Last night I lay awake for a long time, wrestling with weighty matters. As the tears rolled down my face, my heart felt as if it were breaking. The spiritual gift of mercy is what broke me last night. The personal struggles seem insignificant in light of the burden God was asking me to carry. Another whisper from God, another opportunity for obedience. Mercy breaks my heart wide open and allows the pain of others to flow through me to the only one who has any control. It allows me to be used in a way that does nothing for me personally, but it puts me in the middle of an enormous struggle that
isn’t even mine. It hurts, a lot. I feel burdened and the yoke is heavy. So I go to Jesus with the burden and I will continue to cry out to Him until he takes it away.
This beautiful country that I have been so incredibly blessed to be born into is on a slippery slope. We have kicked God out of everything we can and now the tentacles of godlessness are reaching into the church in the guise of tolerance. God calls us to grace for one another, speaking the truth in love, not a watered down version of Christianity that fits our mold of what is comfortable. For too long, the church of America has been blessed. And we have slumbered in our contentedness. We want to God to fit our vision of Him, rather than trying to become more like our creator. We want God to open the floodgates of blessing upon us, yet we
aren’t willing to serve others or suffer for them. We want a God that is more like Santa Claus than the Christ that called us to true humility and discipleship. We want to put God in a box on a shelf, to be taken down only when it is convenient.
But God wants us to live a life of inconvenience, of serving, and yes, even of suffering for the cause. The hope for our lives lies not in worldly promises of change, but in true obedience and a heart that has been irrevocably changed by an active and risky faith.
So, what is my point on this November morning when my heart is so heavy it feels as if I am carrying the weight of the world? Wake up fellow Christian brothers and sisters every day, determined to live your life fully devoted to God. Be willing to say to him every day, whatever you ask Lord. Be willing to show up, get your instructions and carry them out. Be willing to be a Christian every day, in every place. Jesus never took a break from serving God and neither should we. We need to stand firm and serve God the same at work, at school, at home, and at church. And pray, every day, every hour, or every second if necessary.
Pray like you’
ve never prayed before. Pray for your family, your personal circumstances, your community, your state, your country, and your world. The storm is just over the horizon and last night lying in bed I saw the devil and his minions celebrate a great victory. I’m no prophet, but the burden I now carry
didn’t come from within and I trust fully in what God showed me. The floodgates of hell have been thrown wide open in anticipation of the increase. Complacency and tolerance will lead the innocent down the wide and easy path, straight into the mouth of hell. Our children’s souls are at great risk and the enemy always gains a foothold through their innocent lives. The battle now is not of flesh and blood, it is not of people, although people will be used. The battle is between the forces of light and darkness. And the darkness is gaining strength and creeping into homes, schools, churches, towns, and our nation. The darkness seeps into the corners of our hearts if we do not guard them carefully and check ourselves against God’s words. My prayer is that you too would be burdened to pray for these weighty matters. That you would understand that spiritual warfare is here now and there is only one way to defeat the ruler of this world. I pray that you fall on your face before God and ask him to have mercy on us. I pray that you are no longer ashamed to share your faith or to show your differences. I pray that you are changed at your core and that change translates into action for the kingdom of Christ. I pray that you listen to the whispers and that you act. Now is not the time for complacency. Jesus is calling me to the battlefield as a prayer warrior. Is he calling your name as well? Are you willing to fight for your Savior? Are you willing to humble yourself and pray?
2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
