Tag: prayer

Take Heart!

Flipping through the news and scrolling through social media are enough to leave us frazzled and reaching for the smelling salts! We’re inundated with doom, gloom, and political mudslinging, which has a tendency to leave us in a state of fear and uncertainty.

We cannot be Christians who are long on fear and short on faith. We cannot spend more time researching media and repeating others. We must rest in the arms of our Savior by searching Scripture and pursuing prayer. Sweet friends, this is the time to stand on our authority in Christ and become intense prayer warriors. To stand on the promise of his already-won victory! The enemy longs for us to fill our hearts and minds with today’s hopelessness. To ruminate over injustices and unfairness to the point of anger and rage. To hail our chosen political candidates as the answer and solution to society’s ills. Take heart, my friends, Jesus has overcome all of this! We can look to Scripture for guidance on how to behave in the midst of the world’s chaos. 

God made us very aware of what to expect throughout the ages. He also gave us instructions on what to do during His appointed times. Take a few moments to ponder these passages…

Daniel 7-12

Daniel fasted, confessed, prayed, and stood firm in his faith in the midst of all that God revealed to him. We have agency to do likewise! Ask God to guide you in beginning a fast. It’s OK to start small–even baby steps bring forward movement.

Proverbs 3

Trust God by asking for His wisdom. Don’t lose sight of common sense. Ask the Father for discernment. Do good to your neighbors–online and in real life! Don’t pick fights–online and in real life! It’s easy to let our emotions guide our actions (I am absolutely guilty of this), but we must be led by His wisdom and grace. Chase after righteousness instead of being right.  

Matthew 24

Jesus tells us exactly what Christians should expect in the last days, and he doesn’t sugarcoat it! He also tells us that His word will never disappear. Take heed of his timeless, prophetic words and cling to His promise!

Luke 21

Again, we are reminded of God’s instruction during these times. Verse 34 tells us to keep watch! Look away from the screens and worldly voices; keep your eyes (physical and spiritual) fixed on the author and perfecter of our faith. Verse 36 says to keep alert and pray! Know that the kingdom of God is at hand. Fill your heart and head with the knowledge of God, rather than headlines, statistics, and worst-case-scenarios.

Ask for God’s discernment and wisdom in the midst of the melee. Rather than sounding the fear alarm and parroting doom and gloom, tune into what the Holy Spirit is doing. This has been a game-changer in my life! Luke 21 ends by saying the crowds gathered early to hear Jesus. This reminds us to rightly order our days; be nourished by Scripture and time in prayer before consuming media. Starting your day with an in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit–and his gift of discernment–will navigate you to faith instead of fear. 

Radical Christianity: The Proper Response to ISIS

This is where many of you become offended, raise your eyebrows, scratch your heads, hit the back button, and truly believe I’ve gone off the deep end. And that’s ok. I began writing this in early September, but at the time I felt like I wasn’t supposed to finish it. Then today, God impressed upon my spirit to get it out there.

At this point, to remain silent is to be disobedient. Please know that each word I write is drenched with prayer and sincerity. May they fall on receptive ears, eyes, and hearts. And if they don’t, that’s ok. My job is only to write.  

There is a discernible difference between righteous indignation and hate-fueled anger for the atrocities, persecution, and unspeakable acts committed by ISIS. It is right and good to be angered by the murder of innocent people. Harness the holy anger, that righteous indignation, and focus it on a proper response to terrorism. As Christians, we are given clear scriptural directives about how to respond to our enemies: with prayer and love. Not by amassing a cache of weapons, not meeting hatred with hatred, not vowing to kill and destroy. For those of us who have forgotten how Christ commands us to respond to those who hate us — who would like to blow us to bits, who seek our annihilation — let yourselves become steeped in the Word, not the world.

“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” Matthew 5:44

“Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.” Romans 12:19

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12

As Christians, we do not get to pick and choose who receives God’s grace. He freely extends it to all…even the people we may not like. Especially those we are inclined to hate. God longs for the hearts of those fighting for ISIS, believe it or not. They, too, are created in his image. They, too, have eternity written on their hearts. If you truly feel burdened to bring the fight to ISIS, then let me introduce you to a recruiter friend of mine. He will happily sign you up to be involved in the business of fighting on behalf of the United States military — a truly noble profession.

However, if this does not interest you, then your responsibility is simple. Pray. Pray hard prayers. Pray for the members of ISIS. Pray for God to intervene in their actions, in their lives, and in their leadership. Pray for their plans to be thwarted, of course, but also pray for them to have dreams and visions of Jesus. Pray that many of them would have the same dreams and visions on the same night…and be compelled to talk to one another about them.

These things are already happening. Pray that they keep occurring. There is a website dedicated to praying for Isis — they offer daily guided prayers for Christians. Get a group praying together. If you don’t truly believe that God is far more effective at “fighting” than man, it’s time to spend more time in the scriptures. It’s time to expand your horizons and deepen your faith. Praying these prayers will absolutely do that.

True radical Christianity looks nothing like a hate group. It is an absolute love fest. It is a broken-hearted people seeking the face of God. Radical Christianity looks like a people on its knees. If you want to defeat the enemy, stop fighting of your own accord. Let God bring the fight to their hearts by fundamentally changing your heart through prayer. It’s easy to sit and do nothing. It’s easy to spout hate and complain. It is a hard thing to beseech the throne and ask God to show them his face. Which response brings God glory and furthers his kingdom?