DAY 32/40 DAYS OF PRAYER FOR AMERICA

COMFORT THE BROKEN HEARTED

There are many ways one can be involved in one of these extended periods of prayer. Several times this year, I have either led, joined or prayed along with 31 Days of Praying the Names of God; A Fortnight of Prayer for (Religious Freedom); Thirty Days of Prayer for Marriages; Prayer with saints from South Africa and America and now this Forty Days of Prayer for America. Each prayer movement has been grassroots led and completely different.

For this election season, many ministries, from the San Antonio-based Max Lucado and John Hagee to Dave Butts of the National Prayer Committee and others have called for and are executing the Forty Day of Prayer according to a preset format. There are thousands of prayer conference call groups and intercessory groups in the Houses of Prayer nationwide. What may frustrate some about the 40 Days on this blog is that it may appear to follow no organized format and it does not personally attack this or that politician personally, by name or behavior. The reason for that is simple:
1. We are all sinners
2. We are called to be gracious
3. We should be very careful with imprecatory prayers against a certain group or person.

That being said, we do not take this lightly. A year of prayer has made a difference in our lives, at least mine and has covered me when I feel the weakest...and it is the same for any praying believer. At the same time, we do not shy from intercessory confrontation with darkness, evil and any stronghold which goes against the wishes and Perfect Will of God. Therefore today, Day 32 of 40, there is a burning need to pray hard on parallel tracks. There is a confluence of events....and events are prayed about here, which if looked at through the Lens of a Biblical Worldview, and an understanding of these last Days, would/should scare/encourage us. By us, I mean believers....for the majority- it is devastating, because they are unredeemed! These days were spoken of, two thousand years ago and not many have been paying attention.

#1
Our fellow citizens are literally under a wet blanket of judgment (thankfully temporary) of the big storm Sandy which has sat over one fifth of this massive country for two days now. People are literally shaking in high rise apartments in New York city where 120 mph winds are rocking buildings and the streets of Lower Manhattan are now under 10 plus feet of water. Almost no one there, or in coastal regions, or the dear poor folks of West Virginia (facing snow storms now) have lived through even a third of what is now hitting them. How do they persevere through this? Here is an answer:
PSALM 91: Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God

 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”

³ Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler^[a]
And from the perilous pestilence.
⁴ He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
⁵ You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

#2
Then for the past few days, Charles Woods, the distraught father of the most talked about late Navy Seal killed in the 9/11/2012 terrorist attack in Bengazi - (Tyrone Woods) has been telling everyone who would hear, what he had heard happened to his now-famous son on that horrible day. Prayer intercessors are caught in a dilemma, in a sense...but we should not be. Several things are in the mix here which are way above our pay grade and while we discuss Religious Liberty and Freedom issues here, as well as the persecution of the church, it is not the goal to get into details of military politics. What is important are people and How the Lord will deal with this.

Therefore, here is what we do: most importantly, we pray for Mr. Charles Woods who lost his hero son - Tyrone - in Bengazi, after rescuing several other people who were under fire from the terrorists.  We pray for his protection, peace of mind and not a long, drawn out he said/she said contre-temps between officials whose stories keep changing. We pray for the Woods family, in our own private prayer time.
Psalm 34:18: The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
Revelation 21:4 : He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
John 16:22: So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.
John 14:27-29: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe.
Matthew 5:4: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

#3
Finally, we pray for those who have the answers for this man who lost his son and all the other relatives of those whose lives were lost on September 11 of this year. While something does not seem right and there are various stories and levels of untruths from different quarters, God knows the truth to give Mr. Woods and the families closure and comfort. We pray for those in authority in the civilian and military branches on whose shoulders these burdens are on, that they will follow the Lord and speak truth and grace, no matter where the chips fall.  May the Lord and their conscience, as it is with all of us, be their guide.
Psalm 78:72: With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand. 

Matthew 20:26: But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant. 

Philippians 2:4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 

Father in the Name of Jesus, I pray all these issues into Your capable Hands as You look down on the pitiful state of man, Your potential best creation. Help us process all of these merging events and their meaning in to us, Your people, as we seek to comprehend more about You and the events of the current time. Assist to proclaim and pronounce the Word of God. Seal that Word in our hearts. Sanctify us by Your Spirit. Empower us in Your Strength. Ordain our footsteps this wonderful day.  Anoint our heads with the Oil of Joy, even in these troubled times, in Jesus' Holy Name, amen!

(image by google)