REVERSE THE DECREE OF 1973

By Lou Engle

Meditation:

“Now Esther spoke again to the king, fell down at his feet, and implored him with tears to counteract the evil of Haman the Agagite, and the scheme which he had devised against the Jews. And the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king, and said, ‘If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor in his sight and the thing seems right to the king and I am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to annihilate the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces. For how can I endure to see the evil that will come to my people? Or how can I endure to see the evil that will come to my people? Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, ‘Indeed, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows because he tried to lay his hand on the Jews. You yourselves write a decree concerning the Jews, as you please, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's signet ring; for whatever is written in the king's name and sealed with the king's signet ring no one can revoke.’” – Esther 8:3-8

Reflection:

In the book of Esther, Haman released a death decree against the Jews to extinguish the purposes of God in that generation. Similarly, in 1973, a decree of death was released against unborn children, under the guise of judicial review in the infamous Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, to hinder the purpose of God in this generation. For 33 years, we have co-existed with Haman’s gallows, but I believe the time is up!

Over the past thirteen days since this fast began, there have been over 1.25 million hits on Facedown40.com. Possibly thousands of people around the United States and the nations of the world are fasting together with us. There is an uprising!

I believe that the river of God is again swelling with justice. In the last two weeks, extraordinary events have taken place around our nation. South Dakota, Mississippi, Indiana, Tennessee, and now other states have or are in the process of incredibly limiting and banning abortion. Just a few days ago, a US Senator called me and said, “Encourage your praying people; what is taking place right now is unprecedented. More is taking place today in the nation since Roe v. Wade was passed.”

Similarly, a major Christian leader in New England, Brian Simmons, called us to encourage us in our fasting and prayer. In the dream, the voice of the Lord spoke to him saying, “You need to know the name of the governor who signed the bill in South Dakota. His last name is significant.” Brian Simmons awoke from the dream and found out that the name of the governor of South Dakota is Governor Rounds.

Could it be that the abortion is coming around again and that it is in its final round? And could it be that what is going on in South Dakota could make its “rounds” in every state of the Union?

The Church must pray and fast and seize the day. The pulpits must become alive with the sound of abolition. Teachers must teach the truth concerning the shedding of innocent blood. Compassion ministries for pregnant mothers and preparations for adoption must spring up in the body of Christ before abortion becomes illegal. Godly prophetic activism must fill every state.

Last night, a sister had a dream of women wailing and crying out, “Wake up Mother Teresa! Wake up Mother Teresa!”

The Church must be a movement of adoption. Caring for mothers and children must swell.

I believe we are in a moment of time as significant as the hour of Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Through our prayers and activism we are writing a new decree reversing Roe v. Wade for we were “...brought into the kingdom for such a time as this.”

I close today’s devotional to encourage those who feel so led to intensify their fast and time of prayer in this three-day season of Purim from March 13 to March 15 (see yesterday’s devotional). Today, on this fast, let us together target the reversal of Haman’s decree of 1973 of Roe v. Wade.

Prayer:

Jesus, we humble ourselves before you in this season of fasting and prayer. We have sinned against You in the most grievous way. We have shed the innocent blood of our own children, a sin for which you have destroyed nations and empires. Remember the blood of your own Son that speaks better than the cry for judgment and vengeance. Our only hope is Your great mercies and that you remember Your covenant with our fathers. Come now! Move on our behalf! Rule over the Supreme Court Justices. We call forth the prevailing influence of the kingdom over these nine Justices. We call forth the shaking and shaping of the throne of a pro-abortion Justice and the promotion of a pro-life Justice in their place. We pray for President Bush. We declare that he will nominate only pro-life Justices. In Your great mercy, Amen.