First of All, Pray: Blog
Bringing Biblical Truths to Daily Life
James1:1—James the bond-servant of Christ
James, a bond-servant of God and flagyl canada buy online of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings. James 1:1
Much of Christian tradition holds to the belief that James, who wrote the letter in the Bible bearing his name, was a half-brother of Jesus. Although other followers of Jesus were also named James, here are a couple of Scriptures which support the belief that this author likely was the brother of the Lord:
Mark 6:2-3: “And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! “Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” The first of Jesus’ four brothers mentioned here is James.
Galatians 1:19: “But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.” Here the apostle Paul refers to the brother of Jesus, whom he identifies as James. Notice that this James was not one of the original twelve disciples, but Paul categories him with the other apostles nonetheless. Obviously, James—who along with the rest of Jesus’ family may have once thought that Jesus was in dire need of a family intervention (see Matthew 12:46-50)—not only became a believer himself, but also emerged as an apostle and a great church leader.
Another clue to James’ sibling connection with Jesus is found in the similarity of thought and style shared by the two. None of the other writers of the New Testament letters besides James express their ideas with such striking resemblance to the preaching found in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. More than a few excerpts from James’ letter read like a sequel to the Lord’s well-known hillside message.
James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ…
James identified himself in this greeting, not as Jesus’ brother, but as His bond-servant and the bond-servant of God. By describing himself in this way, he was declaring to one and all that he had given himself over to the will of the Lord to serve Him and to advance His cause on the earth (see http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=G1401&t=KJV). He did not wrap himself in accolades; he didn’t name-drop or pad his resume with his unique connection to his Brother, the Lord; he simply identified himself as a servant of Jesus.
… to the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.
Bible commentator David Guzik explains James’ audience like this: “To the twelve tribes: What James means by the reference to the twelve tribes is difficult to understand. Is James writing a letter just to Christians from a Jewish background, or to all Christians? Certainly, this letter applies to all Christians. Probably, James wrote his letter before Gentiles were brought into the church, or before Gentile Christians emerged in any significant number” (see http://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide_Jam/Jam_1.cfm).
As you read the Book of James, remember that James’ readership was largely made up of Jewish believers, indicating that they were very familiar with Hebrew laws and customs. But also remember that his readers were Christian; knowing this eliminates any excuse someone might come up with to weasel out of the more “toe-stomping” portions of this epistle.
It is my hope that you will enjoy this verse by verse adventure in the Book of James—but wear your steel-toed boots. James didn’t mess around.
Until tomorrow,
Dorothy
A prayer for American leadership
I recently found this prayer I wrote four or five years ago. It’s even more timely now than it was when I first prayed it.
Father,
In Jesus’ name I lift up my government’s leadership. Lord, it is Your will that we, the people of the United States of America, have shepherds—president, senators, representatives, governors, and all other elected and appointed officials—who serve according to Your will. I believe that even as those who are teachers will be judged by a higher standard and paypal viagra with greater severity [than others] (see James 3:1, Amplified Bible), those who lead cities, states, and nations will receive a stricter judgment and condemnation from You as well.
Therefore, Father, in Jesus’ name, I request that You pour out and surround the president, his staff, cabinet, and advisors with a profound and ever-increasing sense of accountability for decisions already made, for decisions being formed now, and for decisions yet to be conceived. I ask that the conviction of the Holy Ghost would overshadow the entire White House staff from the top down and the bottom up, gripping each one with an overwhelming sense of right and wrong, good and evil, so that every individual involved in decisions—past, present, or future—will be sobered and nolvadex for sale held accountable for each act, motive, choice, decision, direction, and initiative that does not please You or align with Your will. I pray that rest, satisfaction, pleasure, and enjoyment will escape them until they repent and make the changes necessary to conform to Your will.
