Throughout history, nations have been blessed by godly individuals. God blessed Egypt because of Joseph. He blessed Babylon because of Daniel. He blessed Persia because of Esther. From ancient Israel to the Great Awakenings in America and England, national repentance always precedes national revival.
Is it possible for a Christian minority to be a catalyst for national renewal? Not only is it possible -- it actually happened not long ago in Egypt, the country of my birth.
In January 2011, the Arab world was shaken by a season of uprisings called the Arab Spring. Egyptian president Mubarak was deposed and replaced by Morsi, an autocratic leader backed by the Muslim Brotherhood. Morsi granted himself unlimited power and unleashed chaos. Churches were fire-bombed. Christians were killed in the streets. The police refused to protect the Christian minority.
"What if we prayed around the clock, repenting of sin and asking God to bless our land?"
Across the land, an estimated 4 million Egyptian Christians held round-the-clock prayer meetings. Like the widow who besieged the judge in the parable of Luke 18, they told God, "We're not letting You go until You save our nation!" God loves it when His children come boldly before His throne of grace -- and He answered their prayer in a dramatic way.
On June 30, 2013, protests erupted across Egypt. The BBC reported up to 33 million protesters thronging the streets. Morsi was arrested and Defense Minister al-Sisi later became president of Egypt. He has been kind toward Christians and has restored a sense of religious freedom. Although he is not a Christian, I believe his leadership is a tangible answer to prayer.
What if we followed the Egyptian example? What if we prayed around the clock, repenting of sin and asking God to bless our land? What if we asked God to draw millions to Himself? And what if He sent godly shepherds to the Supreme Court, the White House, Congress, and our state and local governments?
The options are clear: we can turn away and ignore the crumbling of our nation's Biblical foundation -- or we can act! Will you join with me in praying for a spiritual revival on American soil? Will you partner with Leading The Way as we actively sow into the harvest field here at home?
Revival begins with a faithful few. May it begin with you and me.
Your partner in the Gospel,
Michael Youssef, Ph.D.
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