Praying for the peace of Ferguson
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14, KJV
I knew about the Watts riots of 1965. I had heard about the riots breaking out in 1967 in places like Newark, Detroit, and Milwaukee. I watched the horror of the violence of 1992 in Los Angeles following the Rodney King assault trial. But I never imagined that my neighboring town of Ferguson would rank right up there among the others—an infamous distinction, indeed.
What do you do when civil unrest and bedlam breaks out in your own backyard? You pray, first of all; and you pray with others, too.
As I sat glued to my TV during the first week of agitation, I prayed. All of my other prayer concerns fell aside as I set my face like flint to defy the darkness descending upon my neighbors. This warfare was not with flesh and blood, but against the enemy of all men’s souls, and I knew that my Savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, had outfitted me with His authority and equipped me to stand in His name. I also knew that I was far from alone in my stand. Multitudes from my region, throughout America, and around the world were taking their stand as well, interceding for the city where I had lunch with my sister just four days before.
Violence continued into the second week. As I took a walk Monday morning after another night of chaos, I felt led of the Lord to walk into a primarily minority apartment complex just off of my normal route. I saw a young woman sitting on her porch as she watched roofers repair old storm damage.
Ask her if she needs prayer, I heard the Lord whisper. I hesitated; but then I picked my way through the roofing supplies to her porch. She didn’t need prayer.
Hmmm… I thought. And then it hit me—was she was concerned about Ferguson? When she responded that she sure was, I asked if I could pray with her about it and she agreed. She gripped my hand firmly as we asked God for the peace and safety of the people in our neighboring town. When I said Amen, she—a twenty-something, tattooed black lady—opened up to me—a nearly sixty year-old conservative white woman.
“These people are just lootin’ and makin’ a mess and don’t care about no one! I’m sick of all of this—it’s the only thing on TV these days! It’s gotta come to an end!”
And thus week two began, and the Lord revealed a new job for me to do—I would start finding strangers with whom to pray for the peace of Ferguson.
I started in my own town.
- Robert and John, two young black men, prayed with me on the Starbucks patio. We formed a small circle and bowed our heads as the two of them held my hands. I peeked and saw that one had put his arm around his buddy’s neck. The intensity of their reverence was striking.
- Darlene, a nearly blind woman, prayed with me—also at Starbucks—while waiting for her bus. After we finished, she told me, “I dreamed last night that I was leaving church to catch my bus when a stranger stopped me to pray with them.”
- Alicia, an older black lady at the Ferguson Wal-Mart, told me after we prayed, “Two families are torn apart—Michael Brown’s and that young officer’s family. I’ve been praying for both of them.”
- Sharon, a woman from St. Louis city, stood with a group of protesters when I showed up across from the fire station in Ferguson. It didn’t take long before we recognized one another as fellow intercessors, and we entered into prayer for our region in the name of Jesus. She told me that none of her friends had wanted to join her, but God told her to go to Ferguson, anyway—He would provide a prayer partner for her. You guessed it—that prayer partner was me.
- At that same location, an ice cream truck pulled up. The driver and his friend (both black) jumped out and shouted, “Free ice cream for everyone!” Smiling ear-to-ear, they handed out the treats to everyone—black and white alike—and then crossed the street to an older white man with a walker, saying, “Sir—this is for you, free of charge!” before racing over to hand a free bar to the lone journalist manning the CNN command site. I felt tears stinging in my eyes.
- At the command center on West Florissant (past the burnt-out Quik Trip), Brian, a dreadlocked young man in his Target uniform, gripped my hand as we prayed. When we finished, he said, “Ma’am, I want to grow old and have kids. I don’t want to ruin my life messing around doing crazy stuff.” I agreed with him, and laying my hand on his shoulder, decreed that God would fulfill all His purposes in Brian’s life and use him as a peacemaker.
- Clarissa, a young black woman, was sitting in a motorized shopping cart when we prayed. After the Amen, she confided that she had been terrified and needed someone to pray with her. I zeroed back in on her in prayer and loosed the protection and peace of God to surround her for the duration of the unrest and for the rest of her life.