Father, likewise, I ask that You move in the same way in the House of Representatives, the Senate, the Supreme Court, all governors, and in each state and city government. Pour out the strong conviction of Your Spirit upon every man and woman in leadership as they seek to implement their agendas. I ask that You shake those who are in violation of Your will and confront them by Your Spirit, gripping them with the reality of the sinister outcome of their decisions. May such profound conviction of sin be upon and within them that they cannot turn in any direction without being confronted by the evil implications of their decisions. Father, may they find no pleasure, satisfaction, or enjoyment in their favorite escape mechanisms until they yield to the holy pressure upon them to make adjustments, changes, revisions—and if necessary—to repeal past decisions and laws to which You are opposed.
Visit all these men and women in leadership, Father, in an abiding way—despite their present relationship with You or lack thereof—so that the consistent pressure and light of Your presence would be tangible upon them and around them at all times. Visit them with dreams and visions—custom-made for each one—to correct, direct, shake, shape, or tear down, to mend, repair, build up, or rebuild according to Your wisdom and purpose for each one in his or her position.
May no dark place be left unvisited or unaffected by Your convicting presence, Father—in the White House, the Capitol, in state capitols, and in city governments, both large and small.
May all men and women at the helm of leadership at all levels in this nation be held more accountable than they’ve ever been for their actions, decisions, and words—and may Your divine intentions and purposes take hold once again in this nation’s governance at all levels. May massive shaking, rearranging, and reshaping be accomplished throughout this nation according to Your purposes at all levels of government to bring about Your will and the original intent of this nation’s founders. May those who persist in defiance to that purpose be removed and replaced by men and women who love this nation and long to serve wisely with a humble heart.
Father, may the gripping conviction of truth so shake and increase than no one, whether leader or citizen, will be left unconvicted, unmoved, or undealt with. Bring all men, women, boys, and girls to the clear, face-to-face, wide-awake knowledge of Jesus Christ and His powerful and complete sacrificial redemption for each one, and may they come to know and embrace Him as their personal Savior, Deliverer, and Lover of their soul.
Bring forth the shaking and awakening, God, at all levels of this nation, and penetrate into every dark region and corner with Your unfailing presence and grace.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Tomorrow: Beginning a walk through the Book of James
A safer walk during chaotic times
Late in 2009 or in early 2010, the Lord gave me an acrostic to help direct my prayer concerning the upswing of chaos I was sensing in the spiritual/political realm. It is called “SAFER”, and it is an outline I used to pray for the Church during those turbulent times just four or five years ago.
I was searching through my “stacks of stuff” this week for it, and discovered two other items as well that I want to post here before we begin again a verse-by-verse walk through the Book of James.
One of the items was a prayer I prayed for government leadership during the time I wrote the acrostic. I will post it on Monday. This prayer is extremely pointed and current. I am thankful I found it again.
Today, along with the acrostic, I will post the other find—a long-forgotten dream which I had in 1995. I’m glad I wrote it down back then; I believe it is illustrative of our nation and even some among the Church in these very strange times we have entered.
July 5, 1995 Dream
Since September 11, 2001, I have experienced the same sense of alarm and frustration I felt in the dream with what I’ve perceived as widespread nonchalance concerning the decay and apparent coup in our nation. Of course, evil men and women have always attempted to co-opt this nation, but the in-your-face flagrancy of their behavior has been incrementally notching up ever since that fateful late summer morning in 2001. And as I’ve spoken with people since then about the alarming trends in the U.S., so often I have felt “blown off” or redirected by others to listen instead, to this prophet or that teacher. And yet, I know what I’ve been seeing in my spirit. A strange presence has been nosing through the grate as the nation—and the Church—has been largely aloof, unconcerned, or even charmed or intrigued by the reptilian entity gaining access at ground level.
I believe God has been seeking to gain our attention about this looming chaos, and many of us have basically told Him, “Later, Lord. I’ve got other things to attend to.” Or perhaps some of us attempted to block such warnings due to the extreme discomfort they aroused. Maybe a lot of us rebuked fear when we should have—like the boy David—run to the fearsome thing with our “insignificant” slingshot of prayer to deal a blow from which that giant could not easily recover.
