Good morning, Lord Jesus. Put Your thoughts in my mind, Your desires in my heart, Your words in my mouth, as I listen for Your leading. ...
According to Your Word, there is “a time for war, and a time of peace” (Ecclesiastes 3:8 ESV). “For there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (v. 1).
And it’s always the time to pray (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Even through the time of war, we pray for the time of peace to come. But even as we pray for peace, we remember Your words that the kind of peace we are praying for is not the world’s kind of peace--a peace that turns a blind eye to injustice, a peace that appeases evil, a peace that compromises with the “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” of the kingdom of God (Romans 14:17). No, we pray for Your peace, the peace of Your kingdom that only King of the Kingdom of God can ever provide. As You said:
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).
So we pray for Your peace for Jerusalem, Your peace for Israel and Palestine, for all the Middle East and all the people and nations of this world. But it is a peace that comes when we call upon Your name, when we turn to You as the Source of true peace, for only You are “the Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
So as our hearts break, as fears and anxieties of the state of our world and the horror and terror of these days seeks to rise in our minds and emotions, we turn to You and call on Your name and seek Your help. We lift up our hearts and our voices to You in faithfulness and prayer, because that’s where our Help comes from; our Help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth (Psalm 121:1-2).
No matter what time this is--for war, for peace, for courage, for action, for boldness, for faith, for hope, for love--let us answer Your call to this time of prayer, here in our own hearts and in the heart of all who call upon Your name and trust in Your Word and are led by Your Spirit around the world.
“And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15).
So let us not pray according to the will of the world, but according to the will of God. Let us not pray for peace as defined by the world, but let us pray for peace according to the heart of God defined by the Word of God. Then “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard (our) hearts and (our) minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
My Family, I pray you may join in prayer and take your stand for Israel and all the people of the Middle East and the world to know Jesus as Messiah, Savior, Defender, and Rescuer, as Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
Please share your reflections and prayers in the comment box below with us from todays reading.
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