I had another article ready for today, but after the week’s events I feel compelled to speak what’s been brewing in my heart and mind.
I am someone who rarely watches the news because I hate the focus on all the awful things in the world. Also, I don’t believe that we were created to handle all the sorrow of the world. The sorrow we encounter personally in our local life will be more than enough grief for one lifetime.
Those thoughts aside, I have been overcome by sort of a sadness and helpless feeling due to the various attacks and killings around the world in the last few weeks. There are soooo many conversations now about what needs to happen to create a safe country/world. Some people say more gun laws, some people say less gun control. Some say we should bomb the whole middle east, some say we can cause a change in ideology by strategic attacks…
It feels like useless talk to me. The overriding thought in my head has been that only God can fix this broken world. Yet, He has always been the only one who can bring light into the darkness, bring life into death.
He doesn’t want to do it alone, though. He chooses to give us free will. We can choose to partner with Him to bring about the changes He hopes for the world, the changes we so desperately need. Our partnering takes the shape of prayer and actions that glorify Him. Our prayers are powerful!! We don’t have any idea just how powerful they are. I recently read this incredible book, Intercessory Prayer, by Dutch Sheets. In his book he quotes E. M. Bounds:
God shapes the world by prayer. The more praying there is in the world the better the world will be, the mightier the forces against evil… The prayers of God’s saints are the capital stock of heaven by which God carries on His great work upon earth. God conditions the very life and prosperity of His cause on prayer.
In the midst of so much terror, our prayers can feel feeble. But they are how God has promised us to intervene on our behalf. We need Him to intervene with heavenly wisdom, to bring life, not death. I have found fear rising in my heart, especially with the attack in San Bernardino being so physically close to my family and me. I want to have God’s mindset, not a heart filled with fear. In the Bible, John wrote:
God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love.
We, though, are going to love—love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first. (John 4:7-19)
“We, though, are going to love…” I love that!! In the midst of terror and fanatics worshipping death, let us choose bravely to love. We cannot end darkness with darkness. Only love. Only Prayer. Only God.
Will you love with me?
Will you pray with me?
Lord, Sweet Jesus, we love you! We thank you that you have loved us and demonstrated what true love looks like. Help our hearts to allow your incredible, powerful love to fill us up until there is room for nothing else. Help us to demonstrate your love to everyone we encounter.
Give us your heart for the people of the world. Give us the energy and focus to diligently pray for all the hurt in this world. We ask that you would bring change, God. Stop the killings. Bring sanity to the minds of those who are being led by a spirit of death. Remove the veil that they would see you and accept your love. Protect the innocent. Protect us all. We need you, Lord, to intervene, to bring heaven to this earth. Help us!
We love you and praise you, Lord! We ask all of this in Jesus’ name. Amen!
Sweet Beloved, you are loved! Allow that love to cast out all of your fears and to enable you to love well.