Warriors Arise: May 24th, 2020
John 20:15 continues, "...She supposed Him to be the gardener..." which takes me to another passage in John 15. This storm, the coronavirus, causing a pandemic all around the world, has tried to steal the fellowship of Believers, kill the move of God to care through His people, and destroy the advancement of the kingdom fo God.
Steal the fellowship of Believer's (worshipping together, encouraging one another in the way of the Lord)
Kill the move of God to care through His people (care packages, visits to the sick in the hospital, and helping one another)
Destroy the advancement of the kingdom of God (because of social distancing, it is difficult for evangelism to be personal, Summer church camps and VBS cancelled)
This looks a whole lot like the enemy, in John 10:10 Jesus is talking, "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." In a previous prayer strategy we talked about identifying. When we identify the thief, we can boldly approach the throne of God and seek restitution. God said in the Bible restitution could be twice what was stolen, seven times what was stolen or all the thief has.
This ties into John 15:1-8 because Jesus is teaching us about fruit developed in our lives because the vinedresser must prune the branches. The vinedresser is God, Jesus in the vine and we are the branches. God will prune each one who is attached to the vine. He will cut back the bushiness in our lives so when we start to we will produce abundant fruit. When branches are pruned regularly, they will produce abundant fruit. Branches that have not been tended will have lots and lots of leaves but very little fruit. Branches taken care of by the vinedresser, pruned regularly will have lots and lots of fruit with smaller leaves.
There are times when disaster strikes and the branches are not carefully trimmed but broken off. A few years ago our family traveled to Yellowstone National Park. It was a beautiful place to drive through and see God's creation. There were parts of the park where we saw burnt trees crumbled on the ground. However, in the same place there were new trees growing. They lost what the eye could see in the fire, yet underground the roots were still good. From within the wreckage the trees began to grow again.
The coronavirus was the spark that led to the wildfire of the pandemic. Many have been burned by the affects of this wildfire. But God who is rich in mercy and abounds with love desires to begin new growth from the roots remaining. The roots hidden deep in the soil provide the base for life to grow again.
Are you grounded in the rich soil of the Word of God? We can look around and see the disaster of what the coronavirus started. We cannot be in fear of another spark. The enemy is always trying to steal, kill, and destroy God's people, His church, and the fruit we are to bear. We can see what God has done to protect us. He provided His Word, scripting every promise He has for each one of us. His Word is the rich soil each Believer is planted in. When there is a drought, roots grow deeper and stronger. They find what they need to survive in the disaster and thrive in seasons of growth.
Each one of us should been growing deeper in our relationship with God and stronger in our resolve to accomplish the dreams God has for us. We cannot allow the enemy to burn what we have through this pandemic without restitution being given. God wants us to dig deep into His Word and grow in our faith as we step away from the fear and trust Him.
Father, thank you for being the gardener who tends and restore the broken branches. I pray You would come and minister to each one of Your people. I pray we would receive Your tender hand upon us. I pray we would know You are calling us to be restored and produce 30, 60, and 100 fold. I ask for You to see what the enemy has done to Your body, churches all over the world. He has stolen our fellowship with one another, he has killed evangelism, church camps, and VBS, he had destroyed the advancement of Your kingdom through Your church. I come before You, in Your throne room, not because I am perfect but because I am Your child. I know You desire for each one of Your children to bear fruit. I know You desire for Your churches to be a beacon to the lost and a safe place for new Believers to be planted in the Word of God. I know You want children to be nurtured and groomed in Your love. I ask for You to come and see the devastation of what the enemy has done. I ask for Believers to send their roots down deeper into Your Word and rise up on the promises of the fruit You desire each one to produce. I ask for those who operate in the gift of evangelism to be given favor to testify of Your goodness and souls to be saved. I ask for the church to come together and rise up to advance Your kingdom here on earth. I pray we would be the lighthouse for the lost. I pray we would share of Your strength in their weakness. As the storm comes to an end I pray we would be the first to step out and worship You for all You have done to sustain us and strengthen us. I pray You would fill the net of the church to overflowing. I ask for You to nurture us as we grow again. I pray for each Believer to know what You have called them to do to advance Your kingdom and walk it out to the fullest. I pray for each Believer to trust You in all things and lean not on their own understanding. I pray for each Believer to know You and to demonstrate Your love to one another. I pray our attachment to the vine, Jesus Christ, would be strengthen and we would bear 100 fold in Jesus name. We will never be what we were but we will be all You have dreamed we would become in the hands of the Gardener, the vinedresser, in Jesus name 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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