03/09/2022
There are times in our lives when we come under attack. It might be on the schoolyard at the hands of a bully, in the workplace as someone tries to ruin our business, take our job, or destroy our good name, and it might be in the world when an enemy wants to subjugate us, or lay our country to waste. But the worst attack of all is a spiritual attack when the minions, or forces of evil, want to separate us from God, and silence the voice of Jesus within us. How do we pray when evil comes to destroy the love we have for God, or pluck Christ from us? How do we gather our strength, and awaken our faith for the battle that is coming? We pray a prayer that will muster our faith, and call on the promises that have been made to us. We pray for discernment, and for God to defend us… to protect us.
“O God, do not keep silence; do not hold your peace or be still, O God! For behold, your enemies make an uproar; those who hate you have raised their heads.”
Psalm 83:1-2 ESV
Today we identify Ukraine as a modern day reenactment of the events that were occurring in Psalm 83 long ago; we see forces aligned against this country, attacking it, laying waste to it, just as they were against Israel, and we hear the desperate prayers of these people being raised for God’s intercession. Do we have similar events occurring in our own lives? How are we praying? Who do we turn to? Do we believe our enemies to be the enemies of God, and Jesus Christ? Have we asked for discernment?
““If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”
John 15:18-19 ESV
Evil takes on many forms, and some of them surprise us. Even seemingly moral or spiritual people can succumb to it. We see those who we know to be followers of Christ exhibiting behavior that is counter to His teaching. Satan can weave a lie that looks quite similar to truth, and in doing so he fools many into believing it. Thus, godly people do ungodly things if they are not very careful.
“Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.””
John 7:24 ESV
There are two fish that look almost identical; the puffer fish and the file fish. The puffer fish is highly poisonous and predators leave it alone. On the other hand, the file fish has no poison, but because it looks so much like the puffer fish, the predators leave it alone as well. The same is true of certain species of mushrooms; the poisonous and non-poisonous look so much alike that people will not eat either for fear of being poisoned. Satan functions in much the same way, but in reverse… he makes his lies appear to be truth so that we will consume them. This is the danger in blindly following certain leaders. We must pray for discernment, and to hear God’s voice.
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
1 John 4:1 ESV
If we lack discernment then good and godly people can be led into doing horrific things. Many times in history God fearing people have been fooled into doing such terrible acts… believing they were being led by their faith, or towards some moral high ground, when in fact it was one of Satan’s cleverly disguised lies. We saw it in Nazi Germany, and perhaps we are seeing it again now as an evil men lead good and Godly Russians into believing that demolishing peaceful countries such as Ukraine is somehow good.
So how do we pray when facing such decisions as the good people of Russia are now facing? And, how do we pray when we are confronted by evil forces that are attacking us like the citizens of the Ukraine? We begin with the words of our opening scripture… we both ask to hear God’s voice. In Russia we should pray for discernment when it comes to our leadership, and what they are proposing, and in the Ukraine we should pray for God to protect us, and to defeat our enemies. In this way we are exercising our rights and obligations as citizens of the kingdom of God… one God, and one people, who see the world without borders, or earthly kings. We know only one Great King, Jesus Christ, and answer to one LORD… our God. If we allow God to lead us in this way then we know that His peace will reign, and our swords will be beaten into plowshares.
“He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”
Isaiah 2:4 ESV
So today, in our everyday lives, whether on the playground, at school, in the workplace, at the ballot box, or in church, let’s pray for discernment, and call out for God to speak to us. Let’s tear down the imaginary borders that separate us as God’s children, and begin acting as we should… as one people serving one God, and having one savior… Jesus Christ.
“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,”
1 Timothy 2:5 ESV
Prayer:
Father, thank you for joining all the faithful together through your Son Jesus Christ, and bringing us together in Him as one Church to be His bride. Help us Holy Father to discern between good and evil, and lead us to obey your commandments, and your will, as we live out every aspect of our lives. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who speaks love into us, and causes those who were once enemies to embrace one another, and exchange holy kisses. Praised be your name for revealing the truth to those who have been blinded by the evil one, and for leading those who have been wronged to forgive. You are Merciful, and your grace tears down all walls that have been erected to divide us. Wash the sin from us with the blood of Christ, and lift us from the grave as you did Jesus. Make us one people, and one Church. Unify us in our love for you, Jesus, and one another… forevermore.
Rich Forbes