“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void,
but it shall accomplish what I please,
and it shall prosper
in the thing for which I sent it.”
—Isaiah 55:11 NKJV

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U.S. Senator Mark Hatfield’s remarks on the Senate floor, as he called for the observance of April 30, 1974 as a National Day of Humiliation, Fasting, and Prayer, were prophetic, applicable to grave matters gripping the nation, and convicting.

Boldly quoting from the Apostle John, Sen. Hatfield admonished his congressional colleagues that, “If we refuse to admit we are sinners, then we live in a world of illusion and truth becomes a stranger to us.” (1 John 1:18) The following is a brief excerpt from Sen. Hatfield’s remarkable prophetic challenge delivered just a few days before Christmas in 1973:

“We have been living through days that try the soul of the nation and test the resiliency of the Republic. We are all troubled by the continual erosion of the American people’s faith and trust in their leadership in all parts of life…. We witness a country torn apart with division and lacking the spiritual foundation that would restore its vision and purpose. We, as a people, through our own acquiescence to corruption and waste, have helped to create a moral abyss that produces a distain for honesty and humility in high levels of national leadership….

“We tend to put our country beyond the reach of God’s judgment. The words on the back of our Great Seal read, ‘God hath ordained our undertakings.’ Our money is emblazoned with ‘In God We Trust.” Our leaders solemly invoke the name of God in their political speeches. We earnestly want to believe that ours is God’s chosen land, that we are His chosen people, and that the leaders we have are divinely chosen and given special wisdom.

“This impulse is born our of our own lives. We would rather believe that we merit God’s blessing than admit that we stand under His judgment, and in need of forgiveness. But however difficult it is to admit our sin, the evidence of it is all around us, in the personal dilemmas of our lives and in the crises that afflict our nation…. Continued belief in national self-righteousness, therefore, no matter what we as a nation do, only leads us into greater peril. We are in need of repentance.”

Senator Hatfield then referenced Amos 5:21-24 and cited how God dislikes shows of empty religiosity. Turning to the example of President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, he brought forth his own Resolution for the April 30, 1974 observance, based on Lincoln’s language and, by intention, coinciding with same day Lincoln issued his historic Proclamation, April 30, 1863.

“Seeing the effects of a nation torn apart, President Lincoln did not appeal to any pretentious image of national self-righteousness; rather, he called the nation to repentance…. This is how individuals and how our land as a whole can seek authentic renewal and transformation,” Hatfield concluded.

Proclaimed from the Senate floor, Mark Hatfield’s complete speech circulated throughout the United States, along with Abraham Lincoln’s biblical language in the Resolution. Derek Prince and Ern Baxter were highly regarded Bible teachers in the various Renewal movements that were underway. Both circulated the speech and preached the call for repentance and renewal far and wide, before and after the April 30, 1974 observance. The documents were incorporated into IFA’s earliest publications, teaching materials, seminars, and were immediately used in the multitudes of IFA prayer groups that began to spring up across the U.S.

As he traveled and taught, Derek Prince pointed to the decline of “good government” and biblical morality, and to the rise of lawlessness. He stressed the church’s need to repent for its lack of praying “for kings and all in authority.” (1 Timothy 2:1-4) Derek stressed that Jesus is “King of kings and Lord of lords,” and is presently ruling in the midst of His enemies. (Psalm 110, Revelation 19:16) Christ, the Risen Messiah, must continue to reign until all of His enemies have been put under His feet. Now, in this present Church Age, God exercises His authority through the Church, by the Holy Spirit, in prayer. “We are reigning with Christ in the measure in which we have learned to pray the prayers that extend His authority,” Derek emphasized. Many U.S. Christians had never before received teaching on “the authority of the believer,” or on “occupying” until Christ’s return. (Luke 19:13)

After instructing from many passages in the Bible, Derek would present the following summary, and then call all in attendance to join the ranks of IFA:

(1) God oversees and uses rulers to judge His people.
(2) God requires us to pray for our rulers.
(3) Where God’s people have failed to do this, they must repent and humble themselves by fasting.
(4) Fasting is essential for spiritual and national restoration.

“Prayer is the primary ministry and obligation of Christians meeting in fellowship. I believe good government is the will of God. Which makes it easier to preach the gospel: good government or bad government? To me there is no doubt. Essentially, bad government hinders the preaching of the gospel. Both 1 Peter 4 and 2 Chronicles 7:14 tell us to repent and to humble ourselves and pray. Biblically, God has appointed one specific way for us to humble ourselves, and it is by fasting.”

Pastors and IFA Regional Coordinators who hosted assemblies with Derek Prince and Ern Baxter, or who spoke to local groups, circulated sign-up sheets. These enabled all interested to receive monthly IFA communications for informed intercession, and presented a way to express a commitment to fast at least one day each month. This networking laid the groundwork for the 1976 U.S. Bicentennial First Friday fast and for IFA’s monthly First Friday observance which has continued for nearly 40 years.

