Have you ever received a call that summons you to pray? What was it about? Was it urgent? How did it make you feel? Did you accept it? Did you obey it? Or did you feel it was a waste of time? Well, many of us can attest that we have received on occasions a call to pray for someone or for some place during a time of crisis. It was an urgent call, and it was a demanding call.
We are all called upon today to join in prayer for our country and its people. It is an urgent call, and it is a demanding call. So, we should all band ourselves in prayer as we petition God to intervene in the affairs of our land.
1 Timothy 2:1-6, 8 instruct us, “I urge, then, first, that petitions, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for all people — for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed at the proper time. Therefore, I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting holy hands without anger or disputing.”
Prayer is a powerful weapon my friends because it is an act of worship that glorifies God and reinforces our need for Him. Prayer is a powerful tool because it connects us to God, strengthens us for the fight, and keeps us grounded. It is the communicating and fellowshipping with God, that will strengthen our relationship with Him. It is Prayer that will activate all the armour of our warfare against the enemy. That is the reason why it is used during a period of crisis.
Queen Esther knew and understood the power of prayer. That was the reason why she summoned her people to pray. She needed God’s wisdom because she knew God was the only one who knows the future. He is in control of the universe and everything that happens in it. Esther knew she had no power to control her king’s decision. Neither could she convince Haman to take down his deceitful plan. Thus, prayer was all that she had to get through the trial.
She asked the Jews to fast and pray for three days before she went to see the king, and it was their prayers that helped her succeed in her mission. God is powerful my friends, God can make the impossible possible.
The Jewish nation was in crisis and Esther’s faith was put to the test. You know the story. They gained the victory. What a powerful God we serve! We can rely on Him! He can be trusted. God is an unstoppable God.
When his nation was in trouble, at a point of crisis, Mordecai knew that he had to act. He sent a message to the queen, imploring Esther to intercede with the king, to stand up “for her own people.” Esther’s heart must have sunk when she heard that message. Here was her greatest test of faith. No doubt Esther panicked but she too knew she had to act and do it quickly because time was of the essence. Mordecai asked Esther: “Who is there knowing whether it is for a time like this that you have attained to royal dignity?”
For Esther, the time of decision had arrived. Her nation’s faith would be put to the test as well. She summoned her people to pray because she was in a difficult situation. She knew that she had to act quickly and decisively to prevent the genocide from happening. She asked Mordecai to get her countrymen to join her in a three-day fast, concluding her message with a statement that resonates down to this day in its simple faith and courage: “If I perish, I perish.” She called on all Jews to fast and pray for three days and nights, asking God for help and guidance. She must have prayed more fervently in those three days than she ever had in her life.
Finally, though, the moment came. She dressed in her very best royal finery, doing all she could to appeal to the king. Then she went. Queen Esther gained an audience, a hearing ear with the king. She took a stand for her God and for her people, setting a beautiful example of faith for all servants of God down through the ages. God intervened and her people were saved. We too need to be obedient to the call of prayer. That is a lesson we can learn from this powerful woman of God. Nothing happened by accident. Esther was placed in the palace at the right time in that nation’s history. God knew exactly what He was doing. Esther’s prayer was answered, and she was able to convince the King to revoke the decree. The Jews were saved from destruction, and the holiday of Purim was established to commemorate this event.
Can you imagine what would have happened if Queen Esther had dismissed Mordecai’s plea for help? Have you even wondered what would have happened to the Jewish people had they disobeyed Queen Esther’s summons to prayer? It pays to be obedient to God my friends. Do not underestimate God. God can use anyone, He used Mordecai. God had a plan and God always has a man or woman to execute that plan. Things were just unfolding, and God was in control. Nothing takes God by surprise. God moves in mysterious ways my friends.
There is no denying that we are engaged in spiritual battles every day and, as Christians, we often feel the effects of the enemy’s attacks. Each time we take a step forward, we are met with resistance in the form of doubt, fear, persecution, or any number of other strategies Satan uses against us. However, God will never leave us, and we are not fighting the battles alone. He has armed us with several spiritual weapons, and prayer is one of the most powerful tools at our disposal.
Hence the calling to prayer is a battle cry, for us to come together and pray. Our prayers will connect us with God, strengthen us for the fight, and keep us grounded. Our prayers to God will open a dialogue with Him and He will reveal things to us we can only learn from Him. Jeremiah 33:3, instructs us, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not”.
God is on our side my friends. Prayer under the blessing of God will lead to a new birth, strengthen our faith, move our mountains, and will promote spiritual growth and contentment that will enable us to rise above our circumstances.
Therefore, let us pray to God: Lord, we are here to stand in the gap for our land before you. We confess our sin of putting our own will above Yours, which You have laid out in Your Word. Forgive us for losing sight of being Your body to the world. Purify our hearts. We pray for a national revival and spiritual healing. Please heal our land. We pray for Your peace and blessings to be poured out upon our nation according to Your mercy. Amen
Remember: You cannot pray for someone and hate them at the same time. Prayer is about exhaling the spirit of man and inhaling the spirit of God. The function of prayer is NOT to influence God, BUT rather to change the nature of the one who prays. God SPEAKS to those who take time to LISTEN, and He LISTENS to those who take time to PRAY.
About the Author: Mrs. Marilyn Hodge owns and operates the Wellness Centre in the Farrington, Anguilla. The Centre offers Counselling Services by Appointment Only and has now published Positive Living Volumes 1 through 3. Coming Soon – Volume 4. Contact information: 476-3517 or email: marilynb@anguillanet.com. www.facebook.com/axawellnesscentre
