Hello friends. There are many resources here for your reflection and meditation. Some things you might wrestle with; but that’s okay. As long as you wrestle with the issues within a Christian community and stay within the boundaries of the Bible.
Pastor Rick Warren shared that the Bible is an acronym for “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.” I have been a pretty intense student of the Holy Bible for the past 14 years now. I have acquired a lot of knowledge about the Bible and so when we pray corporately, I noticed that the Holy Spirit can use me in tremendous ways to direct my prayer requests that are aligned with God’s will because so much of the Bible is inside of me. I have learned to step aside and become a conduit for the Holy Spirit to pray. I discover in our corporate prayer meetings what is needed in intercession for our families, churches, communities, country and the world.
This January instead of starting our prayer meeting earlier, I was lead to do a lot of research and listening. I would talk about these things with my two co-leaders. This spring semester of our prayer group will require tremendous intercession and proactive prayers for our nation.
From my Bible study on angels, I believe that our prayers are also heard by the angels of God in our midst and the angels can work on these prayers immediately. One thing that I like to share about God’s angels is that they are very cognizant about order and obedience. If you are not in proper submission in your life then I don’t think they are obliged to work on your petitions right away. My opinion is that they have to get special permission from God. Think of it this way – they are like military soldiers. If you are in proper order and submission in the military, then during combat the soldiers nearby will have no hesitation in helping you right away. But if you are not in order but went rogue, then my opinion is that the angels may need to receive special permission from God to work on your petitions.
Sometimes I am woken up in the middle of night to intercede for someone or a situation. I take that responsibility seriously knowing that it can be life-threatening. I always dispatch God’s angels in my prayers.
Since I have studied the Holy Bible so much, I now have a good sense if you are out of alignment with the principles in the Holy Bible. I guess you can see me like a tax accountant. I can tell if you are out of the parameters of the tax laws. Of course you will have to come to me and reveal your personal information. I’m not a prophet so I can’t read your mind or know your personal life. But I think I’m a safe person to share your secrets with for prayers and guidance if you desire to be living in obedience to God’s word in the Bible. (This email message was to inform my prayer group ladies that I am here for them if they choose to come to me for advice and prayers. Many believers live outside of God’s will and so, they forfeit the blessings, favor and protection of God that comes by living life in obedience to His Word.)
You might ask, “what is in it for me to get in line with God’s word?”…especially since it requires so much sacrifice, discipline and dying to self. I totally understand your question having wrestled with this question A LOT in the beginning years. Please reach out to me if you are wrestling with this. It’s a great question and needs in-person conversation. However, I can share one story with you that I read during the time while I was wrestling with this. A missionary couple was called back to the USA after serving many years abroad in Africa. They were in the same boat coming back as President Theodore Roosevelt who went to Africa for a hunting expedition. He received an outstanding welcome back from the American people. As this missionary couple was feeling sad that no one was there to greet them as they were leaving the boat; they heard a gentle and encouraging words in their hearts simultaneously – “You are not home yet.” The couple was reminded that when they arrive in their eternal home in heaven, they will receive their rewards including the biggest welcome party ever! 🤗 🎊
Another thing I learned is that in order to receive God’s blessings, favor and protection, you must pursue unity. It can be very tricky when you have very different beliefs. I’ve been living in this tension for the past 14 years in my own home, and I think I have acquired a lot of experience and knowledge on how to handle differences in beliefs while maintaining peace and unity.
I recently saw a map of our New Jersey state and how each county voted in the past November election. We are quite evenly split between red and blue counties. Knowing this situation, I want you to remember that God blesses unity. When I was commissioned by the Holy Spirit to set up our prayer group in 2016, I had no idea what I was supposed to do or what corporate prayer is about. I only heard one directive from the Lord – He said to me that if I do my best to keep the unity in our prayer group, then His blessings will flow down continuously from His throne. God’s promise should always be anchored to the Bible and so, this promise given was anchored to Psalm 133. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20133&version=NKJV
It is a long message to say that as a leader, I will work to maintain unity in our group no matter what is happening in our nation and however we differ in our politics and policies. With the urgency of this hour for our nation, it is imperative that there’s a continual flow of God’s blessings, favor and protection for our members, our families, churches, schools and communities. Psalm 91 umbrella has to extend beyond our immediate needs and circle. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2091&version=NKJV
I thought this was a very good article about what the Bible says about the government. This spring semester I will be praying a lot for the government and our country, and so I’m trying to learn what the Bible teaches about the government and its leadership. https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/what-does-the-bible-have-to-say-about-the-government.html
This article also made me think about the many federal employees and companies who are impacted in every election cycle. Pastor Matt Batterson’s church in Washington DC has led his church through eight presidential inaugurations and he shared his thoughts in this article. (I’ve read some of his prayer books and Bible studies, and they are excellent.)
Our prayer group starts on Wednesday, 2/12 at 12:30pm. Please pray for our unity and my leadership in this upcoming spring semester. 🙏 Thank you.
This event is in Ohio. If you have a friend who lives there and wants to hear from the Ohio State University football player who started their on-campus revival meeting in the fall semester, please share this link with them. In case you missed it, OSU won the college championship. I’ve read that many college players from the Notre Dame University are also devout Christians. It was a great blessing to see them greet one another before the game started. I saw on television the love and affection they had with one another as Christ followers. They were putting Christian brotherhood before being rivals for a passing athletic trophy.
I didn’t share these with my prayer group because many are nominal or very overwhelmed and discouraged Christians, and so they need milk and can’t handle solid foods. But here are some prophetic voices that I heard from about 2025.
I heard Joseph Z about 6-7 months ago and he was right about many things that happened during this election. I remember thinking “how can such things happen?” and then they did.
I felt led to hear him again and what he had to share about 2025. It’s a bit overwhelming but I believe that having foreknowledge will help us pray proactively this spring semester for our country.
https://www.youtube.com/live/XjGXQtPWL5w?si=EP0V4Ma6EDv-7Rkr
Cindy Jacobs is a prophetess that I have come to respect because of her motherly kindness and gentleness in her ministry and speech. She also works together with many other prophets before releasing a word. She has accountability and is not a rogue believer and leader. Hear what she has to say about 2025.
https://youtu.be/xgJe3WgHzGk?si=223Wcqq08eJ83n14
I just heard this interview with Cindy Jacobs and I thought it was excellent!
Journal of Faith 