THOUGHTS FROM THE STATE DIRECTOR
"First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and
prayers, petitions and thanksgivings be made on
behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority
in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all
godliness and dignity." 1Timothy 2:1-
2
"Remember that intercessory prayer is the
sweetest prayer God ever hears. Intercessory prayer
has stopped plagues. It has removed darkness that
rested over Egypt, drove away the frogs that leaped
upon the land, scattered the lice and locusts that
plagued the inhabitants of Zoan, removed the thunder
and the lightning . . . [and]raised the dead. As to how
many souls intercessory prayer has instrumentally
saved, only eternity shall reveal it! There is nothing
that intercessory prayer cannot do." Charles
Spurgeon
Intercessory prayer is a gift; for a Christian it should be
as natural as breathing, as necessary to our spiritual
life as oxygen is to our physical bodies. Through
prayer we draw close to God, and He draws close to
us; it is a mystery how just talking to God can change
our perspective from the horizontal view of trials,
troubles and the temporal to His view --- we
experience His presence, His peace and His plentiful
blessings. Interceding for others is our calling; it is
acting as a "go-between" between God and those who
need prayer. It is not that God cannot act without our
prayer; but somehow when we pray for others, we
release a spiritual power that increases our faith and
blesses those for whom we pray. Like Paul promised
in the passage above, intercessory prayer adds peace
and tranquility to our lives.
It is a spiritual battle
We are in a spiritual battle; a battle that is unseen
except for the results of Satan's deception in the lives
of those with whom we come in contact. Satan is a
deceiver; a liar and murderer; we are powerless
without prayer and the Holy Spirit to contend with him
and his fallen angels. Our prayers bring into play not
only God's power but angelic beings as related by the
prophet Daniel who received an answer from the
angel Gabriel after his powerful prayer in Daniel 9.
Our culture is being bombarded by evil; many are
being deceived by words that "tickle their ears". We
are indwelt with another Spirit, the Spirit of God that
leads us into truth, not deception. This is why our
prayers for those in the battle, both friend and foe, are
so important. Paul, after he lists the full armor of God,
commands the Ephesians to pray "at all times in the
Spirit . . ."
A discouraged warrior
A recent conversation with one on the front lines, one
of our warriors in the culture war, helped me realize
how vital our prayers for those in authority are. This
individual was discouraged; when I reminded this
person that we were praying for all those in authority
on a regular basis, there was an immediate
statement of gratitude and a lifting of that person's
spirits. Just knowing that others were praying was an
instantaneous comfort. As I thought about it later, I
realized what holy ground we are on when we pray;
what an incredible gift God has granted us, and I was
humbled by the awesomeness of God.
What a privilege but beware!
It is a privilege to be able to pray for others but there
are some pitfalls. Our adversary knows prayer is a
powerful weapon, and he will do anything to thwart our
prayer lives. He hates prayer because in the act of
prayer we are acknowledging the power and
sovereignty of God; he despises hearing God's
praises. He cringes and must retreat when the blood
of Christ is invoked. He is a defeated enemy whose
sentence has not yet been carried out. Because he
hates that powerful weapon of prayer so much, he
loves sowing disunity in prayer groups; he delights in
disrupting prayer by substituting gossip instead of true
intercession, and he adores distracting us. He
encourages us to believe that we are ineffective,
unworthy and unloved. He actively fuels the fire of
bitterness, disappointment and disunity. As James
stated, "where jealousy and selfish ambition exist,
there is disorder and every evil thing." He is like a
roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour according
to Peter, and he dearly loves to isolate us so that he
can attack in our loneliness.
Pay attention to the warning signals
Some of you may be experiencing the enemy's tactics
in your prayer life, particularly in your prayer chapters.
We cannot afford to take the gift of intercessory prayer
lightly; when trouble occurs, it is a warning that
something is wrong, like the flashing light on your
dashboard; take an inventory of your prayer time and
fix what is wrong! Paul states in his letter to the
Philippians who were encountering disunity, "If
therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if
there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and
compassion, make my joy complete by being of
the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in
spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from
selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind
let each of you regard one another as more important
than himself; do not merely look out for your own
personal interests, but also for the interests of
others."
Keep your eyes on Jesus!
As we intercede for others, let us remember to keep
our eyes focused on Jesus and the eternal results of
our prayers, not on the temporal. May God "count you
worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for
goodness and the work of faith with power." 2
Thessalonians 1:11.
In Him,
Judy Smith
State Director
Concerned Women for America of Kansas
P. O. Box 11233
Shawnee Mission, KS 66207
Phone/Fax: 913-491-1380
Email: director@kansas.cwfa.org
Web site: kansas.cwfa.org |