Ern Baxter met with IFA Regional Coordinators in Kansas City on September 24, 1974. The following is a summary excerpt of the vision and poignant remarks Ern presented, and which IFA Coordinators and intercessors circulated across the U.S..

“We must ‘hit’ the Church, the redeemed community, with the apostolic command of 1 Timothy 2. Less than 10 percent of local churches and fellowships are hearing this message. Are we aware that prayer is the power God has ordained by which He is released? The ‘greater things’ (that Jesus’ disciples will do) are the result of ‘whatsoever you ask.’ In effect God is saying, ‘I tie My doing to your praying.’ (John 14:12-14) Satan knows this and he knows if he can paralyze our prayer he will block the release of God’s power. The Holy Spirit is at work to restore the Church as the ‘house of prayer’ that God intended. (Matthew 21:13) Observe the results of one man – Daniel – who was praying in a sub-normal crisis situation. He took the entire nation on his heart. What if two, ten, or a nation joined in intercession? (Daniel 10, Matthew 18:18-20) Prayer is priority number one! IFA must work assiduously and tirelessly to draw the Church’s attention to intercessory prayer.”

IFA’s prompt response to Sen. Hatfield’s prophetic word in 1973-74, and the ministry’s continuing execution of the apostolic mandate proclaimed and “fathered” by Derek Prince and Ern Baxter, has borne a rich harvest and lasting fruit.

A mid-2014 review of www.ifapray.org data reveals more than 40,000 praying Christians actively associated with the ministry. Many thousands more routinely visit the Website each month to check out matters “Happening Now,” and to track and pray into “Current National Prayer Focuses” – services that began decades ago as a toll-free 800 telephone “Hotline” and then as weekly Fax Alerts. All members receive the monthly First Friday Prayer Letters and. (www.F3rocks.org) More than 10,000 intercessors have committed to “Stand the Gap” for America (www.GetAmericaPraying.org) More and more Christians from diverse backgrounds are signing up to help construct a 24-hour “Wall” of protective prayer around the U.S. Hundreds of GAP (Get America Praying) prayer groups have formed. IFA’s ongoing GAP thrust is prompting revival and community transformation. It has been made easy to prayerfully spark a “Journey to Transformation” in your own church and area. (www.transformingamericathroughprayer.com)

The decade of the 1970’s was a time of authentic Spiritual Awakening that provided a “seedbed” for the cultivation of a constellation of praying local churches, prayer groups, and regional, state, and national prayer ministries. IFA established Research and Education offices in Washington, D.C. in 1981, under the leadership of Gary Bergel, and moved the national offices from Elyria, Ohio to the area in 1985. From this base near D.C., the ministry broadcast a 1-hour monthly USA PRAY! Program with National Empowerment Television and helped launch on-site “sister” prayer works, such as the Capitol Hill Prayer Partners and Capitol Hill Prayer Alert. IFA routinely encourages emerging prayer leadership and acts as a catalyst in the formation of GAP community prayer and transformation groups.

America’s National Prayer Committee (NPC) began in 1979, just five years after the April 30, 1974 observance. IFA has contributed leadership to the NPC since its inception, and helped mobilize intercessors toward some of the first National Day of Prayer (NDP) observances in Washington, D.C. These first assemblies were spearheaded by Mrs. Vonnette Bright of Campus Crusade for Christ and Dr. Corinthia Boone of the Greater Washington Christian Host Committee. IFA board members and staff who participated in these first NDP assemblies remember the sparse attendance. But, they will never forget how Jesus manifest His presence as we sat huddled in worship, repentance, and concerted prayer for our nation and its God-appointed destiny. A NDP Task Force was launched in 1989 and continues to network the entire nation. Nationwide prayer ministries numbered more than 300 across the U.S. by the 2000 Millennium.

Each year, there is now “standing room only” at NDP events in Washington, D.C. Each year, IFA intercessors help mobilize and provide leadership for the NDP in their local churches and localities. On May 1, 2014 more than 40,000 public prayer gatherings were registered across the U.S. Millions of Bible-believing Christians united in repentant, earnest prayer. The theme was, “One Voice United in Prayer.”

In less than a week from the May 1 National Day of Prayer, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a remarkable ruling on prayer. In Town of Greece v. Galloway, a majority of the justices upheld America’s centuries-old tradition dating back to the Framers of the Constitution, that of opening government meetings with prayer, most often by Christian chaplains. “Legislative prayer has become part of our heritage and tradition,” Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in his majority opinion. IFA members, signed up to receive Text Alerts via the “Stay Informed” button at www.ifapray.org, were among the first to receive and rejoice over this good and encouraging news.

Ern Baxter’s prophetic word to IFA’s first regional coordinators in 1974 is continuing to come to pass: “The Holy Spirit is at work to restore the Church into the ‘house of prayer’ that God intended.” IFA is privileged to continue collaborating with the Lord in His intercessory, transformational endeavors.

“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” —I John 5:14,15

By Gary Bergel