Our women’s prayer group meets on Wednesdays at our church’s cry room in the upper sanctuary. It’s timely for the Holy Spirit to give us this space to pray. I sure cry a lot when I intercede. Please read this message that I shared with my prayer group recently.
Please watch Dr Phil’s short five minute speech that is shared by CBN (Christian news). I pray that it helps you to make sense of what is good and evil. It’s been confusing for me too as I have been trying to understand this whole situation in Israel and Hamas-Palestine in the last couple of weeks. It’s important to understand the situation so that we can pray strategically and in God’s will. Remember that our prayers are powerful on this earth because we pray to Almighty God in heaven by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I know that unity is important when we pray corporately and so if you have any doubts about the issues then please reach out to me so we can discuss this more.
As a prayer intercessor, I have to do a good amount of research to understand the situation so I can led us to pray strategically and in unity. Many things are very straightforward and clear (for example, human trafficking, child sex abuse, drug addictions, etc.)
Other times it’s just not clear and I have to dig deeper for truth and clarity. Overall I’ve learned that I must be a good “fruit inspector” of the sources. Meaning inspect the fruit that’s produced. For example, in the Korea country, Confucianism has been the rule of the land for centuries. Women were treated like 3rd class citizens. Upon great growth of Christianity in Korea since the Korea war in 1950s; women’s rights have only gotten better and better. Therefore Christianity produced a far better fruit than Confucianism for the women of Korea.
Whenever I am not sure about a person or a ministry group, I carefully consider their fruit production. Jesus told us that we will know people by their fruits. So learn to be a good “fruit inspector”. Investigate their past and present fruits. With prayers, God’s word and godly (not secular) counsel, it seems almost impossible to be veered off.
When I’m trying to understand a political situation, I find secular news to be confusing and conflicting, and the reporting can be skewed upon their political and ideological affiliations too. Now, I’ve learned to carefully read Christian news articles about a situation so that I can pray their points of view. I’m not saying that Christian sources are always right but I trust that many of them are believers like me and pray daily for the Holy Spirit’s guidance. I also like the fruit of their workers including reminding us that everyone needs Jesus Christ and that the Bible is most important book to read and know for ourselves.
In the same way that I judge other people’s fruits, I also have to judge my own fruit production too. I’m a work in progress and there’s no perfection until I get to heaven. Please read the rest of Matthew 7 to receive guidance on judging others and ourselves.
Matthew 7:15-20 (NKJV)
You Will Know Them by Their Fruits
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%207&version=NKJV
Here is a good short article on Jesus’ teaching about being a fruit inspector.
https://www.gotquestions.org/you-will-know-them-by-their-fruit.html
I look forward to praying together on Wednesday, 11/1 at 1pm. Plus Halloween will be over. Yay! I just had a frightful dream this morning and woke up early to pray and intercede for the family member who appeared in my dream. Sometimes God gives us alarming dreams, not to be afraid but to proactively pray for that person to bless and protect them.
The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. – James 5:16b
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%205&version=NKJV
Journal of Faith 