Every morning I pray or read the Word in my cozy prayer room or at my kitchen table overlooking my tree-lined backyard, I make it a point to thank God for one more day of comfort, beauty, and security. As I sip my coffee, I am grateful for the simple things that mean so much…especially if they were to be suddenly stripped away. I realize that America’s two hundred and thirty-eight year run of prosperity, peace, and safety has been the exception in history—not the norm. I recognize the enormous sacrifice of life, finance, and reputation of generations now gone which was invested to secure for us the freedom to live as we do today. And I recognize that untold hundreds of thousands of hours of agonizing prayer prior to our nation’s independence and in the two centuries since have been clocked by men and women of vision, passion, and commitment to their Lord and His call—many of whom were never known as great people—and yet great and mighty in God they were, nonetheless. And I am eternally grateful for each and every one of them.
My desire—whether we’re in the last generation or not—is to be available and equipped to pray big prayers: binding and loosing, moving and shaking, confronting and confounding those forces of darkness that defy the will and ways of the magnificent One by whom we are called. I long to see stability and sanity to reign once again, and for that to happen, God must first have His way. Therefore, I will—and I must—pray.
For the Church to have a SAFER walk in increasingly chaotic times, I pray for:
S haking [unto]
A wakening [and seeing the state of the world as it really is]
F orsaking [personal and private follies, vanities, lusts, and distractions]
E scaping [the grip of outward forces—operating through the fear of man—that seek to control our words, actions, and behaviors]
R etaking [ground through prayer in the name of Jesus and a right understanding of authority in Christ]
May you and I be found in Christ—doing His will and confidently trusting in Him—for whatever time remains to us on the face of the earth.
Dorothy
The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. 1 Peter 4:7, emphasis added
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8, emphasis added
Public schools: The impact of godly parents
Parents: You can have a huge impact on your child’s education, his or her peers, and the adults working with your child. Below are the stories of four moms I met in my career as an educator who powerfully impacted their children’s teachers, their classmates, and the parents of their children’s friends.
Mrs. I. and Mrs. S. These two women both had sons in my class, one year apart from the other. They decided the year Mrs. I’s son was in my room to start praying for the school, their sons’ classes, and the teachers on a weekly basis. They didn’t tell me about it until much later.
Things flowed so smoothly those two years; the fourth graders were almost angelically cooperative; they loved coming to school and learning, and the ease with which I was able to witness about my faith in Christ was astounding. I read several books aloud to both classes from the Chronicles of Narnia series, and one boy who had never been to church told me he had asked Jesus into his heart one night after I finished reading the last book in the series. (This book revealed that the beloved lion Aslan was Jesus in our world, and the class was amazed and insisted on talking about it at length.) I attribute the success of those two years to these praying moms.
Mrs. C. At another school where I taught, one of the moms who left a lasting impression on the entire staff was Mrs. C., a Pentecostal lady who always wore a dress, never wore make-up, and had long uncut hair. This woman poured love into her children’s teachers. She often wrote encouraging notes to us, made sure we regularly had cake or some other type of goody in the staff lounge, and let us know that she was praying for whatever needs we might have. My public school colleagues always looked forward to a visit from Mrs. C.; her kind, thoughtful ways disarmed the gruffest, most skeptical ones among them. One of my fond memories at that school was conference time with Mrs. C. She always set up her conference appointments at noon on conference day so she could bring lunch to the person who was her child’s teacher that year. When I taught her son Matt, she brought a feast for me to enjoy during both the autumn and the spring conferences—lots of homemade soup, rolls, salad, and one of her mouth-watering desserts. Her kindness and servant’s heart touched everyone’s lives, Christians and non-Christians alike.