- Floretta, another young woman—who, like Clarissa had been dealing with overwhelming fear—welcomed my prayers for her protection, wisdom, and direction. This granddaughter of a pastor was smiling ear-to-ear as we parted ways.
- Darryl was the only non-black person with whom I had prayed up to that point. This tattoed, young Asian man was on a smoking break in front of the hair shop he owned. I told him I was praying for the peace of Ferguson’s people and businesses and then asked him if he believed in God. “No—I’m an atheist,” he replied. I asked if I could pray for him and his store anyway. He agreed, and there we stood, heads bowed, as he puffed on his cigarette and I prayed for God to reveal Himself to Darryl. I prayed just as vigorously for the protection, wisdom, and guidance of this young atheist as I did for all the rest. As I finished, he thanked me.
What do you do when civil unrest and bedlam breaks out in your own backyard? You stand in the gap; and you pray for the ones caught on the front lines of the warfare. And you refuse to let up until your backyard becomes a praise in the earth.
Stand strong,
Dorothy
Tomorrow: Praying for public schools.
Read MoreWeekend update: Stand
…stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand, stand firm… Ephesians 6:13b-14a
Another evening of protests in Ferguson turned into another nightmare for the community as looters and vandals took advantage of heightened passions stirred by further police disclosures. As I watched the footage of lawlessness and the contrasting video of the citizens of Ferguson and neighboring towns cleaning up the damage and offering other assistance to store owners this morning, I couldn’t help but notice a sense of defeat and hopelessness in both citizens and reporters; and it threatened to seep into my soul as well.
As I mulled over the situation, comparing the difference between events on the ground and the outcomes many of us are seeking to obtain by prayer, I sensed the still small voice of Comfort Himself reminding me, “Just stay in the gap.”
Stay in the gap. Keep your position in prayer. Stand. Just by doing that, you are being used by the Spirit of God to make a difference in the spiritual atmosphere over the conflict. If you don’t know what to pray, that’s OK. You standing in the gap brings the presence of God to the ripped-open hole created by darkness, and as you stand there, knowing that God is God and chaos is not, you proclaim the Lord’s rule and reign. By standing in the gap during the most dismal reports, you are preparing the way of the Lord to move in, dispel darkness, and bring deliverance, salvation, and healing to a ravaged community.
Obviously, there are other spiritual job responsibilities besides gap-standing. But when the hedge has been ruptured and torn open for anything and everything to pass through unhindered, more gap-standers are needed to make up the hedge.
Here’s my encouragement to you: As you go about your day, remember that Jesus is Lord over this crisis. Just mutter that truth to yourself when hopelessness or defeat attempts to grip your thoughts. Listen for Scripture verses coming up from your spirit; think on them, let them permeate your heart and mind, and then pray them out over this community.
And by doing just that, you are a gap-stander. As you and others like you simply stand and refuse to budge from the truth that Jesus is Lord and that His will shall prevail, you will be part of the miracle poised to pour out over the region—and the world.
God bless, gird, and guide you as you stand in the gap.
Dorothy
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable… 1 Corinthians 15:58a
Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. Galatians 6:9
The weapons of our warfare
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ… 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
Many around the nation have been praying about the unrest in Ferguson, Missouri. I am grateful for every bit of spiritual assistance in the face of all the hurt, anger, and discord in the area—my area.
We stand in the gap before the Lord on behalf of the residents and others involved in this situation. As we stand, we pray, sowing seeds of peace for the purpose of rebuilding the hedge of protection around the community.
But we also stand equipped. God never sends His children into spiritual battle without granting them the appropriate equipment and weaponry.
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh…
If you are alive, you are walking around in a flesh and blood body. But even though you are “packaged” in flesh, you don’t conduct spiritual warfare according to the flesh.
