ericrainh2o@gmail.com ~ (479) 221-4130 ~ 2909 S. 97th Cir.; Ft. Smith, AR 72903

On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent. You who put Yahweh in remembrance, take no rest, and give Him no rest until He establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth. ~Isaiah 62:6-7

Beloved,

Isaiah 62 is a call to those who have been set apart to intercede for Jerusalem, the apple of God’s eye (Zech. 2:7-8) I believe I have been called to this ministry as a part of my priestly duty unto the Lord. On New Year’s Day 2010 the Spirit lit a fire in my soul to pray for Jerusalem in Jerusalem specifically at a house of prayer called Succat Hallel.

At that time I thought I might get to go to Jerusalem the following summer. However, another door opened for me to stay in Minnesota while attending missionary training at Bethany College of Missions. During this I spent much time with the Spirit as He led me through intensive study and revelation of God’s heart for the Jewish people. So that fire He lit did not die but became a hot bed of coals that stayed steady in my heart.

In recent months, Ruach haKadesh (the Holy Spirit in Hebrew) has brought into a much deeper understanding of intercession and revelation on the prayer movement across the globe. Now the joy of prayer is that it can be done anywhere at any time, and it is increasing everywhere and is going all the time. There are several Houses of Prayer all over the globe that have worship and intercession going 24/7. This is a fulfillment of Amos 9:11 and Acts 15:16, that the tabernacle of David which had 24/7 worship and intercession would again arise in the earth before Messiah’s return.

In 1999, Rick and Patti Ridings who lived and ministered in my hometown for several years answered the call to raise one of these tabernacles of David in Jerusalem itself and it has been 24/7 for 8 years now.  I only recently found out two years after God put Succat Hallel (Tabernacle of Praise in Hebrew) on my heart that the directors were from my hometown of Fort Smith, Arkansas and that they knew my family well.

 I met the Ridings about a month ago when they were visiting Arkansas. As Rick and I spoke he asked me what the vision for my life was. When I told him that God had put Mongolian nomads on my heart Rick immediately knew the entire vision of how Jerusalem was actually the end goal of ministering to the Steppe people. In fact, the internship program has an entire teaching track on how East Asian nations are deeply connected to the gospel being preached all the way back to Jerusalem.

Obviously this meeting stoked the coals in my heart and relit the fire to pray for Jerusalem in Jerusalem. As the man who introduced me to Succat Hallel said, “90 days of praying for Jerusalem in Jerusalem will seal it on your heart forever.”

I believe that God is calling me to a season of intense intercession for Zion, His holy hill, so that I always remember that Jerusalem is the end goal of all the Kingdom of God. It is the place where, when Yeshua the Messiah returns, this present evil age will end and He will rule forevermore.

I plan to go in March for the next internship which lasts for 3 months. God has also told me to depend on the body of Messiah for support, so I pray that my brothers and sisters in the Lord have their hearts open to His leading.  If you feel led to pray and/or support me financially you can contact me by the information at the top of the letter or on Facebook. I pray this letter finds you in good circumstances and that the Father’s face is shining upon you.

Shalom,

Eric Rainwater

Journaling through the Bible

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to Your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions, wash me thoroughly from my sin! Purge me and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that You have broken rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Cast me not away from Your presence, and take not Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore me the joy of Your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will return to You. Deliver me from blood guiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of Your righteousness. O Yahweh, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise. For You will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; You will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. Do good to Zion in Your good pleasure, build up the walls of Jerusalem. When God restores the fortunes of His people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad. Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. Pride is their necklace; violence covers them as a garment. Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches. But when I thought to how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end. He who sits in the heavens laughs; Yahweh holds them in derision. Then He will speak to them in His wrath, and terrify them in His furry, saying “As for Me, I have set My King in Zion, My holy hill.” “For I am a great King,” says Yahweh of hosts, “and My name will be feared among the nations.” So they shall fear the name of Yahweh from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun; for He will come like a rushing stream, which the wind of Yahweh drives. I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward You. Nevertheless, I am continually with You; You hold my right hand. You guide me with Your counsel, and afterword You will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For behold, those who are far from You shall perish; You put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to You. But for me it is good to be near God; I have made Adonay Yahweh my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works. Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old, which You have redeemed to be the tribe of Your heritage! Remember Mount Zion, where You have dwelt. Direct Your steps to the perpetual ruins; the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary! “A Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares Yahweh. “And as for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says Yahweh: “My Spirit that is upon you, and My words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring,” says Yahweh, “from this time forth and forevermore.” Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of Yahweh has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but Yahweh will arise upon you, and His glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Then shall your light break forth like the dawn and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of Yahweh shall be your rear guard. Blessed be Yahweh, my Rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; He is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my Deliverer, my shield and Him in whom I take refuge, who subdues people under me. O Yahweh, what is man that You regard him, or the son of man that You think of him? Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow. Bow Your heavens, O Yahweh, and come down! Proclaim this among the nations; consecrate for war, stir up the mighty men. Let all the men of war draw near; let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears, let the weak say, “I am a warrior!” Hasten and come, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves there. Bring down your warriors, O Yahweh. Flash forth the lightning and scatter them: send out Your arrows and rout them!

 For when the Yahweh Yeshua, the Lion of Yehuda roars from Zion, His enemies will be scattered! Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving Yahweh your God, obeying His voice and holding fast to Him, for He is your life and length of days. Be strong and courageous, it is Yahweh who goes before you, He will not forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. “Hear, O Israel; Yahweh our God, Yahweh is one. You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ neither is it beyond the sea that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the Word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.” “Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak, and let the earth hear the words of my mouth. May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, like gentle rain upon the tender grass, and like showers upon the herb. For I will proclaim the name of Yahweh; ascribe greatness to our God! The Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and with out iniquity, just and upright is He. He found me in a desert land, and in the howling waste of the wilderness; He encircled me on the mountainside, He cared for me, He kept me as the apple of His eye. Like and eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young, spreading out its wings, catching them, bearing them on its pinions. Yahweh alone guided me, no foreign god was with me. He made me ride on the high places of the land, the Sangres de Cristos. My mouth will speak the praise of Yahweh, and let all flesh bless His holy name forever and ever. Praise Yahweh! Praise Yahweh, O my soul! I will praise Yahweh as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.                                                                                                                        Selah

Journaling through Psalms 2, 51, 53, 73, 74, 144, 145, 146; Isaiah 58, 59, 60; Joel 3; Malachi 1; Deuteronomy 6, 30, 31, 32.