Mrs. H. I never had the privilege of having any of Mrs. H’s three sons in my class, but her godly ways were well known among the staff and parents of the other children. She subbed in our building from time to time, and because she subbed for me, also, I got to know her a little better. One of the boys in her oldest son’s class, Thomas, had developed a life-threatening infection and was getting worse quickly. Mrs. H. organized the parents and others to pray round the clock for Thomas, and whenever his parents received more bad news, Mrs. H. was there to encourage them and pray for them. She fought the good fight of faith for Thomas and never wavered. Against all odds, Thomas pulled through and is now a healthy young man, full of life and ambition. His parents attributed Thomas’ recovery to the power of God working through the faithful prayers of Mrs. H.
Mrs. H, full of the love and grace of God, died suddenly in a car accident a summer or two after Thomas was restored to health, along with her two youngest sons and her teen-aged brother and sister, on their way to Six Flags. The outpouring of love and tribute for the four young people and the godly mother was torrential. Parents, teachers, neighbors, and kids were all impacted by Mrs. H, and their lives stand as a testimony to her authentic witness and abiding faith in her Lord, Jesus Christ. Though she is dead, yet her life still speaks. She has left behind an imperishable legacy.
Parents, you have so much more power riding upon your words and your life than you can imagine. Don’t be afraid of being yourself—a godly mom, a faith-filled dad—in the midst of what may be the less than desirable environment into which your child steps daily. You do make a difference—even in public schools—and armed with prayer, wisdom, and love, don’t be afraid to let your light shine on the teachers, children, teens, and other parents in your child’s life.
Dorothy
Prayer and a custodian
How do you know if you’re supposed to pray for a particular school or for the entire educational system itself? A rule of thumb I go by is to pray about whatever grabs your attention or interest or even arouses your anger. John Osteen, the father of Joel Osteen, wrote a book called The Divine Flow, in which he taught believers to recognize the flow of compassion within them for someone and then to follow that flow with prayer and/or action.
If you see kids walking to school and sense a tug of compassion, pray for them. As you pass a school, if it catches your attention, pray for the students and staff there. If you feel outraged at some of the news stories you hear or read concerning the educational system today, then pray. Let your life become one of standing in the gap before God on behalf of others. It’s really simpler than we have made it out to be—you don’t have to pray for hours and hours; just pray when your attention is drawn toward the subject, whether your feelings are positive or negative about the issue. As you do this, you will develop greater sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and you will increase in your capacity to pray. And fruit will start growing.
If you pray for a school, those who study or work there will be touched by God—whether you see it or not. You may be surprised in eternity at all the fruit that will be piled up because you prayed.
When you sense the Lord prompting you to pray for seemingly random people, don’t discount a single life for whom you pray; God wants to pull that person out of their sin and use them to His glory.
An old Pentecostal woman prayed without ceasing for her step-daughter Pat who worked as a custodian in my school district. Pat had been running from God and was living a life of full-throttle sin. She started cleaning in my building when she was near the end of her rope. Every time I worked late, we would talk as she swept, dusted, and vacuumed the room, and I could tell she was hungry for God. I shared the Word with her; she told me about her step-mom and how she knew she was praying for her. It wasn’t long until Pat received Jesus as her Lord, and the lifestyle changes happened immediately. Gone were the ungodly romantic interests, gone was the alcohol, and tobacco left a little bit later. Pat was an astonishingly authentic new creation, and staff members, who liked her to start with, were drawn to her all the more.
She confided in me after she was saved that she was desperate to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. Her step-mom had told her she needed the Holy Ghost to live a life of power. With her step-mom on the family end and me on the school end, we talked and prayed and shared with her all that we knew. Still nothing. I told her to relax; enjoy God, worship and praise Him as she went about her way, and she would be filled with the Holy Spirit when she least expected it, sweetly and completely, with biblical evidence.
Not too long after that, one night as Pat was alone, cleaning my classroom, another Spirit-filled teacher stopped in to visit. As she and Pat prayed, Pat started speaking in other tongues. She was filled with the Holy Spirit and has remained filled ever since. And in my opinion, Pat became one of the boldest witnesses of Jesus that school has ever seen. The lives of teachers, secretaries, cooks, administrators, parents, and other custodians that have been touched by this one woman is an amazing thing.