… for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh…
Bible commentator David Guzik explained this portion of Scripture. He wrote, “The carnal [or fleshly] weapons Paul refuses were not material weapons like swords and spears. The carnal weapons he renounced were the manipulative and deceitful ways his opponents used” (see http://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide_2Cr/2Cr_10.cfm).
No matter what the concern or conflict may be, you need to lay aside manipulation, backstabbing, slander, deceit, insinuations, power plays, and all the other methods which typically rise up out of a fleshly desire to justify yourself, prop yourself up, save face, or get ahead.
…but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
God does outfit you with equipment and weapons for fighting spiritual battles. In Ephesians 6:11, the apostle Paul urged, “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” when struggling against the unseen forces of darkness. The armor He provides not only protects you defensively, but it is also effective offensively against the enemy targeting you or those for whom you pray. However, you must lay aside both the defensive and offensive techniques of the flesh and take up God’s equipment if you are serious about effectual gap-standing.
According to Ephesians 6, God provides six specific pieces of equipment to any believer seeking to stand against the enemy—the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. Guzik observes, “Our spiritual weapons are scorned by the world, but feared by demonic powers” (ibid). The man or woman who launches into prayer covered by the truth and righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, the preparation of the gospel of peace, steadfast faith, the helmet of salvation, and the Word of God can be confident in the face of any scheme of the evil one.
We are destroying speculations…
While praying for volatile situations such as in Ferguson, you may not be able to distinguish between speculation and fact. But your part is to remain in the gap and pray. As you do, speculations will be brought down and truth will be made known. Pray that the authorized fact-finders will receive divine direction, grace, and wisdom as they do their jobs. Cover them—those in law enforcement and government and the journalists reporting on unfolding events—so that speculative and incorrect information will be squelched, enabling truth to prevail and healing to begin.
…and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God…
One prayer focus of mine is to address the “lofty things raised up against the knowledge of God” stirring around in Ferguson. People from outside of the community have arrived to take advantage of the chaos and to push their own agendas. As I pray, I remind myself that despite what I see or hear, the weapons I’m wielding in the gap are divinely powerful to bring down those lofty things. The forces of darkness—manipulating men like pawns—are not more powerful than the living God—and as you and I pray, their demonic effectiveness is being diminished. And all too often, it takes persistence and the long-haul in prayer to see the restoration of territory which the devil has ravaged. That’s why Paul wrote, “…and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm” (see Ephesians 6:13-14).
If things you’re hearing or seeing in a local, national, or international situation don’t line up with the knowledge of God, you are equipped with spiritual weaponry to address them in prayer and render them ineffective. But again, remember—this is warfare, and it won’t necessarily change overnight. Stand.
…and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ…
Whose thoughts should you take captive to the obedience of Christ as you stand in the gap? Despite the fact that individuals being manipulated by the enemy are unpredictable or volatile, it’s not their thoughts you’re to take captive. As a prayer warrior, that’s not your job—controlling people or their minds. Instead, first you must get control over your own thoughts, lining them up with the Word of God to the obedience of Christ. Saturate yourself in His Word; let it speak to your heart and direct your thoughts as you yield to the Holy Ghost. Then you’ll be ready to take up your authority in the name of Jesus against the realm of demonic forces stirring and agitating chaos, violence, and destruction.
I have barely scratched the surface of the divinely powerful weaponry God has given to you for effective spiritual warfare. My aim in writing this is to whet your appetite, hoping to make you hungry to press in and learn more and more about how to stand in the all the gaps God reveals to you—and to do so effectively.
Dorothy
Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20-21
Read MoreGaps
And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. Ezekiel 22:30, KJV; emphasis added
Let’s take a closer look at gaps: What are they, what is your responsibility concerning them, and how do you interact with them?
Gaps—what are they?
A gap is a gaping hole in a hedge—an unprotected opening through which bad things can gain access to a person, a relationship, a family, a church, a community, a people group, or a nation. The original gap was sin—Adam and Eve blasted a gap in the protective “bubble” surrounding the human race by disobeying God. Ever since then, sin has been the common denominator for all gaps, both large and small. And the common denominator for closing the gap blown opened by Adam and Eve—and every subsequent gap—is Jesus Christ.
