Pray Network Forum

A prayer alert from the Presidential Prayer Team today reads:

’Credible Terror Threat’ Closes Entire Los Angeles School District

Situations like this one drive us to our knees in prayer to our great God, and they should.  We pray for the children, who are likely scared by circumstances they can't even understand, let alone control.  We pray for the school teachers and administrators - for their safety and wisdom.  We pray for the FBI and law enforcement agencies in their attempts to investigate.

These are all great prayers and much-needed.  But I'm starting to find this method of praying a little defensive, a little reactive.  I'm beginning to crave a more offensive prayer style (offense as in football, not as in offending people!).  Through the eyes of faith, I'm just barely beginning to see that our sovereign God doesn't need to respond to events - he in fact controls them in some sense.

After Jacob's death, Joseph's brothers came to him seeking his forgiveness for how they had wronged him years before.  Joseph's response is now becoming the framework for my prayers: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives"  (Genesis 50:20). 

All through Scripture we see God taking evil things men have done and turning them into glorious good.  He took David's sin with Bathsheba and brought out of that a marriage that became the lineage of our Savior.  He turned the hatred of Haman, a persecutor of God's people, into such a great victory through Queen Esther's efforts that people far and wide heard of it and put their faith in him (Esther 8:17).

He turned the chief terrorist in the days of the early church - a man named Saul, who had presided over the stoning of Stephen - into the greatest evangelist of the time, spreading the gospel far and wide.  And on and on.  Scripture shows us over and over that when it looks like evil is winning, the story isn't finished yet.

So I'm trying to learn to "pray in the victory" in situations like this.  I'm praying for the children - but not just that they won't be scared.  I'm praying that Christian parents will help their children experience the peace of God in the midst of scary times, and that their peace will become a witness to other children who are far from God.  I'm praying that God will reap a harvest in all the schools in Los Angeles as a direct result of today's terror threat.

I'm praying that God will cause Muslim children - and parents - who haven't been brainwashed in to extremism to question their religion that could produce events like San Bernardino and groups like ISIS, Boko Haram, and the Muslim Brotherhood.  I'm praying that the very evil of Islamic extremism would itself drive decent Muslims to Christ.

I'm asking God for Damascus-road like experiences for the terrorists responsible for these and other atrocities.  I'm asking him to reveal to them his power in a way that commands their attention, and then his grace in a way that demands their response.

I hope you'll join me in prayer - not the kind of prayer that huddles in a dark corner wishing that God would make it all go away, but the kind of prayer that says, "God, be in control of this.  Do what we've seen you do over and over again.  Bring good out of this evil.  Your kingdom come, your will be done."

"It is by making myself Catholic that I brought peace to Brittany and Vendée.

It is by making myself Italian that I won minds in Italy.

It is by making myself a Moslem that I established myself in Egypt.

If I governed a nation of Jews, I should reestablish the Temple of Solomon."  (Napoleon)

The Arc of Triomphe in Paris, the most monumental of all triumphal arches, was built between 1806 and 1836 to commemorate the victories of Napoleon. Last week it witnessed bloody days that left 17 people dead, including three French terrorists. Security forces are searching for alleged accomplices who may have helped the gunmen stage their acts of terrorism.

France has mobilized 10,000 security forces to protect its population from further attacks. The forces are deployed at Jewish schools, places of worship, and other vulnerable locations. The nation has effectively declared war on jihadism and radical Islam.

Yesterday, in a demonstration of solidarity, an estimated 1.5 million people gathered in central Paris. French President Francois Hollande was joined by 40 world leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister David Cameron, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Today, in Berlin, an anti-Islam rally threatens to increase religious tension. Secretary of State John Kerry has stated he plans to travel to Paris Thursday for talks on countering extremist violence. Next month, President Obama will host a summit to highlight domestic and international efforts to prevent violent extremism.

Sadly, despite the best efforts of world leaders, extremists continue to recruit, radicalize, and inspire others to commit terrorist acts. The nightmare of violence continues around the world.

"Liberty, Equality, Fraternity"--the national motto of France--hints at the spiritual solution to violence. 

True liberty is found only in Jesus Christ (Galatians 5:1). "Peace is liberty in tranquility" (Cicero, 43 B.C.), but authentic tranquility only comes when the heart is at rest, and that happens only when the heart is surrendered to the Emperor of the Soul. 

True equality is experienced only through the unity of common allegiance to Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:26). "Only a peace between equals can last" (Woodrow Wilson, 1916). The ground at the foot of the cross is level.

True fraternity is known only through faith in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:28). "You may call for peace as loudly as you wish, but where there is no brotherhood there can in the end be no peace" (Max Lerner, "The Gifts of the Magi", 1949).

Napoleon changed the face of the world by war. The King of kings changes lives in time and eternity by His grace. 

Earth's nightmare of war will only be over when heaven's dream of peace comes true.

"In the last days, the mountain of the Lord's house will be the highest of all--the most important place on earth. It will be raised above the other hills, and people from all over the world will stream there to worship. People from many nations will come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob's God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.' For the Lord's teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem. The Lord will mediate between nations and will settle international disputes. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore." (Isaiah 2:2-4 NLT)

Johnny R. Almond

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity

Interim Pastor, Nomini Baptist Church; Montross, Virginia

Blog http://GentleWhispersFromEternity-ScripturePersonalized.com/

“If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living.” (Seneca, Roman statesman; 4 B.C. – A.D. 65)

A review of current events does little to increase our optimism about the chances of world peace. It feels like “everything nailed down is coming loose” (the angel Gabriel in the musical Green Pastures).

