Last Sunday, I heard a sermon on prayer, the second in a series on prayer. Oddly enough, well maybe not so oddly, these two sermons came on the heals of an entreaty of mine asking God how I could pray more efficiently. Specifically, as to how to better pray for my family, and generally, as to how to better pray for others. My take away from that sermon was profoundly simple:
‘Read your Bible before you pray.’
Since my prayers are usually worded with a particular scripture in mind, I reasoned, “Okay, I do that.” But the more I pondered that simple directive, the more I began to question myself, “Do I actually do that?” My conclusion was No!
So this morning before I began my prayer time, I opened my Bible. I questioned, “Where do I turn to?” The book of Ephesians came to mind. Feeling no need to question further, I turned to Ephesians, and began reading chapter 1 verses 16-20. Here’s what I read.
“I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.”
The last two sentences lingered in my thoughts as I began to pray for my immediate family, in particular my grandchildren. I pondered how praying this verse back to God on behalf of my grandchildren would benefit them. If my loved ones had a better understanding of the incredible power of God (the very same power that God used to resurrect Jesus from the dead), then it stands to reason they would be empowered to pray with more confidence in God to meet their needs. That could shift their focus. Their focus would then center on the power of God to meet their needs, not solely on their needs.
This is a ‘Need to Know’ kind of information. That being the case, I texted my beloved grans and shared the above verse adding the following comment:
..You have incredible power, to live the life to which God has called you. To call upon during the tough times in your lives. To give you guidance when the way seems uncertain. To encourage and assure you. To enable you to recognize when the enemy is attacking you and empower you to resist him. Just remember you have access to the same power that raised Christ from the dead. Learn how to draw upon that power…..
19 However, God has listened; He has paid attention to the sound of my prayer. 20 May God be praised! He has not turned away my prayer or turned His faithful love from me
Psalm 66:19-20 (HCSB)
I write another blog about being the mom of a missionary. It’s hard for mom’s like us to think of our children and grandchildren off in another country (or state) having to contend with this pandemic. The full force of attacks by the enemy to undermine our faith in times like these is all too real. I know first hand what that feels like. Therefore, taking what God has taught me through the years about fiery darts, I’m passing it on to my dear moms whose children and grandchildren are ‘somewhere out there’ in need of prayer!
Our missionary children are scattered all over the world. Prior to this pandemic, our problems and their problems were uniquely tied to location. However, now we find ourselves facing the common threat of the coronavirus. A worldwide threat that is redefining life as we know it. Should our missionary children come home, or shelter in place right where they are? Oh, it’s a complicated scenario and every family’s response can only be determined by the details of their particular situation. No one plan works for everyone. We are concerned about them and they are concerned about us!
What are we to do?
My fiery darts blog exposes the foremost weapon Satan uses against us in times like this which is referenced in Ephesians 6:16,
“above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.” NKJV
Here is how it applies to our present dilemma.
Fear spawned by this Coronavirus threat is a very present reality. Unchecked fear breeds panic, panic breeds irrational thinking, irrational thinking breeds wrong choices. It goes on and on.
How we contend with our fears and all its relatives are the fiery darts of Eph. 6:16. Satan’s intent in this pandemic is to steal, kill, and destroy anything God infuses us with to carry us through this crisis.
God, on the other hand, intends to take the fear and use it to direct us to Himself. In that response, we will be helped and God will be glorified. By responding according to God’s plan as we counsel and pray over our children, we will be instruments of God’s will in how to tackle this crisis.
Keep in mind the following as we pray for our children, wherever they are.
1. Recognize the fear (fiery dart)
2. Reject the fear
3. Replace the fear with God’s Truth thoughts
As I pray over my children and their families in this crisis, one of the first Truth thoughts God gave me was 2 Timothy 1:7. Every time fear approaches, I call forth this Truth.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind
God’s word ASSURES us that He is watching over us and our precious ones. We can wholeheartedly trust that God is definitely paying attention to our prayers. Likewise, may we receive and become the instruments of peace of Philippines 4:6-7:
Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
(Especially, when the fiery dart of doubt begins its assault)
Fiery Darts: Satan's Weapon of Choice 