Prayer

Time to stand in the gap

In the book of Ezekiel there is a Scripture that got my attention when I was in my early twenties. In chapter 22:30 it states: ‘So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the Land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.’ Those last four words caught my attention and I vowed that God would not have to look past me. We live in such a time where standing in the gap for others has become a necessity. Building a wall or like Aaron in Numbers 16:48, we need to stand between the living and the dead to stop the plague. Aaron used the sensor, a type of prayer, to stop the plague from killing Gods people.

People feel helpless and threatened about their security, their future and their family’s wellbeing. Many of these will not get any help unless someone intervenes on their behalf. An Intercessor is someone who takes the place of another. You feel for others and sense their desperation and their urgent need. Your prayers then becomes fervent and heartfelt, resulting in a release of heavenly power, like James describes in James 5:16. Everyone who ever got saved, did not do so on their own. Someone prayed for you and somehow the word of God came to you. People stood in the gap for you and for me. We owe the same favour as it were, to others. You’ve heard me preach and say this a number of times: Much prayer, much power. Little prayer, little power. No prayer, no power. This world can only change if someone prays. Let us in this way, flood the lives of the people of our world, this nation and our families, with the power of God.

Lize and Chris Greyling’s mother, Annatjie Marais, passed away this past week. Please keep the families in prayer. They need the covering and comfort of our prayers during this difficult time.

Friday Morning Prayers

The past three weeks we’ve used Whattsapp to connect with you and gave you a guideline how to pray and for what you need to pray for on that specific morning. At this stage our unity in prayer is established by praying at the same time, in our different homes, for the same issues/topics. This is a guideline. You are more than welcome to focus and include those people and needs that you feel requires prayer. In the ideal world, being in one venue and hearing and sensing God while others pray would have been such a blessing. Under Lockdown, this is unfortunately not possible. But, we are still in agreement whilst in different venues. Agreement is the place of power. Divided we fall but united we stand. Please keep those guidelines and visit them on a regular basis as you remind and thank God for providing solutions, answers and provisions for the people and the issues you have prayed for. Different people came back to us and mentioned how God laid Ps112 on their hearts while they were praying. Please read it and make it yours.

One of our main focusses is of course to resist this virus that has turned our lives upside down. Don’t get used to your new circumstances. Don’t accept it. Refuse it. Resist it. We do this in the recommended practical ways as far as health and medicine requires. We also do this in the spirit as this is also an attack on our spiritual heritage. This is what Ezekiel also means when he says we must build a wall. A wall against this enemy. Don’t let God come to your house and utter these words..’ but I found none’.

We plan to have a Virtual platform where we can use technology that is safe and stable to accommodate such a prayer meeting where we can all hear and see each other. I will keep you up to date.

Prayer is Worship and is Petition

Finally, I would like to emphasize two aspects of prayer. We are Worshippers. The Father seek such. John4:23-24.Coming into the presence of the Living God requires an approach that shows regard, respect, honour and acknowledgement of who He is and who you are, compared to Him. This kind of worship is demonstrated in various ways. By kneeling, bowing or just be quiet before Him, whispering your admiration, appreciation and love for Him. Raising hands and to lay flat on your stomach, face down, are also physical ways to demonstrate an inward reality.

Since we don’t have worship music available on our video transmissions we need to improvise and satisfy our own deep seeded need to sing unto the Lord. Get practical and make an effort to get worship music in your place of prayer. Secondly we are invited to come boldly to Gods Throne and Ask Him for what we need. We Ask Him specifics, e.g. material needs, physical and emotional needs of people that you are burdened with. Prayer is petitioning. James writes that ‘we have not, because we ask not’. There are of course many other types of prayers but for now let us use these as we come before our Lord and Saviour who made it possible for us to approach Almighty God as our very own Heavenly Father.

God Bless.

Together in His Service.

Ps William Coraizin