TheCall prayer movement is marking its 10th anniversary with a 12-hour “solemn assembly” in Sacramento next week, and ministry founder Lou Engle says the daylong prayer meeting isn’t coming a moment too soon.
“America is being shaken to the core,” said Engle, who is hosting TheCall Sacramento Sept. 3-4. “The political system, the economic system, it’s all crashing. … But again, it’s why TheCall, I believe, has been put in place by the Lord-because in the times of crisis His prescription is a united mass of fasting and prayer.”
The prayer event is being held on the same weekend when 10 years ago some 400,000 young adults gathered in Washington, D.C., to pray for the U.S. TheCall Sacramento begins with a five-hour worship event and anniversary celebration Sept. 3 at Sacramento’s 10,000-seat Raley Stadium. It will continue the following day at the state’s Capitol Mall with 12 hours of prayer, fasting, worship and repentance.
The prayer event has been endorsed by a cross-section of Christian leaders from former Arizona Gov. Mike Huckabee to Campus Crusade for Christ co-founder Vonette Bright, International House of Prayer founder Mike Bickle, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins and Liberty Counsel founder Mathew Staver.
“With Judge Walker reversing the vote of millions of people concerning traditional marriage, this is a perfect time to gather for a solemn assembly to fast and pray and stand for the most critical issue of our day,” Huckabee said in a video message inviting people to participate in the event. (Watch Huckabee’s invitation below.)
Engle believes the anniversary meeting, which thousands are expected to attend, has the potential to turn the nation toward biblical values, as participants pray for “righteous” leaders to emerge from the midterm elections and for God to “shift the whole political system in America and the seven spheres of society.”
“There is a hill above Capitol Hill,” Engle said. “It’s God’s praying church who actually begins to influence the governments of the earth through their prayers.”
Engle makes no apologies for his political advocacy. He believes if Christians don’t influence politics, Satan will.
Prayer and preaching the gospel are the church’s primary calling, he said. “But to say don’t get involved in those high places [of government] is actually allowing our archenemy Satan to put his own people in those high places, where spiritual powers can actually control societies and release laws that actually legalize systemic evil,” Engle added.
In addition to influencing the political sphere, Engle believes TheCall Sacramento could help usher in a spiritual awakening that sparks another Jesus movement and brings thousands of countercultural youth to Christ.
“I believe we’re going not just to Sacramento to a city, we’re going to the place called the sacrament, we’re going to the cross, and we’re going to appeal to the cross of Jesus for another great Jesus movement and a massive harvest,” he said.
“There is coming a great wave of salvation, I believe, for this generation,” he added. “A Jesus movement, and I believe TheCall Sacramento is going to have a part of unleashing that in the spirit.”
Since 2000, tens of thousands of mostly young adults have participated in TheCall events, which have been held in more than a dozen nations, including China, Brazil, Israel and Mozambique.
Engle considers TheCall Sacramento preparation for a 40-day prayer and fasting campaign called Pray and Act. The initiative, which begins Sept. 20 and leads up to the midterm elections, seeks to mobilize Christians to pray and vote for candidates who support traditional marriage and the sanctity of life, among other issues, and help transform society through outreach ministry and evangelism.
Among those endorsing the campaign are Mike Huckabee, Vonette Bright, Foursquare Church leader Jack Hayford, Generals International co-founder Cindy Jacobs and Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family.
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