2 Chronicles 7:14 ‘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’
DAILY READING 1 Peter 3; Jeremiah 35-36; Psalm 136
On February 15, 2015, a gruesome five-minute video was published, that shocked the world. It showed the beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians who were killed by Islamic fanatics in Libya. A caption in the video called the captives the “People of the Cross”; this was the reason given for their being executed. Loud cries of ‘Jesus!’, was the last word that left their lips.
Those Christians were killed because they refused to renounce Christ and instead called on him. One of the victims was of African descent, in contrast to the others, who were ethnic Copts. It was later learned that this African victim, Matthew Ayariga, from Ghana, was not originally a Christian. But when he saw the immense faith of the others, he was strengthened to believe in Christ too.
On 15 May 2018, the remains of these martyrs were exhumed and returned to a cathedral built for them and named after them in Egypt. Churches and monasteries’ bells were rung all over Egypt when the remains arrived on board a plane from Misrata Airport in Libya to Cairo International Airport. They were received by a large number of priests and government officials and given an honorable burial.
Though the beheading of these Christians shocked the world at the time, it only became part of the statistics of increasing terrorism against Christians. Today, in many countries the Gospel is being suppressed and repressed. Jesus warned about these perilous times that would characterize the end-times.
And as the darkness encroaches, we can no longer afford to just keep watching. We are living in a time when if you don’t pray, you end up a prey. But through prayer we can change the course of things and establish God’s will in our affairs.
God said in 2 Chronicles 7:14 ‘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.’
When Queen Esther and the Jews humbled themselves and prayed, God arose and overturned Haman’s evil plot. Prayer indeed does change things. And especially in this new month of August, as we begin to engage the force of prayer, we shall see a forceful turnaround of every negative situation around us.
It is interesting to note that the English word ‘August’ is derived from the Latin word ‘Augustus’, which means “consecrated” or “venerable’. The month of August is therefore already foreordained a month of consecration in which we shall be fervently seeking God’s face. In English, the word ‘August’ is used to refer to someone having great importance and of the highest social class, marked by majestic dignity or grandeur. In reference to this month, it is indeed a month that will confer majestic dignity on us, as we ‘pray’ the price.
Also August is the 8th month and the number 8 in the Bible represents a new beginning. In the Bible, male children were to be circumcised on the 8th day. The number 8 therefore symbolizes circumcision of the heart through Christ and the receiving of the Holy Spirit. August therefore is indeed a unique month, loaded with so much possibilities and promises. And through the Blood of Jesus we shall press into all God has ordained for us in this new month. We shall not faint nor be weary. Indeed through the Blood of Jesus we receive strength to overcome every resistance, even as we press into our glorious new season of power and miracles in Jesus Name.
PRAYER: Lord, Please grant me the grace to press in to all You have ordained for me in this unique new month. Indeed as I push in the place of prayer, I know I have the victory by the Blood in Jesus Name.
QUOTE
“Everything that has a glorious end usually has a humble beginning”. WORDBITE 222