Australians Call for 72 Hours of Prayer and Fasting for US

In the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings, the National Day of Prayer and Fasting in Australia is calling for 72 hours of prayer and fasting for the U.S. 

Set to take place from April 30 to May 2, the intercessory initiative kicks off on America’s National Day of Repentance (NDOR) and ends on the 62nd annual National Day of Prayer (NDP).

As the organizers see it, mow is the time for Australia and New Zealand and the nations of the world to stand with the U.S. in its hour of need. They expect the prayer event to have profound significance for America and help turn the tide of family breakdown, crippling addictions, increasing immorality and random acts of horrific violence, as we have just witnessed in the Boston bombings.

Here’s some background on the organizers: On New Year’s Eve 2012, Pastor Jeff Daly of the NDOR came to Australia and joined in a prayer event in Canberra, Australia’s capital. He then organized prayer in U.S. to support the National Day of Prayer and Fasting for Australia on Feb. 10. 

Daly has called for Australians to stand with Americans on April 30 to pray for national repentance using the theme verse, 2 Chronicles 7:14. This day is the 224th anniversary of George Washington’s inauguration as a devout Christian president and the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s day of “humiliation, prayer and fasting” held during the devastating times of the Civil War.

The theme for the NDP 2013 is Pray for America, emphasizing the need for individuals, corporately and individually, to place their faith in the unfailing character of their Creator, who is sovereign over all governments, authorities, and men. The theme verse is Matthew 12:21: “In His name the nations will put their hope.” 

Daly says the reality is that it was American men who shed their blood that saved Australia from invasion from the Japanese during World War II. The battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942 sank many Japanese ships and troop carriers at great cost to American life. Even though that battle was lost, the war was won as a result. Many nations of the world have much to thank the USA for because of their past and present sacrifices for freedom.