My apologies that I didn't get this out earlier in the day. But with my own involvement in the National Day of Prayer, I was unable to send this out until just now.

Use it for prayer and discerning the times!

Many blessings,

Steve Shultz THE ELIJAH LIST www.elijahlist.com
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IMPORTANT NOTE FROM CHUCK PIERCE ON BEHALF OF DUTCH SHEETS WORD BELOW:

Date: September 14, 2001 Subj: Prayer for Wisdom and Pastor Dutch Sheets Biblical Response to Terrorism in America. Excellent for National Day of Prayer.

Dear Intercessors for such a time as this:

I visited with Pastor Dutch Sheets yesterday. He had been before the Lord and allowed the Lord to give him utterance to the following. I believe this is very appropriate for our day of national prayer and remembrance. Please use this today. Take it to your pastors or leaders. Take it to your prayer groups. I have also written a prayer concerning wisdom. If we ask for wisdom, God will give wisdom to us. This is a promise.

Here will be the benefits of our asking:

Wisdom dismantles demons. May the Spirit of wisdom and revelation rest upon you. Prayer points are at the bottom of this letter.

Wisdom is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who retain her. The Lord's wisdom founded the earth. His understanding established all the universe, space, and the heavens. The deep fountains of the earth were broken open by His knowledge, the clouds dropped down with dew, and the skies poured down with rain. Have two goals: keep sound wisdom and discretion, that is, knowing and doing right, and common sense. Don't let them slip away. For they fill you with living energy, they will be life to your soul, grace to your neck, and a feather in your cap. Then you will walk safely in your way. Your foot will not stumble. Wisdom will keep you safe from defeat, and from stumbling off the trail. When you lie down, you will not be afraid. With them (wisdom and discretion) on guard you can sleep without fear. Do not be afraid of sudden terror, nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes, or the plots from wicked men. For the Lord will be your confidence. He will keep your foot from being caught. Proverbs 3:18-26 (NKJV, Living Bible)

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A BIBLICAL RESPONSE TO THE TERRORIST ATTACKS ON AMERCIA (for the purpose of prayer and evangelism) By Dutch Sheets

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I WOULD ADVISE NOT EVEN USING THE TERM "JUDGMENT"-- Dutch Sheets ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As we all observe and mourn the results of the recent terrorist attacks on America, the response of the Body of Christ and the way in which we pray could very well determine whether our nation turns toward God or away from God. Sorrow can lead either to bitterness, which perpetuates greater defilement (see Heb. 12:15), or to repentance resulting in salvation (see 2 Cor. 7:10). Measured, accurate and biblical responses from those of us representing God are critical.

=========================================== HOW SHOULD WE DEFINE THE EVENTS? --USE CAUTION WITH THE WORD "JUDGMENT" ===========================================

Great caution should be exercised in using the word "judgment" to define these events. Many Christians understand that America has been experiencing a degree of judgment for some time - sin has wages (see Rom. 6:23). But most biblical judgment is the inevitable, built-in consequence of sin, not the direct hand of God. He didn't pronounce curses after Adam and Eve's fall because He was an angry God who loves to curse sinners. He did so because of the inherent results of their actions. And He did it while covering their nakedness and promising redemption, a redemption involving great sacrificial love on His part - the incarnation and death of His Son (see Gen. 3:15).
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FORFEITING GOD'S FAVOR AND PROTECTION
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Also, rather than the direct hand of God, judgments are often simply the result of forfeiting God's favor and protection. Jonah 2:8 tells us: "Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs."

A careful and compassionate explanation of reaping, or the consequences of sin and of turning from God, should be our definition of the events. I would advise not even using the term "judgment" because the world will probably not hear anything else we say. Other pertinent Scriptures that could be used to explain the fruit of sin and the forfeiting of God's protection are:
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SCRIPTURES REGARDING THE FRUIT OF SIN
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Psalm 127:1-2: "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to retire late, to eat the bread of painful labors; for He gives to His beloved even in his sleep."

Proverbs 14:34: "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people."

Proverbs 28:13: "He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion."

Isaiah 59:1-2: "Behold, the Lord's hand is not so short that it cannot save; neither is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear."