So pray. Pray however you are led, because God will touch lives through your prayers in unexpected, interconnected ways. And if you pray for schools, don’t limit God—those prayers just might be the fuel God uses to pull a key individual out of darkness and to use him or her to further His work in this hour.
Keep on praying!
Dorothy
From new age to new creature: One teacher’s story
In the early ‘80s, I was working in a rural elementary school just outside of the metropolitan area where I lived. I taught with a godly woman named Arlene, one of my early mentors. She and I would eat lunch together every day and pray for the students and other staff members—including a teacher named Connie.
Connie was the music teacher. She lived a Bohemian lifestyle—she embraced a New Age philosophy and was married to a Muslim from Afghanistan. The Methodist church in the town needed an organist, so they asked Connie if she would be available.
Connie loved music; she loved to play the piano and sing, so she accepted the position and became a fixture every Sunday morning at the Methodist church near the school. Her New Age leanings didn’t bother anyone at the church; and their doctrine didn’t step on the toes of her worldview, so they all made music together every Sunday morning in a tolerance-soaked, symbiotic relationship.
But one Sunday morning as Connie sat behind the organ, the unexpected happened. Sheepishly, and pulling at his collar, the minister of that little Methodist church stepped behind the pulpit, cleared his throat, and apologized to the congregation for what he was about to do.
“I am so sorry—I feel very uncomfortable right now—but I can’t shake this. I know we don’t do this here—I don’t like to make folks uncomfortable—but I’ve got to do something very unusual for this church.”
Connie had stopped playing the organ, and you could have heard a pin drop.
He continued, “Well, here goes. If anyone wants to come to the front to get a closer relationship with Jesus—please get out of your seat and come forward.”
Crickets.
And then, after a long, horribly awkward, tension-wrapped silence, Connie, gripped with conviction of her need for Christ, got up from behind the organ and came down to the front and knelt. She was the only one that morning who heeded the call, but as she bowed before the altar, the apologetic Methodist minister prayed for her, and she was gloriously saved.
And who do you think she told? That’s right—Arlene and me, who had been praying for her all along!
So is it a waste of your time to pray for educators who are entrenched in worldviews diametrically opposed to the gospel?
Just ask Connie.
Praying for educators
God may not be welcome in our school systems, but He cannot be kept out.
A while back I had a conversation with a Christian librarian working at a local public school. She told me about the squeeze being put on her and other librarians concerning the books they stocked on their shelves. Some parents actually came in and counted the number of books with references to Christ, Christmas, and Christianity and compared that to how many books were available containing favorable nods to other religions.
As we parted ways, I was struck with what I believed to be a warning and a mandate from the Holy Spirit. I sensed that now—more than ever—believers were to stand guard in prayer for our brothers and sisters in the education profession.
Things have been in a constant state of change within our educational system. Tensions have increased all over the nation. In Ferguson, the opening of school was postponed three times, and finally—nearly two weeks late—kids got to go back to school on the 25th. The resulting anxieties are not isolated to Ferguson, either, as young people grapple with events happening not too far from their homes. Pressure to accept lifestyle choices that go against biblical tenets has ramped up, as well, and is even a key component of curriculum in some places. Common Core, a government-sponsored, nearly nationwide, K-12 curriculum, is in its second year of implementation throughout the U.S. Fortunately, groups of concerned citizens have been gaining steam in various regions, raising concerns about the validity of an agenda that appears to encompass far more than solid academic practices.
Within the ranks of educators exists a strong majority who embrace without question agendas of social justice. In a nutshell, social justice is the philosophy which insists that certain races, ethnicities, religions, and sexual orientations are always the oppressed (the good guys), whereas other races, ethnicities, religions and sexual orientations are known to be the oppressors (the bad guys). Because of this, all laws, regulations, rules, and behaviors must be modified and then enforced to correct the injustice of the oppressors. The lines of distinction in this worldview are rigid and are more dogmatic than the Old Testament ever could be.
