On July 21 through 23 (Tuesday through Thursday), the co-workers in North America will convene in Southern California for three days of prayer, with fasting as the Lord leads. Being keenly aware of the church's commission to accomplish God's will and to defeat God's enemy, and of our particular responsibility to advance the Lord's work in His recovery and to shepherd the churches, we felt led of the Spirit to have this special time of intercession in the course of our regular service. As in the case of the prophets and teachers in Antioch who ministered to the Lord and fasted, we decided to devote much time at the incense altar to minister to the Lord directly through steadfast petitions and prayers.

During these three days of intercession, we are burdened to execute God's authority to bind Satan and to release God's interests on earth. More specifically, we are burdened for an unprecedented move of the Lord in North America today. With the harmonious coordination which the Lord has perfected in the recovery, the freshness and richness of the Lord's speaking among us, the development and advancement of the God-ordained way practices, the open door to the word everywhere in the community and on college campuses, the large number of Christian seekers who are hungry for this ministry, the sovereign turn of many opposers and critics of the recovery, and, most recently, the Lord's call to preach the gospel of the kingdom and to spread the testimony of Jesus through migration to raise up many more local churches as golden lampstands across this land, we believe that these are favorable times for the great wheel of God's economy to roll forward unhindered. Further, we are not unmindful of the strategic importance of the United States in the Lord's move in His recovery on the earth and of the fact that this country still has to be fully taken for the Lord's name.

Matthew 24:14 says, "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole inhabited earth for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come." We identify with the prediction shown in this verse, that the full gospel of God's economy must be proclaimed for a testimony before the end of the age. Our preaching of the high gospel and the deep truths according to the revelation of the mystery is a great sign of the consummation of this age. In light of the current world situation, it is obvious that the four horses-the gospel, war, famine, and death-in the vision in Revelation 6 are in full gallop and are perhaps reaching a final sprint. The biblical prophecy concerning Israel and Europe is being fulfilled. Lawlessness in society is multiplied. The beginning of birth pangs is nearer than ever before. We are burdened that the white horse would run among and through the Lord's recovery in North America at a pace and with an intensity that we have not experienced before. For this we can only supplicate in the presence of the One on the throne who administrates all things and who alone can effect an extraordinary advance in our propagation.

We are sharing this matter with all the saints in the churches in North America because we feel the weight of this moment and sense that the burden of intercession is more than what the co-workers can bear alone. Dear saints, we appeal to you to join us in beseeching the Lord concerning His interests during those three days later this month. As the Lord leads, the leading brothers in various churches may decide to hold special prayer meetings of the church. They may promote special prayer gatherings of the home groups, or they may ask the saints to pray according to a daily schedule. On the other hand, the saints may take the initiative individually, in twos and threes, or as small groups, to come together to have special prayer times. Should the inner burden dictate and the inner peace allow, some of the churches or saints may be led to fast and pray.

It is not the co-workers' intention to stir up a prayer movement in the recovery, nor is it their decision to announce a prayer directive among the churches. As in all things, we open this burden to the saints in the spirit of fellowship in the Body and look to the Head Himself to guide us in our spirit. Even in the great Christian and church duty of prayer, we trust fully in His Spirit and honor His leading in all the members. Again, the dates of the co-workers' gathering are July 21 through 23 (Tuesday through Thursday). May we continue steadfastly as one man in prayer and anticipate the Lord's answer in the days, months, and years ahead. For updates on the prayer burden, please visit www.beseeching.org.