Luke 13:34-35: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it! Behold, your house is left to you desolate; and I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'"

Luke 19:41-44: "And when He approached, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. For the days shall come upon you when your enemies will throw up a bank before you, and surround you, and hem you in on every side, and will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation. "
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WHAT SHOULD BE OUR MESSAGE?
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Our message, therefore, must be one of carefully balanced grace and truth (see John 1:17). God's desire is always to forgive and redeem, not to destroy. Our gospel includes - in addition to the incarnation, death and resurrection of Jesus - two other very important messages: repentance from sin and grace to the repentant. Christ came for the sick, not the healthy; to seek and save the lost, not the found. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son...For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him" (John 3:16-17).
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THE MESSAGE OF GRACE NEED NOT LEAVE OUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN
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This message of grace need not leave out the consequences of sin, but as it is shared it must be laced with hope and with God's merciful heart. His desire is to turn us from our sin, not destroy us for it (see 2 Chron. 7:14). He is "slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness" (Ps. 86:15). At times He actually announced judgments through tears (see Luke 19:41-44), and the Scriptures are clear that He takes no pleasure in the judgment of the wicked (see Ezek. 18:23-32).

God forgave a harlot named Rahab, then gave her a prominent plan in Israel's history as the great-great-grandmother of King David and a part of the lineage leading to Christ. He was willing to spare Sodom; He did spare Nineveh when she repented. And on another occasion He unsuccessfully sought for an intercessor so He could spare Israel (see Ezek. 22:30-31).

So, yes, our message must call sinners to repentance - we cannot compromise truth - but God's heart of compassion, mercy and grace must fill the message with hope. "Return to Me and I will return to you" (Mal. 3:7) should be the heart of our message. The result of the returning will be healing and restoration.
============================== WHAT SHOULD OUR ATTITUDE BE?
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Rather than one of harshly announcing judgment, our attitude must be one of compassion and mourning. Like Jeremiah and Christ Himself, we must be able to explain the results of sin through heartfelt tears (see Lam. 1:16; 2:11; 3:48-49; Luke 19:41-44). Too often the world perceives our attitude toward the consequences of others' sins - whether the death of an abortionist or AIDS in a homosexual - as callous or even smug gladness. Satan is an expert at distorting the perception of Christ and the Church in the eyes of the world. We must be wiser than he and make certain the Christ we reveal - the One who loves sinners - is accurate.

WE MUST ALSO BE QUICK TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR RESPONSIBILITY IN THE CONDITION OF AMERICA:

* Some immature leaders, including prophets immature in their calling, have brought forth only harshness and condemnation in their attempts to call the nation to repentance. This turns the hearts of unbelievers away from God.

* On the other hand, many pastors and caregivers have overemphasized mercy and grace, refusing to call individuals to biblical accountability.

* The Church in America as a whole has preached a "what's in it for me" humanistic gospel, leaving out the message of taking up our cross and laying down our lives. This has produced great compromise and lukewarmness in the Body of Christ.

* Many of us have failed to truly care for and minister to the poor and hurting, and in general have lacked genuine compassion.

* We in the Church have decried materialism, greed and the love of money as a great part of the problem in America, while fewer than 20% of us even tithe, let alone give sacrificial offerings. Our hypocrisy contributes to the problem.

* We have failed to pray as we should for government leaders and the lost.

We must acknowledge that judgment begins at our house (see 1 Pet. 4:17) and do our share of the repenting.
==================== HOW SHOULD WE PRAY? ====================
How can we pray effectively for the nation at this time?

1. Repent for our (the Church's) role per the previous points. Pray that many in the Church see this need for humility and repentance.

2. Pray that the Church is able to respond to this crisis with great wisdom - a proper blend of grace and truth - and that neither unwise messengers nor the enemy can distort God's heart.

3. Ask for a turning of our nation back to God; that a revelation of our great need would penetrate the heart of our nation. Believe that God can do this.

4. Ask for God's mercy to triumph over judgment (see James 2:13).

5. Pray that President Bush and other government leaders move with great wisdom and make sound decisions. Pray that the President would be so visited by God that he would unashamedly and publicly repent, pray and call the nation back to God.

6. Pray for comfort in our nation, but that it would be accompanied with a true recognition of our great spiritual need.

7. Forgive those who have wronged us, yet pray for justice (not revenge) to evildoers. These two things - forgiveness and justice - are not contradictory (see Matt. 7:1; Luke 6:37; Rom. 13:4).

8. Continue to pray for salvation to come to the Muslim world.