And yes, this philosophy is being taught to teachers and future teachers across the nation in universities, workshops, and professional development curriculum. I, myself, sat in on such demagoguery to find out that I, by virtue of being female, was among the oppressed, yet I was also an oppressor—an evil, white, American, heterosexual Christian. Guess they were hoping I would rise up as an angry woman against my male oppressors, while at the same time genuflect and cower at the feet of non-Christian, non-American, non-white, gay folk whom undoubtedly I had so arrogantly oppressed. I spoke out at the time that I was not oppressed as a female, and the leaders of the professional development looked at me with stern pity. “Oh, but you are,” they maintained. “You’ve been oppressed all your life.” I guess my oppressor side had bludgeoned my oppressed side into supposing I was happy and content with life. Go figure! And people wonder why mental disorders, confusion, and depression are on the rise in our time!
This is the philosophy that infiltrates lessons and programs in most public schools and classrooms. It has even quietly sneaked into some private and Christian schools as well, as leaders with a desire to remain socially relevant tweak curriculum to “keep up with the times”.
Into the mix traipse our unsuspecting little ones and youth across the nation. Their minds and hearts are like blank slates upon which others will seek to imprint their agendas.
But not all instructors are blind adherents of the prevailing worldview promoted in public education. They are men and women called by God to make a difference in the lives of those young ones they teach. These instructors may be in the system, but they are not of the system. Many are Christian; others are deeply patriotic Americans with a respect for traditional values; and all are concerned educators, seeking to right a capsizing ship, throwing out life buoys of honesty, integrity, sound instruction, and high expectations to the young ones under their training.
These educators need our prayer coverage. Pray for the godly and excellent teachers that you know personally. Stand in the gap for them to make wise decisions, to walk closely with the Lord, and to make a profound impact on their students and in their schools. Pray for the other teachers and administrators in the lives of your children, grandchildren, and neighbors. Ask the Lord to move on their lives and hearts to hunger for truth. Pray that these adults will start to see through the philosophy dominating their profession. Pray that they will boldly reject the debilitating stereotypes of victimization. Pray for custom-made laborers to enter into their lives and to minister to them on a deep level. Understand that every case in which the heart or mind of an educator receives light is one more defeat for the enemy. Recognize that every situation in which a believing teacher prays, behaves, and instructs according to the will of God, the purposes of Heaven will be promoted.
God may not be welcome in our school systems, but He cannot be kept out. When the people of God stand on behalf of our schools and their leaders, He will move.
I challenge you to pray for educators and to ask God to move in our schools this year. Through your prayers, I believe that He will frustrate the agenda of the enemy.
Dorothy
Praying for the peace of Ferguson
If my people, which are called by my name, shall 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. 2 Chronicles 7:14, KJV
I knew about the Watts riots of 1965. I had heard about the riots breaking out in 1967 in places like Newark, Detroit, and Milwaukee. I watched the horror of the violence of 1992 in Los Angeles following the Rodney King assault trial. But I never imagined that my neighboring town of Ferguson would rank right up there among the others—an infamous distinction, indeed.
What do you do when civil unrest and bedlam breaks out in your own backyard? You pray, first of all; and you pray with others, too.
As I sat glued to my TV during the first week of agitation, I prayed. All of my other prayer concerns fell aside as I set my face like flint to defy the darkness descending upon my neighbors. This warfare was not with flesh and blood, but against the enemy of all men’s souls, and I knew that my Savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, had outfitted me with His authority and equipped me to stand in His name. I also knew that I was far from alone in my stand. Multitudes from my region, throughout America, and around the world were taking their stand as well, interceding for the city where I had lunch with my sister just four days before.
Violence continued into the second week. As I took a walk Monday morning after another night of chaos, I felt led of the Lord to walk into a primarily minority apartment complex just off of my normal route. I saw a young woman sitting on her porch as she watched roofers repair old storm damage.
