"The ISIS cancer has metastasized," proclaims a Wall Street Journal article on March 23rd. The Islamic state is building a regional and global network to recruit from and attack other nations. Their strategy, according to the article, encompasses three geographical rings: Iraq, Syria and other Levant nations like Jordan, Lebanon, Israel-Palestine; other parts of the Middle East and North Africa, extending over to Afghanistan and Pakistan; and the rest of the world, namely Europe, the USA and Asia.

In spite of what governments and political pundits say in politically correct ways so as not to offend the great majority of "peaceful" Muslims, the Islamic State leaders and their increasing number of followers are being rigidly and uncompromisingly Islamic in the way they go about things. They are actually trying to emulate their prophet Muhammad in all they do. According to Graeme Wood, they are "authentic throwbacks to early Islam and are faithfully reproducing it's norms of war", including slavery, crucifixion and beheadings (The Atlantic magazine March 2015). They hope to return to 7th century Islamic sharia law and eventually bring about the apocalypse. In this effort, they are committed to "purify the world" by killing large numbers of people whom they regard as infidels.

Because ISIS is metastasizing and threatening an increasing number of countries in its bid to become a global movement and caliphate, it is essential for us to mobilize prayer at this tipping point so their goal of world domination can be blunted and overthrown. We must remind ourselves that intercessory prayer has been the decisive factor many times before both in Scripture and history. Intercessors are the shapers of history in God's hands. In partnership of the Holy Spirit, we need to develop an international prayer strategy to combat the scourge of Islamic terrorism. Indeed, this was one of the main reasons the IPC came into existence just after 9/11 when a group of international prayer leaders met near Ground Zero in New York City to launch a prayer network that would focus on global issues like terrorism.

Here are some suggested elements for such a strategy as well as some basic prayer points we should be able to implement to counter the growing threat from radical Islam in which some see the dark clouds of World War III:

Let's work together to mobilize any prayer groups, churches and other intercessors we are in touch with to really pray with this focus for the rest of this year. Persevering, informed intercession will make all the difference!

Supply these praying people with current information and prayer requests. For this purpose, please educate yourself about radical Islam, its objectives and activities so you and others can pray intelligently.

Meet regularly in person or over the phone with a few others to pray in depth about specific aspects of the radical Islamic threat that you discover.

Some recommended prayer concerns to get you going:

1. Pray that the radical Islamic movement increasingly coalescing around ISIS as its standard bearer will degenerate into factions, dividing from one another and even fighting against each other.

2. Pray that radical Islamic leaders and their followers will have revelations, dreams, and visions of Christ and make an abrupt turnabout like the great Apostle Paul did. He repented from persecuting and killing Christians to become the most dedicated and effective of missionaries, probably in all history.

3. Pray for the international community to put real military teeth into what is now a paper coalition of 60 nations. May they recognize the urgency and commit every bit of funding and military force necessary to fight and defeat ISIS, Al Qaeda, Boko Haram, Al Shabaab and other radical groups across the whole world.

4. For President Obama and the US government to fully commit and provide unwavering leadership in order to subdue and eliminate radical Islam and terrorism.

5. For the cutting off of funding flowing from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other Muslim nations that are supporting ISIS and other terror groups.

6. That Iran and the West will reach an effective deal on the Iranian nuclear program so that Iran finally gives up trying to build nuclear weapons.

7. Aggressively and authoritatively bind the principalities and powers behind these Islamic radical groups in Jesus' name so that the power and influence of the devil will be broken over them.

8. That huge numbers of Muslims will become disillusioned with all the hate, violence, and death in Islam and come to faith in Jesus Christ. In Matthew 17:20, Jesus exhorts us to release our faith to move mountains. God will work redemptively even through such evil to bring tens of millions of them to faith as we join Him by prayer and witness.

Let's agree for these things in prayer. Remember that history belongs not to the politicians or to the radical Muslims but to the intercessors!