Warriors Arise: May 10th, 2020
As we focus on what Mary was feeling in John 20:11-13, why she returned to the tomb, why she stayed when Peter and John went home, why there were angels in the tomb when she came earlier and after Peter and John left. Now, they are speaking to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" When a woman weeps, it isn't pretty. Her eyes are red and puffy; her hair is in disarray; she could be trying to hold herself together or trembling, and most likely there will be a runny nose (to say it politely). When your heart is broken and you are faced with devastation, a woman needs to be allowed to weep. Yesterday's prayer strategy is it part one of four in a thought pattern of prayer. I wanted to break them up into bite size prayer strategies in order to stay focused in our prayers and not get too broad or vague. What was outlined in yesterday's prayer strategy is similar to what Job and his wife went through in the Old Testament.
If you have read about the life of Job in the Bible, you know he went through an overwhelming amount of pain all in one day! It is almost as if we, not just Americans, but the whole world are having a Job-experience. He had everything and lost catastrophically!
In ONE day the reports came in to Job:
The Sabeans raided the oxen and donkeys and took them away and killed the servants with the sword. (Job 1:14-15)
Fire came and consumed the sheep and the servants. (Job 1:16)
The Chaldeans formed three bands and raided the camels and took them away and killed the servants. (Job 1:17)
All of Job's sons and daughters were dining together and a wind came, struck the house and it felt on the young people; his children were all dead. (Job 1:18-19)
In hearing all of that, do you remember how Job responded? Job 1:20-22: "Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said, 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.' In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong."
Job's response to this horrific day is mind boggling!
How could he worship God?
How could he let God be God, "the LORD gave and the LORD has taken away"!?
How could He continue to bless the name of the LORD?
How we handle the devastation in our lives is huge to our now and the path we will walk tomorrow. There are many people who are in similar situations to Job. Loss of jobs, businesses, houses, cars, whatever is being paid for through loans, career path changes, family members and friends impacted, retirement plans evaporated, savings are dwindling...etc.
My heart aches for the devastation people are facing and the fear of "What could happen next?" So I ask: "Are you trusting God to be God or has the enemy taken enough away and lied enough times to get you to curse God?" Even those close to us can advise us to curse God, as Job's wife did in Job 2:9, "Then his wife said to him, 'Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!'"
Job's wife was grieving. She didn't get to say good-bye to her children. When a woman looses her children, even one child, there are no words to express the pain and devastation. I believe God gave her grace for the pain she was feeling in every ounce of her body and every thought that passed through her mind. Job acknowledges that she is not herself because he responds in Job 2:10, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks..." He knew she was not herself, but he still had to call her attention to what was right so she would not walk in sin. Every woman needs a man who knows when we are not thinking right, allows grace and then guides us back to God for our healing.
In Job 2:10 "...Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?' In all this, Job did not sin with his lips." Job, is thinking beyond his emotions and from a God-revelation; he is speaking the truth. Just like Mary needed to see Jesus to say goodbye even if He couldn't respond, Job's wife needed to say, "Goodbye", the intimate, heartfelt, mind yielding trust, knowing everything would be ok even in this painful experience.
God is still in control. He was able to get Job and his wife through this. Because of the Bible, we know the end of the story. Job and his wife got double of what they had prior to the attacks of the enemy. What if we believe this for ourselves? What if we believed God wanted us to respond righteously? God was not setting Job up to fail. He was setting the enemy up to be crushed by the righteousness of one man who loved God with everything he had.
Warriors, many have lost and lost big through his pandemic, lives ending, dreams they had hoped to see come true, businesses failed, jobs insecure, retirement plans destroyed, housing foreclosed, cars repossessed, high school, college, and graduate celebrations non-exisistent. They knew that this was their year, their month, where things really do revolve around their accomplishments and should be celebrated. To them, this really could be a Job-experience, without knowing, they lost the recognition and celebration of all they have worked for. We will pray today, for each one and how their Job-experience has been catastrophic, causing insecurity and the unknown. God will meet them as He did with Job. Job had to help his wife redirect her for healing to know God will bring us through this adversity. We need to sit in His presence and let Him heal our hearts and restore our minds.
Father, I ask for each person who is experiencing catastrophic, devastating affects from the coronavirus to turn their face to You. Job tore his robe; he was ripped to the core. Job put ashes on his head in mourning. Job shaved his beard as a sign of being totally undone. I ask for people who have not seen the pain of the pandemic to have their eyes opened. I pray they will see they have been spared but how they are get through this is not the same as others. I pray they would have hearts of compassion and be moved to reach out and meet the needs of the people who are suffering, who need to mourn, who need a God answer and not their opinions. I ask for people, at this time, to learn to mourn with those who are mourn (Romans 12:15). I ask for people to not try to fix another's problem but to embrace what the other is going through and be a constant strength to walk with them, pray for them and encourage them to get back up and move into what God has for them, in time. I pray for those who haven't lost anything through this pandemic to receive a touch of Your heart, act from that place, and speak only what is directed by the Holy Spirit. People do not need to be counseled into desperation but encouraged by a Word from You. I pray You would go above and beyond what people could think or imagine in restoring to them what was lost. I ask Your love, security, and courage to envelope each person who has lost; meet them in the very area they have lost. I ask for couples to work together, encourage one another, and teach their children to turn to God for the answers and the way out. I ask for Your wisdom to come, in the time of mourning the dreams that have been lost that each one will hear from You and know that You are setting them up for something better. Come Father God and love on Your children. Come Lord Jesus and heal their bodies, souls, and spirits. Come Holy Spirit, comfort and guide each one in Jesus' name I pray amen.
A Warrior in the Lord’s Army,
Veridee Joy
My hope is for Believers in Jesus Christ to join together each day to pray, to push back the enemy as we release God’s power here on earth against the coronavirus. The prayers will be listed each day as Warriors Arise. I will put a date with it so we can keep them straight. If you have any questions please feel free to make a comment or private message me. If you would like this to come to your email directly please go to verideehand.com and subscribe.
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