Ask her if she needs prayer, I heard the Lord whisper. I hesitated; but then I picked my way through the roofing supplies to her porch. She didn’t need prayer.
Hmmm… I thought. And then it hit me—was she was concerned about Ferguson? When she responded that she sure was, I asked if I could pray with her about it and she agreed. She gripped my hand firmly as we asked God for the peace and safety of the people in our neighboring town. When I said Amen, she—a twenty-something, tattooed black lady—opened up to me—a nearly sixty year-old conservative white woman.
“These people are just lootin’ and makin’ a mess and don’t care about no one! I’m sick of all of this—it’s the only thing on TV these days! It’s gotta come to an end!”
And thus week two began, and the Lord revealed a new job for me to do—I would start finding strangers with whom to pray for the peace of Ferguson.
I started in my own town.
- Robert and John, two young black men, prayed with me on the Starbucks patio. We formed a small circle and bowed our heads as the two of them held my hands. I peeked and saw that one had put his arm around his buddy’s neck. The intensity of their reverence was striking.
- Darlene, a nearly blind woman, prayed with me—also at Starbucks—while waiting for her bus. After we finished, she told me, “I dreamed last night that I was leaving church to catch my bus when a stranger stopped me to pray with them.”
- Alicia, an older black lady at the Ferguson Wal-Mart, told me after we prayed, “Two families are torn apart—Michael Brown’s and that young officer’s family. I’ve been praying for both of them.”
- Sharon, a woman from St. Louis city, stood with a group of protesters when I showed up across from the fire station in Ferguson. It didn’t take long before we recognized one another as fellow intercessors, and we entered into prayer for our region in the name of Jesus. She told me that none of her friends had wanted to join her, but God told her to go to Ferguson, anyway—He would provide a prayer partner for her. You guessed it—that prayer partner was me.
- At that same location, an ice cream truck pulled up. The driver and his friend (both black) jumped out and shouted, “Free ice cream for everyone!” Smiling ear-to-ear, they handed out the treats to everyone—black and white alike—and then crossed the street to an older white man with a walker, saying, “Sir—this is for you, free of charge!” before racing over to hand a free bar to the lone journalist manning the CNN command site. I felt tears stinging in my eyes.
- At the command center on West Florissant (past the burnt-out Quik Trip), Brian, a dreadlocked young man in his Target uniform, gripped my hand as we prayed. When we finished, he said, “Ma’am, I want to grow old and have kids. I don’t want to ruin my life messing around doing crazy stuff.” I agreed with him, and laying my hand on his shoulder, decreed that God would fulfill all His purposes in Brian’s life and use him as a peacemaker.
- Clarissa, a young black woman, was sitting in a motorized shopping cart when we prayed. After the Amen, she confided that she had been terrified and needed someone to pray with her. I zeroed back in on her in prayer and loosed the protection and peace of God to surround her for the duration of the unrest and for the rest of her life.
- Floretta, another young woman—who, like Clarissa had been dealing with overwhelming fear—welcomed my prayers for her protection, wisdom, and direction. This granddaughter of a pastor was smiling ear-to-ear as we parted ways.
- Darryl was the only non-black person with whom I had prayed up to that point. This tattoed, young Asian man was on a smoking break in front of the hair shop he owned. I told him I was praying for the peace of Ferguson’s people and businesses and then asked him if he believed in God. “No—I’m an atheist,” he replied. I asked if I could pray for him and his store anyway. He agreed, and there we stood, heads bowed, as he puffed on his cigarette and I prayed for God to reveal Himself to Darryl. I prayed just as vigorously for the protection, wisdom, and guidance of this young atheist as I did for all the rest. As I finished, he thanked me.
What do you do when civil unrest and bedlam breaks out in your own backyard? You stand in the gap; and you pray for the ones caught on the front lines of the warfare. And you refuse to let up until your backyard becomes a praise in the earth.
Stand strong,
Dorothy
Tomorrow: Praying for public schools.
