Many Christians are thinking the same thing these days. We know that time is short. We can feel the pressure building. It makes our hearts beat harder as we contemplate the surreal landscape of the hour in which we are living and try to come to grips with the reality of Bible prophecy being fulfilled before our very eyes.
We cringe at the stories that flood the media. We have a hard time going to sleep at night because of the horrific and threatening news and find ourselves quoting Scripture in the dark to quiet our fears.
“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91). This Scripture is comforting and strengthening. Meditating on each piece of the armor in Ephesians 6, also, helps me to stand against the enemy’s taunts.
Still, if you are like me, you find yourself wanting to pray together with other believers. Pray… together. It seems this is the farthest thought from most Christians’ minds. Even inside the believing churches’ walls, corporate prayer is scarce. Yet, Jesus said in Matthew 21:13b:
“It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer.”
So, why aren’t we falling on our knees as a church body and crying out to the Lord for mercy in judgment and for grace to live for Christ?
Why aren’t we pleading together for all the great needs we hear about?
Why aren’t we confessing the sins of our nation?
Don’t we need to tell God how sorry we are for our wickedness? An avalanche is coming, and we just go on with business as usual. This lack of corporate prayer inside the church building in these unprecedented days is as mystifying to me as the deafening silence there concerning these “perilous times.”
Is there a connection between these two issues? Has political correctness, aka “the fear of man,” choked out the prayer meeting? If we can’t talk about it, we can’t pray about it. Right?
“The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe” (Proverbs 29:25).
Believe me, when persecution hits hard in America, people will start gathering together for prayer. Why wait for worse things to happen? We may not have the opportunity to freely pray together for long. I believe God wants to do amazing things even in a dying America. Only our unbelief will stand in the way.
“And He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief (Matthew 13:58).”
No, I don’t believe America will be resurrected at this point. The signs are everywhere. Judgment is falling fast on our nation as well as the world. We seem to have hit the downward slope at full-speed and are headed for the “end of the age.” Yet, there is so much we can do in prayer; and, oh, the strength that comes from praying together.
Although secret prayer is our lifeblood, we need prayer with the Body of Christ, too, especially now. Let’s join our hearts together and pray for all we’re worth as we face uncertain and, yes, downright scary days ahead.
Where should we start? The battle is great everywhere we look. Consider Israel, now surrounded by raging satanic hordes. The Lord said we are to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6). Think of the privilege we have to minister to the seed of Abraham in their hour of great need.
We know what is coming from reading the prophetic Word, and we have been commanded to pray for God’s chosen people. Don’t we want our prayers to be used to bring salvation to “all Israel” (Romans 11:26)? What about the persecuted church all over the world, fleeing for their lives and being tortured in a myriad of unspeakable ways? We need to intercede at God’s throne for them as if it were our own plight.
“Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity as being yourselves also in the body” (Hebrews 13:3).
What about our unsaved loved ones, neighbors, friends, and other acquaintances? Will they be left behind at the trumpet sound? The Tribulation is near, but death could be even closer. Some of us have been praying for years for these dear ones. Lest we faint at this critical hour, let’s hold up each other’s arms and cry out for God to open their eyes. There’s so much more I could add here, but I think it should be obvious that the need is urgent, to say the least, which calls for our united fervency.
Remember the Lord Jesus in the Garden as He was pouring out His soul to the Father concerning the cup. He went to His disciples more than once and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “What, Could ye not watch with me one hour?” (Matthew 26:40b). They went back to sleep.
How could they have been so oblivious to the times? They had been with Him and heard all His teachings. He kept telling them, but they just didn’t get it. Don’t you think they would have been on their faces agonizing with the Lord if they had known what was about to take place?
Well, we know. If we have read our Bibles, we know. The birth pangs are growing stronger with shorter intervals. To say the situation is dire is a monstrous understatement. The stage for Daniel”s 70th Week is being set at a dizzying speed. The church’s departure must be close. If ever there were a call from the Lord for us to come together in corporate prayer, this is surely it. We don’t want to miss this call like the disciples did on that dark night in the Garden.
I have not been able to find prayer meetings in the usual places, but God has heard my soul’s cry for fellowship in prayer. A couple of evenings each week I tune in to an Internet prayer meeting where some godly men lead the cyber-connected congregation in prayer and Bible study. They are courageously facing the issues and praying the way the churches should be praying, as well as working tirelessly to deliver the gospel to the world.
It is a great joy and blessing to be able to agree with them in prayer regarding these incredible times. Then, one or two mornings a week I meet with my sister on the phone long distance. We pray for many things but lost loved ones in particular.
We know that time is running out. We have combined our efforts, encouraging one another to keep trusting God to work in their lives. Also, when I can meet with friends and family members in my living-room or theirs, I take advantage of every opportunity for corporate prayer.
Christian friends, if gathering for prayer is a desire of yours, God will supply. Ask Him. I believe He is hungering, too. For all eternity we will be glad we answered His call.
“ …and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14b emphasis added).
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