If Ever There Was A Need To Pray, It Is Now!
One of the most serious mistakes that many Christians make is to believe that God’s personality somehow changed from the “vindictive” in the Old Testament to more merciful in the New Testament.
Within the enormous timeframe of the Old Testament, which covers the period from Genesis to four hundred years before Christ, there are numerous judgment events that resulted in much suffering by God’s chosen people. However, within the New Testament and its relatively short period of less than one hundred years, only one is referenced. This one exception is the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD along with the two-thousand-year Jewish Diaspora (scattering) throughout the western world that was prophesied by Jesus Himself (Luke 21:20-24). This judgment was to become much longer, more intense, and more deadly than of all others, ending with Nazi Germany’s killing of six million Jews.
God, who is enthroned from of old,
Psalm 55:19, New International Version (NIV)
who does not change—
he will hear them and humble them,
because they have no fear of God.
Within the Old Testament, we see many incidents of God’s punishment and corrective disasters brought about by the sins of the Hebrew people. Many of these corporate (nationwide) tragedies could have been abated if God’s people would have simply responded to the warning of their prophets. The prophets’ calls to turn away from their sinning, to humble themselves and pray, were ignored and as a result, all suffered most tragic consequences.
Today, we find ourselves in similar circumstances, in the middle of a life-taking pandemic, awaiting a second wave of sicknesses, another potential pandemic virus on the horizon, world-wide economic and financial distress, and social upheavals. Where are the prophets calling us to repent of our sins? When will we take responsibility for what God has allowed to come to pass? God has not been asleep. He has seen all my sins, all of your sins, and all of our national sins.
Is it too late? No one can possibly answer that question, but I know of only one possibility of abating this disaster, and that is prayer accompanied by repentance and self-humiliation. Without that, there is no hope for a healing of the nations, and darkness will overtake us all.
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14, NIV
In light of the importance of this needed time of focused prayer, I have included a short excerpt below on “Couples Prayer” from my book, The Fulfilled Marriage: The Three Doors to encourage and strengthen you as couples facing challenging times.
Years ago, I was onboard one of the Mercy Ships that was docked in Norfolk, Virginia. While I was standing on deck, I could see the largest naval base in the world just downstream and lined up were nuclear submarines, destroyers, cruisers, and the largest of all, the aircraft carriers. Within these ships were the most powerful weapons of modern warfare, probably including nuclear weapons.
As soon as I had that thought, the Holy Spirit brought to my realization that this old, little Mercy Ship in which I was standing with its dedicated Christian crew contained more power than all of the Navy ships put together. Why? Simply because of the power of prayer and intercession that takes place as they sail the seas and bring God’s love to the coastal countries of the world.
Like the Mercy Ship, your marriage through “Couples Prayer” can be a powerful weapon for deliverance and good in the world.
What if I told you that if you start praying together, Jesus will come into your home and join you? Yes, every time! Would you pray then, if you knew this was true?
“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.“
Matthew 18:20, NIV
Let’s look at this verse logically and see what might be deduced in addition to the obvious. If this Scripture is true, which it obviously is, when we look at it in context, this verse must mean that Jesus, the spokesman of these words, is saying He will come and visit you and your spouse anytime you pray and invite Him to do so. Since this has no reference to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, it must be that Jesus Himself, the Creator of everything, is going to come into your prayer space in some special way.
God’s visiting those He loves should not seem strange to us. We have become children of our Heavenly Father. Along with that we are chosen to do our part within the Kingdom of God while we are in the world. Even as early as in the creation story, we see that the Lord apparently visited Adam and Eve on a regular basis. Why not us His adopted children?
Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Genesis 3:8, NIV
Is it not about time that we stop hiding our sins and avoiding God, and pray? After all, He stands by your door waiting. Open the door and let Him in!
God bless you and yours in this trying time,
Ted