Gaps exist wherever there are people. They happen because the devil wants access to lives—saved and unsaved alike. Conflicts between husbands and wives, if not dealt with appropriately, create gaps. Hurts, misunderstandings, miscommunication, and the like can tear open gaps between friends, neighbors, and colleagues. I call these “micro-gaps” due to the limited number of people involved. How do you approach these micro-gaps? Simply, you pray and then you obey; you stand your ground in love before God and you walk by faith—not by feelings or by sight.
Macro-gaps also exist, affecting hundreds, thousands, millions, or billions of souls. Very likely each one of these gaps began as micro-gaps—unresolved conflicts between two parties which eventually became infected by unforgiveness, bitterness, and unrepentant, hardened hearts. “See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled, [turning micro-gaps into macro-gaps]” (Hebrews 12:15, emphasis and brackets added).
Here are some of the glaring macro-gaps in today’s world: Israeli-Palestinian conflict; ISIS in Iraq; terrorism; racial conflict; culture war; political polarities; etc. How do these issues qualify as gaps? They are openings through which the devil has gained entrance to create turmoil, confusion, terror, destruction, and the like. They are opportunities for Satan to create a smokescreen, obscuring the gospel. They are openings through which ungodly men and women gain access to positions of influence so as to steer entire cultures away from both godly values and the Lord Himself. Have you noticed any gaps in your world lately?
Gaps—what is your responsibility concerning them?
Because of the immense number of gaps on every hand, recognize that you won’t be able to cover everything you see. But as certain issues pop up on your “radar”—especially repeatedly—you can be certain that those are gaps in which you are to stand in prayer. Trust God to direct you to those specific people and issues about which to pray. Then believe that He will lead you as you pray.
Due to the avalanche of issues out there, I frequently ask God to orchestrate the prayers of believers all over the nation and around the world, divvying up all the various situations, people, and crises, depositing them separately into all the different hearts so that every gap gets plugged and every broken hedge gets addressed. A great company of men, women, boys, and girls are called by the name of Christ; if each one of us prays our part, then much will be accomplished.
You may ask, How much time do I need to pray about an issue or a person? You pray about it until it lifts off of you or until it resolves. This doesn’t mean, though, that you do nothing else but pray; you set aside time to pray specifically and you pray as you go about your business. This is one reason I like to pray in the Spirit quietly as I move through my day—I keep my spirit open to input from God, making myself available to pray when He brings something up.
And although you’re responsible to pray and stand in the gaps He assigns to you, you need to stay balanced. If you get “heavied out”, back off for a while. Fellowship. Sing. Laugh. Have fun. Eat a good meal. Get some sleep. If you wipe yourself out as an intercessor, you diminish your effectiveness. You aren’t God; He is, and He’s the only One who neither slumbers nor sleeps. You will need to give it a break from time to time—and then, just like a soldier who has been on leave—after you have rested, you return once again to the front lines.
Gaps—how do you interact with them?
Once you become aware of a gap, simply ask God how He wants you to pray. If you can, pray in tongues as you think about it. The Holy Spirit will direct you. It may lift off of you quickly; that’s OK. A lot of the time, you will be a “stop-gap” gap-stander. In other words, you may be led to pray about something in passing. Sometimes that’s all the Lord leads you to do; perhaps you’re plugging the gap while some other intercessor takes a break. God has all the angles covered; your part and mine is to be ready and willing to participate however He leads.
In the case of the Ferguson, Missouri, situation, I know that I’m supposed to stand for the dissipation of chaos and the resolution of conflict. It’s my region that’s under attack; I must stand for my people—both black and white. I could shrug it off, denying any responsibility to pray by saying that God is sovereign and His way will prevail, but to do so ignores the fact that He searches for folks to stand in the gap.
