People Need Our Prayers
I could not send out what I had written with all of the things going on in this world. People need our prayers.
I invite you to pray with me for Afghanistan and Haiti today. There is power in numbers and power in prayer. Ephesians 6: 18, "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people." Not only do these people need prayer but God can use it for so much more. When we come together and pray for the same thing it unites us. The Holy Spirit knits us together and we begin to seek the Kingdom of God first. People who are struggling are encouraged by our compassion and concern for others as we intercede for them. Intercessory prayer is biblical. 1 Timothy 2: 1, "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—"
As Taliban forces regain control over Afghanistan, we do not know what the future will bring but we can be certain the Afghani Christians face danger in the days to come. Pray for our fellow believers who must be fearful. Many are secretly living their faith and cannot imagine a Taliban takeover. Pray for God's peace to rule their hearts. We need to diligently pray for the girls, women and those in vulnerable populations. Pray for the Lord to grant them His protection, wisdom, shelter and provision. Ask God to protect them from upcoming suffering. Pray for spiritual provision for ministers and missionaries in the country. Ask God to strengthen them in their faith and keep them strong in the Lord. Let's pray for an end to the violence and for God to give wisdom to the leaders.
I believe Jesus also tells us to pray for the Taliban. Matthew 5: 43, "'You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’" Verse 44 goes on to say, "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you..." This situation is no surprise to God. While we may not want to pray for them it is what Jesus commanded of us. We can pray that God will restrain them from doing evil.
Haiti was devastated by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake on Saturday morning. As of Saturday, it had claimed nearly 1300 lives. Let's pray for Haiti as they recover and grieve this natural disaster. Lift up the families who have lost loved ones and friends. Pray for the first responders and for those who search for survivors in the aftermath. Pray the men, women, children, and elderly affected by this earthquake, receive comfort, peace, and healing from
God.
"The greatest gifts we can give to each other, is to pray for one another." John 14: 14, "You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." There is power in the name of Jesus. Pray this in His name. Matthew 21: 22, "And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” Pray it and claim it in Jesus' name. Amen!