Group behind Isaiah 62 Fast calls for 1 million to fast and pray for Israel on Yom Kippur

In May, a group of Christian and Messianic Jewish organizations enlisted around 5,000,000 believers from May 7 to May 28 to pray at least one hour a day for Israel.

The prayer and fasting challenge culminated on the Biblical Feast of Weeks (Shavuot in Hebrew), with an event on the Southern Steps of the Temple Mount, in which Orthodox Jewish activists protested and clashed with Israeli police.

Now the same group is trying to get 1,000,000 to commit to praying for Israel for one hour on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

The biblical fast of Yom Kippur marks the completion of the Ten Days of Awe beginning with the Feast of Trumpets, called today Rosh HaShanah - the Jewish New Year.

The Isaiah 62 Fast was the brainchild of Mike Bickle and the International House of Prayer (IHOP) in Kansas City.

Their initial goal was to see 1,000,000 believers take a virtual stand on the walls of Jerusalem, based on Isaiah 62:6: “I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night.”

Last Yom Kippur, Ron Cantor, president of Shelanu TV in Tel Aviv, organized a one-hour prayer event on GOD TV during Yom Kippur.

“The idea was to see believers praying for Israel at the very time that Jewish people worldwide are praying and fasting.”

Ron, who moved to Israel in 2003, says the goal was always to get to one million people, but he was willing to wait. “I felt it would take at least five years to build that kind of momentum.”

After seeing the success of the Isaiah 62 fast, he contacted Bickle, who agreed to do another fast and prayer event for Yom Kippur.

A special simulcast between Jerusalem and Kansas City will happen at 10am EST/5pm Israel for one hour.

“Isaiah 62 speaks of God placing watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem,” says Cantor.

“God tells these watchmen to give themselves no rest and to give God no rest, till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.”