So how do you stand in the gap? You pray, both in the Spirit and with the understanding. You pray the Word over the situation. You make time to pray; you pray quietly as you go about your day. When God brings light, you pray what you see; when He speaks to your heart, you pray what you hear. If you get no direction, you trust God and pray for His intervention. If your faith is wavering, you build it by feeding on the Word and praying in the Holy Spirit. And you stand, refusing to believe that the situation is hopeless. And you stand, resisting the temptation to throw in the towel. And you stand; having done everything to stand, you stand.
Know that your Father girds you up as you stand. “Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness” (2 Corinthians 9:10). Although this verse speaks of financial seed, know that as you pray for crisis situations by the leading of the Holy Spirit (often far harder on the flesh than giving money), you are sowing precious seeds of life and deliverance. And He—who has given you that seed to sow directly in the gap of the hedge—will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and He will increase the harvest of your righteousness—a tall, robust hedge!
That’s how you stand in the gap.
Dorothy
Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Ephesians 6:13
Read MoreGap-standing
And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. Ezekiel 22:30, KJV; emphasis added
The recent turmoil in Ferguson, Missouri, has hit national and international news. And while pundits, leaders, personalities, and citizens give their opinions to awaiting microphones and cameras, another stream of focus has hit Heaven—men and women are taking their stand in the gap.
The last clause of Ezekiel 22:30 is terribly sad. “I found no one,” lamented the living God concerning His search for an intercessor. However, the seriousness of our times compounded by the critical events in St. Louis—the heart of America—have brought many sincere men and women to their knees, crying out to the God of all things to intervene with His mighty power and unquenchable love.
And I sought for a man among them…
God searches for people. One type of person for whom He looks is someone who will stand in the gap, praying and interceding for others.
… a man among them, that should make up the hedge…
God looks for a man (or a woman) who will make up the hedge. What is the hedge? According to Strong’s Concordance, this Hebrew word gader simply means a fence or a wall (see http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H1447&t=KJV). Enemies are deterred by hedges, walls, and fences surrounding those they seek to harm.
What is it that God wants the man or woman to do with the hedge? He wants them to “make up” the hedge.Gadar is the Hebrew word for “making up” and means “to wall up, wall off, close off, build a wall [or] to shut off” (see http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H1443&t=KJV).
Effective gap-standing prayer takes place right where the hedge has been trampled down.
Consider societal unrest. Somehow, violence and lawlessness exalts itself over a population, victimizing a community or region with anger, fear, and chaos. The restraining effects of discipline, decorum, and lawfulness have somehow fallen apart, and God wants the hedge of protection rebuilt and repaired because of His great protective love for the people. This is accomplished by walling up, walling off, closing off, and shutting off the community in question from the ravages of the destroyer—sometimes literally (as in the boarding up of broken windows in looted businesses). But this “hedge making-up” enterprise is also—and always—to be enacted in the realm of the Spirit as intercession is offered by someone on behalf of those lacking full hedge-coverage. Effective gap-standing prayer takes place right where the hedge has been trampled down.
…and stand in the gap before me for the land…
God has been talking about a hedge in need of repair. This hedge has a gap. Perets is the Hebrew word which is used, and it means a breach or a bursting forth—similar to when a dam breaks and water spills out (see http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H6556&t=KJV.) In other words, a gap in a hedge is a great big hole. And you know what holes allow: They allow that which is good on the inside to leak out and get lost, and they open the door to let the wickedness outside come flooding in.
What does the Lord instruct His man or woman to do about the gap? Does He lead them to wring their hands and worry? Does He tell them to condemn the hedge?
No. Once the intercessor is made aware of the gap, he is to stand in it. As the trampled hedge is repaired, the intercessor is to remain in the gap, plugging it up until it is rebuilt. This word “stand” is `amad which indicates to take a stand, to remain and endure, and to hold your ground (see http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H5975&t=KJV). As you stand in the gap, you are blocking the devil from gaining continued entrance into a volatile or destructive situation. You are restraining him and his lawlessness as you stand in the hedge’s gap.
