Wednesday, March 5, 2014

What the World Needs Now.....Is Prayer

While it has been a bit since posting to this column,  I am writing to encourage national prayer,  for the world and the nations in the light of the troubles in Venezuela, Crimea,  the Mideast and around the world.  For some time,  the world has been held in a precarious perch of peace among protest,  but since 2012,  there has been a decided shift toward violent protests,  and large groups of persons clashing using techniques of modern warfare rather than simple civil disobedience and police restraint.  The introduction in Syria of Sarin gas,  and the recent invasion of the Crimean Pennisula point to the volatile environment of a world which is also facing a soon coming series of natural disasters,  the fact of which is well known, though the timing of which is not.

The complexity of issues does not allow for an immediate rendering of simplistic 'good guy-bad guy' delineations:  many are in good conscience pouring into mass protests and city squares to combat what are being termed 'fascist' government tactics, and in many, but not all cases this is so.   Many though are deceived into thinking that organizations such as the EU,  and other 'global citizenry' organizations provide the facil alternative:  for now, the EU  holds to civil rights and more democratic values but careful students of the Word know this does not last, and even rank unbelievers must eventually acknowledge that in a one world government,  while the outset may be beneficent, the end may not.  Years from now, when any global government becomes oppressive, as many of our originally democratic nations have,  it is a 'last stop':  when all laws conform,  there will be no appeal, and no refuge in other nations or their laws.  Therefore,  when such incidents arise which involve national feeling and interest in the Ukraine, or the wish to unify in Russia,  or military show in the Crimea,  the issues are complex and are not resolved by naive rebellion nor by acquiescing to totalitarian states which leave their citizenry in misery.

Since our human wisdom is limited and must always be tempered by God's holy wisdom,  we can be assured of the urgent need for one thing which can never be wrong:  prayer and praise, and the seeking of God's wisdom to know what to do.  

We have forgotten in the modern world, even in the church,  that prayer really does change things,  even at the international level.  Prayer saves lives, heals nations, changes the mind and heart of national leaders, and creates peace where there is none.  Prayer and praise can bring about 'exceeding abundant' solutions that none of us would normally consider.  We need to pray very specifically and sincerely,  for guidance and direction,  peaceful solutions, but also for particular needs to the God who knows 'every hair on our head' and names every star in the sky.

The Bible teaches clearly that God inhabits the praises of his people,  of the people he loves, and God is Love.   Our aim and goal is to pray for healing in nations who see no solution but violence, for it is likewise at our doorstep,  as governments in efforts to keep an equilibrium against terrorism, overstep the boundaries of civil liberties and basic freedoms.  We can in some instances circle troubled areas in prayer, praise and the Word,  taking authority which has been granted to us by the Lord over spirits of division:  we can,  without power or position, through the great gift of prayer, effect peaceful solutions that armies and weaponry have never wrought.

Judah's Glory is asking every church that encounters this blog or our materials,  to make a concerted effort to set apart a day, night or part of a day,  for intense, meaningful, and penitent prayer,  asking God in our Savior's name for the speedy and peaceful resolution of conflict,  the wisdom of legislatures,  and the powerful encouragement of nations which wish to remain or attain freedom and identity as a people,  without compromising in a way which will hurt the church and our free practice of our faith.   We know many fine churches will respond with more than we can do.

In the name of the Prince of Peace, Sar Shalom,
Elizabeth K. Best
Director, Judah's Glory