Joel 2:17-18 says, “Let the priests, the ministers of the
LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people,
O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule
over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? Then
will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people.”
Our world is in distress. Our church is in distress. We need to be weeping, we need to be praying, we need to be in anguish (in heart) pleading that God will spare His people!
“An appeal to
Heaven by the humblest saint is more to be dreaded by Satan than the decrees
of cabinets or the
mandates of kings.” [i]
Have you ever thought about the fact that your
prayers are more impacting in this
spiritual warfare than the decisions of courts and kings? This is serious
business. We may not all be called to positions of leadership in the
church or to stand on a large stage to lead massive evangelistic campaigns. But
all of us are called to work for God, and all of us are called to pray. God has given us a holy commission. But all to
often our perspective is backwards regarding this commission!
David Livingstone, a man of prayer known for being a champion of slaves
and passionate about sharing the gospel, set the continent of Africa ablaze and
left a legacy of devotion that is still remembered to this day. Traveling over
29,000 miles through Africa, much on foot, and surviving the attacks of lions
and the rampage of disease, He continued to press forward determinedly. When he
died, he died upon his knees serving the people he had grown to love. Although
his body was returned to the states, per his request, his heart was left in
Africa.
Before Livingstone died, seeing the spiritual apathy among so many
westerners, he once exclaimed in amazement, “Why is it that the
commission of an earthly king is considered a privilege while the commission of
a heavenly king is considered a sacrifice?”
This same amazement should mark our lives today. If
we truly understand what Christ has done for us, giving our lives and prayers
for other’s salvation will be no sacrifice. Instead it will be the highest
honor!
No comments:
Post a Comment