Over the last year, fighting associated with Boko Haram in Nigeria has led to the deaths of over 6,000 civilians.

A week ago, suicide bombers linked to the Taliban attacked two churches in Lahore, Pakistan’s cultural capital, leaving 14 worshipers dead and at least 70 injured. Four thousand angry Christians gathered in protest, chased suspects and lynched two of them. Pakistan is embroiled in a conflict between majority Sunni and minority Shiite Muslims, both groups having violent militant wings. Now with some Christians joining this volatile mix, Pakistan could be headed for an all-out religious war.

Last week gunmen stormed a Tunisian museum, taking hostages and killing at least 21 people.

Friday, a terrorist bombing of two mosques in the capital of Yemen killed 137 and wounded 357 others. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack. Over the weekend, American and British forces left strife-torn Yemen, intensifying fears that the failed state will be a breeding ground for terror groups plaguing the Middle East and the West.

This week, Afghanistan President Ghani will meet with President Obama to discuss the pace of withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. He is expected to state that without the continuing substantial presence of American troops on the ground, security will at best be precarious. 

An offensive is underway to drive the Islamic State out of the Iraqi city of Tikrit, spearheaded by Iranian-backed Shiite militias. Ironically, some think this force that is on the State Department’s global terrorism list and led by an Iranian general who has directed attacks on U.S. troops will in some way advance the goal of reconstructing a multiethnic Iraq. Could this be another case of misplaced confidence and false hope?

ISIS controls one-third of Syria. More than 20,000 foreign nationals from 90 countries have joined ISIS over the past three years. Holding oil fields, taxing businesses, and claiming cash in banks within captured territory, ISIS is the wealthiest terrorist organization in history. No one knows, of course, where the next extremist attack on a Western target may happen. Foreign-affairs columnist Ian Bremmer (Time, March 30, 2015) theorizes it would take a mass-casualty terrorist strike to build the public support required for a military effort that would destroy these threats.

The Pentagon has announced that sympathizers of the Islamic State group have posted online a “kill list” of 100 pilots, airmen, sailors and commanders involved in the U.S.-led airstrikes against the group in Iraq and Syria. Photographs of service members are included, and also their rank and home addresses. The shock of 9-11 has begun to fade; but if we are starting to think living in the continental U.S. makes us invulnerable, we need to think again.

Believers need to do more—we need to revisit our creed, calm our souls with Christ’s promises, and pray for courage to stay committed to His great cause until He returns and settles international disputes. The world has many swords that need hammering into plowshares, many spears that would make good pruning hooks. Nations are still fighting nations, with many still training for war. There’s got to be a better way—there surely will come a brighter day.

“Here on earth the nations will be in turmoil. People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth. When all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!” - Jesus (Luke 21:25, 26, 28 NLT)

Johnny R. Almond

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity

Interim Pastor, Nomini Baptist Church; Montross, Virginia

Blog & book info http://GentleWhispersFromEternity-ScripturePersonalized.com/

“Though this world with devils filled, Should threaten to undo us, We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us. Let goods and kindred go, This mortal life also; The body they may kill; God’s truth abideth still; His kingdom is forever.” (Martin Luther)

This morning, before President Obama departed for a meeting at the United Nations, he spoke concerning the initial attacks on ISIS in Syria. A coalition of five Arab nations joined the United States in this attack. Airstrikes against fixed targets were made by warplanes dropping bombs, remotely piloted aircraft,and ships firing cruise missiles.

This was only the initial phase of the war against this terrorist group. Training and equipping the moderate Syrian rebels opposed to Assad will take a long time.Degrading and defeating ISIS will not happen overnight. Persuading them to abandon the fight will not be easy.

Sunni-majority countries joining the U.S. in fighting this radical Sunni militant group indicates they understand that ISIS is not really Islamic. ISIS recruits soldiers to join their ranks, claiming they are “the truthful.” In fact, their propaganda is a lie.

We may have become so comfortable with our prosperous lifestyles that we are unmoved by news of more than 200,000 Syrians killed by a brutal regime. We may feel so secure that we find it impossible to identify with millions of heartbroken homeless people seeking refuge in other countries.

We may have been so preoccupied with our personal agendas, that we missed hearing the President report that an Al Qaeda splinter group, the Khorasan Group, was also attacked because of intelligence indicating an imminent threat against the U.S. homeland. To say the least, the possibility of IEDs wreaking havoc on our familiar streets is upsetting. The thought of terrorism on American soil makes us tremble. Are we scared yet?  

To be sure, Christians should pray. We should ask God’s blessings on our president as he seeks heaven’s wisdom in this fight against evil forces intent on our destruction. We should also pray for military personnel serving in our armed forces, and for those serving from Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the United Emirates. 

Each year on September 21^st, the World Council of Churches sponsors the International Day of Prayer for Peace. This date is also the United Nations sponsored Day of Peace. Until “the war to end all wars” is fought, we should humbly entreat the Prince of Peace to bless our nation and world with the peace He alone can bring.   

Jesus provides the antidote to any tinge of terror we may ever feel—“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God.” (Matthew 10:31 NLT)

Johnny R. Almond

Christian preacher and writer

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity

http://GentleWhispersFromEternity-ScripturePersonalized.com/