Taking a respite
Hi! With the events still unfolding in my neighboring town of Ferguson and my commitment to continue to pray for the people involved, I will be taking a week away from the blog to rest, seek God, join with others in prayer, and regroup.
In my absence, I’m leaving some sites I visit frequently. (Yes, I was a school teacher; these are sub plans.) The links are various daily devotionals from different denominations and perspectives. I have found gems on each site.
I don’t endorse everything on these sites, including the ads. Nor do I necessarily agree with everything I read in each entry. However, I believe that you, my readers, have discernment, Bible understanding, and wisdom sufficient to “have as much sense as an old cow—eat the hay and spit out the stubble.”
As it stands now, I plan to return to the blog in a week on Monday, August 25.
Dorothy
- My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers: http://utmost.org/
- Streams in the Desert by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman: http://www.backtothebible.org/index.php/devotions/classics/charles_cowman.html
- God’s Word for Today, Gospel Publishing House (Assemblies of God): http://ag.org/top/devotional/index.cfm
- Eagles’ Wings, published by the Free Presbyterian Church: http://fpcna.org/fpcna_daily.asp
- Jentezen Franklin’s devotional blog: http://www.jentezenfranklin.org/blog/
- Devotional by Smith Wigglesworth: http://annointing.wordpress.com/smith-wigglesworth-devotional/ (This site has listed every page of Wigglesworth’s Devotional. Click the month and then scroll to find the day. Every month is a PDF file.)
- World Challenge, founded by David Wilkerson (of Cross and the Switchblade fame): http://sermons.worldchallenge.org/en/view/devotions If the devotional doesn’t pop up first, find SERMONS in the headings across the top, and scroll down to DEVOTIONS and click. The daily devotional should show up—sometimes it’s an archival writing by David W. (who passed away in 2011), and at other times the devotion is written by his son Gary (a wonderful man of God) or another minister.
- And if you want, you can always scroll back and check the archives right here at www.FirstOfAllPray.com. And remember to check back with me on Monday, August 25.
Weekend update: Stand
…stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand, stand firm… Ephesians 6:13b-14a
Another evening of protests in Ferguson turned into another nightmare for the community as looters and vandals took advantage of heightened passions stirred by further police disclosures. As I watched the footage of lawlessness and the contrasting video of the citizens of Ferguson and neighboring towns cleaning up the damage and offering other assistance to store owners this morning, I couldn’t help but notice a sense of defeat and hopelessness in both citizens and reporters; and it threatened to seep into my soul as well.
As I mulled over the situation, comparing the difference between events on the ground and the outcomes many of us are seeking to obtain by prayer, I sensed the still small voice of Comfort Himself reminding me, “Just stay in the gap.”
Stay in the gap. Keep your position in prayer. Stand. Just by doing that, you are being used by the Spirit of God to make a difference in the spiritual atmosphere over the conflict. If you don’t know what to pray, that’s OK. You standing in the gap brings the presence of God to the ripped-open hole created by darkness, and as you stand there, knowing that God is God and chaos is not, you proclaim the Lord’s rule and reign. By standing in the gap during the most dismal reports, you are preparing the way of the Lord to move in, dispel darkness, and bring deliverance, salvation, and healing to a ravaged community.
Obviously, there are other spiritual job responsibilities besides gap-standing. But when the hedge has been ruptured and torn open for anything and everything to pass through unhindered, more gap-standers are needed to make up the hedge.
Here’s my encouragement to you: As you go about your day, remember that Jesus is Lord over this crisis. Just mutter that truth to yourself when hopelessness or defeat attempts to grip your thoughts. Listen for Scripture verses coming up from your spirit; think on them, let them permeate your heart and mind, and then pray them out over this community.
And by doing just that, you are a gap-stander. As you and others like you simply stand and refuse to budge from the truth that Jesus is Lord and that His will shall prevail, you will be part of the miracle poised to pour out over the region—and the world.
God bless, gird, and guide you as you stand in the gap.
Dorothy
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable… 1 Corinthians 15:58a
Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. Galatians 6:9