NOW ESTHER
A plague has broken out all over the earth. It’s called the Coronavirus. It is threatening to kill tens of thousands across the world and is shutting down global economies. Terror and panic have seized the nations. Something is going on here that is beyond the virus itself. It seems like a demonic force is fueling the rapid spread of the virus and the excessive hysteria it is creating. Amazingly, I believe that 2020 has been marked by the Holy Spirit as the year of stadium Christianity and explosive advance of the Kingdom. In America alone, I believe, 20 stadiums are being prepared for prayer and evangelistic breakthroughs. Satan has risen up in rage to halt this mighty advance. Oftentimes God is riding in the storm, but so is the Devil. Obviously the Sovereign God rules over the affairs of men. He says that He will shake everything that can be shaken in Hebrews 12:26. Plagues in the Bible were used to bring Israel to repentance. It is clear that King David was brought to repentance through a plague in 2 Samuel 24. It is our conviction that the sins of the Church also give an open door to the enemy to wreak havoc. This plague presents a clarion call and opportunity for all to return to God, repent, and seek mercy from the Lord of heaven. God will use this to judge the gods of our hearts and of this world.However, we have been seeking God earnestly on this 40-day fast on how to respond to this plague within this “now moment”. David inquired of the Lord on two separate occasions if he was to go to war. The wisdom was different for both situations. We believe there is always a hidden wisdom that must be sought out in every current circumstance. It has become our conviction that this storm has been stirred up by a high-level demonic principality to hinder the surge of the Church’s mighty assault of fasting, prayer, sending, and missions on the global gates of Hades. It is our conviction that when Jesus and His disciples were going over the Sea of Galilee to deliver the Gerasene demoniac in Mark 4, a demonic storm was stirred up to stop Jesus’ mission. A panic took hold of the disciples when Jesus expected them to take their authority with mighty faith and rebuke that storm! Jesus said to His disciples, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith” (Mark 4:40)? Then He spoke to the storm, “Peace! Be still!” and the storm obeyed. Therefore, in the midst of this 40-day fast, we are calling an urgent and special three-day Global Esther Fast, as when the wicked prince Haman released a genocidal plot to destroy all the Jews. And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” – Esther 4:13-14Faced with a life and death situation, Esther told them: “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!” – Esther 4:16Brothers and sisters, those around the world fasting and praying, we are faced with a life and death situation with this Coronavirus. A casual approach to this worldwide crisis and this prophetic call to fasting could multiply needless casualties. Who could have guessed that the timing of this 40-day fast would be synchronized with the timing of the Coronavirus? I believe God saw it coming and raised up a fasting prayer movement to call for repentance and then stand against it. For several days, five of us had been holed up in a house, fasting on water, and seeking God concerning this virus. We had been inquiring of the Lord if we were to call a global three-day fast of humility and then rebuke this virus. We didn’t want it to just be a good idea; we wanted to know if it was God. That very morning, a great evangelist from Europe, Jean-Luc Trachsel, texted me and said, “Lou, don’t miss this moment. Call a three-day fast across the world and rebuke this Coronavirus!” At that moment I knew it was the word of the Lord. I sat down with my team and began to prepare to write up this call to action that you are reading now. Just before taking up the pen, Andy Byrd, one of the leaders of The Send, texted me and said, “Lou, would you call a fast in the midst of this 40-day fast and call the Church to stand against and rebuke this Coronavirus? It is threatening the global advance of evangelism and missions and is determined to stop stadium Christianity. The Send Kansas City must not be stopped! Other great gatherings must not be stopped!” At that moment, with two or three witnesses, it was confirmed again that this was the word of the Lord. We must take our place at the right hand of the Majesty on High and rule in the midst of our enemies!Therefore, we are calling the global Church during this three-day Esther Fast to humble themselves, confess their sins and the sins of their nations (Joel 2), and cry out to God for mercy. And then, on the third day, as when Esther went before the king, let us gather together in with our prayer partners, or online, and stand as the Ekklesia before the King of Glory! Let us stretch out His rod of authority out of Zion and rebuke the Coronavirus in united corporate agreement, believing in faith that the storm will abate, stadiums will be filled, and 2020 will go down as the year of the historic advance of evangelism and missions worldwide! |
