Dear Friend,

In our staff meeting on Monday, March 12, it was determined that Turning Point Ministries International and Somebody Cares America/International—both based in Houston—need special wisdom from God, and more of the precious leading of the Holy Spirit to direct our steps in the present day. Scripture tells us that if any of us lack wisdom, all we need to do is ask, and God will give it to us liberally. Scripture also says that one of the missions of the Holy Spirit is to lead us and guide us into all truth.

We feel very strongly that this season is an important one to us as a ministry, with the upcoming release of Doug’s new book Who’s Your Daddy Now? being a timely message for the body of Christ in general, and for those journeying as or with the Emerging Generation in specific. As a ministry, we look back on Scripture as our model of operation, and in this case, we see that when King David needed wisdom from God, he cried out to God for a strategy to defeat the Philistines. (The Philistines represented the enemies of the Israelites, which could be likened to us in this ministry as those things which impede our ability to function properly or appropriately as God would have us function, to carry out His will.) God was faithful to give him a strategy, and when the battle had been won, David named that place Baal Perazim, for God had proven to be the Master or Possessor of Breakthrough for David and the Israelites. Baal Perazim broke through the enemies, and allowed God’s people to take the ‘territory’ that He intended for them to have, and in the process, destroying the enemies that hindered their entering in.

We are calling for a corporate fast, from our leader to our partners, local and abroad, that the Lord would once again be the Master of Breakthrough for us by:

1.      Cleansing our sins and destroying the weights that are easily besetting us as a staff, bringing adjustment within our ministry

2.      Which will in turn lead to a greater understanding of the direction the Lord is taking us, and a sharpening of our spiritual acuity,

3.      Leading to a greater sensitivity of the Holy Spirit that will take us to a new level of maturity in Christ and in desire to answer His prayer for unity, and to unlock the mysteries of His Kingdom, leading to greater revelation, then

4.      Seeing that sensitivity overflow as desperation in the Body of Christ, and a renewed willingness to allow Him to have His way with us, and strengthen us to walk as mature individuals, better equipped and prepared to do His will

We have called this fast at what we believe is a key time; 21 days leading up to Passover, the time when Israel prepared to, and eventually fled from captivity to pursue the promises of God for their lives and their descendents. The fast began yesterday at sundown, March 13, and will conclude at sundown on the Passover, April 3.  We feel this is a season of pursuing and apprehending the promises of God for us as a ministry and for us as a city – the very inheritance our Lord has left for us.  We are each seeking the Lord about how we are to be fasted during these 21 days.  Some are doing a Daniel Fast, while others are only eating one meal aday, some abstaining from sugar and coffee, or others from television, etc.

In order to facilitate this fast, we at the offices of TPMI and Somebody Cares are opening up our fellowship hall daily, from 9am to 5pm, and would like to encourage you to join with us (if distance and time permits). We believe in a corporate synergy, and are also asking that if you have any particular prayer requests at this time, in keeping with the theme of this fast, that you would please email them to us at [email protected] or [email protected]

We will be posting some recommendations for fasting on our TPMI website HERE.. We will also be giving a daily prayer guide with a brief focus for each day of the fast, and ideas for engaging in more meaningful and effective prayer.

We hope that this time of fasting will be a time of acceleration of prayer for our individual lives to come into the fullness of God for this season, as well as a time of acceleration of prayer for our city, that Houston would not miss her day of visitation, as we have before. We thank you for your participation with us and for us. May God richly bless you as you fast, and may this be the time that we are able to praise Baal Perazim together, because He has broken through for us and for you in our areas of need.

Doug Stringer

Founder & President

Turning Point Ministries International

Somebody Cares America/International

www.tpmi.org

www.somebodycares.org

www.dougstringer.com