From My Heart – Trusting the Lord in Disaster

My heart is heavy as I write this month’s newsletter. An earthquake has devastated a nation that I deeply love. News has been trickling in slowly from ministry friends and contacts. James Adams is a dear Haitian friend that I went to Haiti with in 2007 and have plans to serve for many years to come. He went down a couple of days after the earthquake to find his family and pastors that he has been working with. Not one of his family members was lost in the earthquake! He has also heard from many of the pastors that he has been forming relationships with and they have survived. I am so thankful. With the death toll surmounting 200,000, it is truly a miracle that the lives of so many Godly men and women were preserved. This reminds me of Psalm 91,

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust… 7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you…9 Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place… 14 “Because [you hold] fast to me in love, I will deliver [you]; I will protect [you], because [you know] my name.

This passage and many like it will be very important to us in the days to come as the earth is shaken by disaster. We know from the Scriptures that the worst for the nations of the earth is yet to come. However, I know the Lord will protect His people through it all! Even so, beloved, hard times are ahead of us as the people of God. But, if we will press in to the Lord, He will give us strength and grace enabling us to thrive in these times of shaking. The time is now for us to turn our eyes to the Lord for the grace we need to thrive in times of great difficulty.

James Adams Responds with Food for the Poor

James stayed in Haiti for three weeks and was able to bring immediate help to those who were hungry. I sent an email to my prayer team asking for you to be a part of that. Thank you to those of you who gave and prayed. He was able to feed over 5,000 people because of your generous gifts.

It’s not too late to partner with James and Tabitha Adams. They have a vision to serve Haiti full-time. I do not usually do this, but I would like to appeal to you, if God is stirring your heart for Haiti right now, rather than giving to some fund or organization that will not preach Jesus, would you consider giving to them? They are a faithful couple that is pouring out their lives for Haiti. However, they need money to be able to do these works of justice. To partner with them go to their web site at www.ohmhaiti.org and follow the instructions. Also, sign up for the e-mail list while you are there!

IHOP Responds with Search, Rescue, and Medical Teams

As a Missions Base, we received our first major test in our commitment to combine 24/7 prayer with 24/7 acts of justice. Crisis Response International is our ministry focused on relief after natural disasters. Within two days, we had responded sending an initial scouting team to assess the situation (James Adams was among them). Within a week, our trained missionaries were on the ground with search and rescue gear going in to fallen buildings rescuing people. Since then, we are continuing to send teams out twice a month to provide relief. God is doing so much! Read more at www.criout.com

Praying for Haiti in the Nightwatch

God has deeply stirred our hearts on the Nightwatch for Haiti. Since the earthquake, we have devoted our prayer meetings almost entirely to praying for the church of Haiti. This has been a strong few weeks of intercession for me personally since my heart is so connected with this people. I have been leading prayer and singing over this desperate nation every night. We are seeing answers to our prayers!

15,000 Gather for Morning Prayer

One of the things we have been crying out for is a movement of prayer and repentance to touch the nation of Haiti. The leader of the Nightwatch, Stuart Greaves, recently went to Haiti to serve a ministry down there. This ministry has been gathering over 2,000 intercessors for morning prayer for many years. After the earthquake, their prayer meetings have suddenly jumped to over 15,000 intercessors gathering for prayer. It truly is amazing what the Lord is doing in Haiti! He is turning the hearts of His people to Himself.

Witch Doctors Turn Under the Fear of the Lord

Another ministry friend I am connected with in Haiti is Gary Hipolite. He leads a house of prayer in Coix-des-Bouquets (pronounced Quadaboke – I spent a week serving them in 2007). I talked to him on the phone a few days ago. Since the earthquake, they have increased their prayer hours from forty to sixty hours a week. They have seen a hundred salvations! Four of those were witch doctors. They brought up their occult property and even money consecrated for witchcraft and burned it (See Acts 19)! Their testimony was that when the earthquake shook Haiti they realized that they could not serve Satan any longer. I am so thankful that the fear of the Lord caused these men and the 100 or so others to turn in Quadaboke!

After hearing this news, I led several times of prayer in the Nightwatch for witch doctors in Haiti. I trul y believe there is a season of mercy for these men and women involved in the occult. God is reaching His hand of mercy out towards them!

IHOP Prayer Room Webcast Now Available FREE Worldwide

I have exciting news. The Prayer Room web cast is now available free of charge. After charging a subscription fee for several years, our leadership at IHOP has determined to make it available to the world free of charge. This means that you can tune in 24/7 to the prayer meeting that hasn’t stopped for ten years. It also means that you can, with the use of the archive feature, watch the sets that I help lead from midnight to six am. I encourage you to check it out. It is available anytime on my new web site www.jonathanbaldwin.org