God is seeking today for a man among us to make up the hedge and to stand in the gap, and I believe that He is finding an army of us in this hour. In fact, I believe that every living member of the Body of Christ has gap-standing assignments every day on behalf of lost and hurting humanity. And despite the critical nature of those gaps to which you are led, the God before whom you stand is quite capable of shaping your prayers and granting you effectiveness in that gap in the hedge.
You are called to be a gap-stander in this hour. You are a repairer of the hedge. May God grant you effectiveness as you stand before Him.
Dorothy
Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; you will raise up the age-old foundations; and you will be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of the streets in which to dwell. Isaiah 58:12
Read MorePray for St. Louis
An ugly cloud has been cast upon this region of the nation with the shooting of an 18-year-old on Saturday by a local police officer. The young man, Michael Brown, was allegedly unarmed when the officer shot him, allegedly in the back, allegedly more than once. Details are unclear at this time; the FBI has been called in to help investigate. [Note: later reports revealed that Brown was not shot from behind; the shots were fired as Brown faced the officer.]
After a peaceful prayer vigil Sunday night, the protest that followed quickly deteriorated into chaos. At least sixteen stores were vandalized and looted; a Quik Trip was gutted and burned; and there have been dozens of arrests in connection with the lawless activities.
Pray. This part of St. Louis county has experienced renewal and a renaissance of sorts in recent years, and the tragic loss of this young man and the ensuing destructive bedlam has brought a cloud of suspicion, mistrust, “I-told-ya-so’s”, reawakened fears, and unnecessary and unearned finger-pointing both locally and nationally.
I have frequently shopped in the area. I have friends living in the area. I had lunch with my sister in the area last week. This area has been a success story of an integrated community working together to improve the quality of life for as many as possible. And one thing the devil despises is a harmonious success story; hence, he seeks to steal, kill, and destroy.
As for the looting, I felt I must give my opinion here, seeing as the mother of the deceased young man has publicly and very vigorously decried and denounced every bit of the destruction, calling it extreme disrespect to the memory of her son. And after watching the news Sunday night into the early hours of Monday morning, I developed a theory that may offer some insight as to how to pray.
The reports revealed that looters had removed or covered the license plates of their vans, SUVs, and large-trunked cars. Many also wore masks or covered their faces with cloths. As I thought about it, I realized that these were very likely not spontaneous crimes of grief or even racially-oppressed anger. I became suspicious that the looters—prepared with concealed license plates and roomy vehicles—were more than likely not from the immediate area, but might have arrived from other townships and cities. I have a feeling that many of these people pre-meditated their moves and used this tragedy as an opportunity to grab some goods to sell online. It’s my belief that few—if any—of the looters gave a second thought to the grief of Michael Brown’s family as they yielded to greed and violence, destroying businesses that contributed to the well-being of this community. When I hear people speaking ill of the region—and one area commentator not blaming QT or others if they chose not to rebuild there—I get angry.
And although—as of Monday night—unrest is still brewing, I am convinced that we are not really dealing with merely a racial issue. We are dealing with a sin issue. We are dealing with a devil who is taking advantage of anyone he can to stir violence, chaos, and destruction. Don’t join with the naysayers. Instead, pray for the grieving parents, family members, and friends. Pray for the authorities to work with integrity as they seek to learn the facts necessary to bring about justice. Know that the majority of souls living in this community despise the destruction; understand that Satan seeks to use anyone he can to steal, kill, and destroy. Use your authority to stand against the spirit of lawlessness seeking to control minds and behaviors. Use your faith to stand for God’s will to prevail in this region—and in yours.
I won’t stop believing that God can turn this around for good—as ugly and painful as it is—and to use it to bring men and women, boys and girls to a saving and healing knowledge of Jesus Christ. God will be glorified. To believe less is to doubt His almighty power and mercy. But—we must stand in the gap through which Satan seeks to enter, and pray—with the help of the Holy Spirit—to block, thwart, and restrain the enemy’s evil strategies.
Standing fast,
Dorothy
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Ephesian 6:10-13
Read More