Dear Intercessors,

"So I set armed men behind the wall in places here it was least protected:  I even thus used the people as families with their swords, spears and bows...take from Him courage to fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes."  Neh. 4:13,15 Amplified.   We see Nehemiah, a "cupbearer" to King Artaxerxes, who was an officer of the palace of Susa while still a captive Jew.  His heart was with the remnant in Jerusalem, and when he saw the walls were broken down and the gates burned, he sat down, wept, prayed and fasted.  He then marshaled his people to complete the work of Ezra, to rebuild the city walls. Nehemiah surveyed the city by night, spoke to the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials and encouraged them to know that the hand of God was upon him for good!  In spite of opposition, the people "rose up with their brethren...their families...to restore the gates." Their enemies taunted them and the workers grew weak but the people of God "made their prayer to their God and set a watch against them day and night."  Nehemiah set armed men behind the places where it was least protected and even used the people as families with their weapons! He encouraged them to fight for their families.

In NE Ohio in the twenty-first century, we can draw comparisons between the people of God in Jerusalem and our own regional challenges.  We are about to send thousands of children into the Cleveland Municipal District schools to be part of a new Transformation plan. Possibilities of teacher shortages, larger classes, new school merges and a different transportation plan might face our children and grandchildren - not to mention the temptations of drinking, drugs and illicit sex. The need to fast and pray and intercede for the "righteous seed" is accelerated each year! 

The opportunity to pray corporately, with others, for the schools, is always available.  There are places to pray...at "prayer altars" all around Cleveland and NE Ohio. NEOIN tries to provide a calendar, an overview of events and places and times to gather unto our God.  Going on our website, www.neoin.org will give you pertinent information about City-wide Prayer and intercession as well as conferences to encourage and build our faith! Saturday, Sept. 18, 2010, from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM will be NEOIN's Equipping the Saints Conference held at Bethany Assembly of God, 6195 Broadview Rd., Cleveland, OH.  We are presenting Sentinel films, Transformation film, "An Appalachian Dawn" showing transforming revival in Kentucky,  plus a slide presentation by Angela Locke of her missionary trip to Mozambique, a missionary from World Trumpet Mission, plus worship and food.  Our scriptural theme is from Isa. 55:6, "Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near."  A free-will offering will be taken.

Opportunities to be part of the Adopt a School Program can be realized by contacting Gail Reese's, Ministry of Reconciliation at reconciliation3@sbcglobal.net.  Each school in Cleveland and NE Ohio can be adopted and prayed for by a church in the region.  It is exciting to think of the possibilities of transformation as God's people obey His leading.  See You at the Pole takes place on Wednesday, September 22, 2010.  Last year, many teachers joined their students to pray at the flagpole.

Let us as the family of God, take courage from Him to fight for our brethren, our sons, our daughters, our wives, our home