1-4 and Luke 4:19 – The Year of the Lord’s Favor begins.
• September 19: The anointing of Jesus remains in the Believers (Acts 10:38; 1 John 2:27)
• September 20: Have compassion for poor and needy (Matthew 10:35-36)
• September 21: Show your faith by meeting needs (James 2:14-17)
• September 22: Kindness to the poor is kindness to God (Matthew 25:35-40)
• September 23: Pray to remove spiritual blindness (2 Corinthians 4:4)
• September 24: Pray for freedom for the oppressed (Isaiah 58:6-7)
• September 25: Preach good news of eternal life (Acts 13:32)
• September 26: Proclaim the Lord’s favor after repentance (2 Chronicles 33:10-16)
• September 27: The Day of Atonement begins at sunset: now is the time of God’s favor
(Isaiah 49:8-9 and 2 Corinthians 6:1-2)
“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
– Luke 4:18-19