Saturday, September 19, 2015

God's Guards


“Brothers, pray for us.” 1 Thessalonians 5:25

Have you ever felt the urge to pray for someone and dismissed it as a strange passing thought or just put it on your list and said 'I'll pray for them later?' Read the following story that was sent to me back in 2009 and may it change the way that you think about prayer, the way you pray, or where those passing thoughts come from.  

A missionary on furlough was asked to share his testimony about his time on the mission field while visiting his home church and he told this true story:

'While serving at a small field hospital in Africa, every two weeks I traveled by bicycle through the jungle to a nearby city for supplies. This was a journey of two days and required camping overnight at the halfway point. On one of these journeys, I arrived in the city where I planned to collect money from a bank, purchase medicine, and supplies, and then begin my two-day journey back to the field hospital. Upon arrival in the city I observed two men fighting, one of whom had been seriously injured. I treated him for his injuries and at the same time talked to him about the Lord. I then traveled two days, camping overnight, and arrived home without incident.

Two weeks later I repeated my journey. Upon arriving in the city, I was approached by the young man I had treated. He told me that he had known I carried money and medicines. He said, 'Some friends and I followed you into the jungle, knowing you would camp overnight. We planned to kill you and take your money and drugs, but just as we were about to move into your camp we saw that you were surrounded by 26 armed guards. At this I laughed and said that I was certainly all alone in that jungle campsite. The young man pressed the point, however, and said, 'No, sir, I was not the only person to see the guards my friends also saw them, and we all counted them. It was because of those guards that we were afraid and left you alone.'


At this point in the sermon, one of the men in the congregation jumped to his feet and interrupted the missionary and asked if he could tell him the exact day this happened. The missionary told the congregation the date, and the man who interrupted told him this story:

'On the night of your incident in Africa, It was morning here and I was preparing to go play golf. I was about to putt when I felt the urge to pray for you. In fact, the urging of the Lord was so strong, I called men in this church to meet with me here in the sanctuary to pray for you. Would all of those men who met with me on that day stand up?' The men who had met together to pray that day stood up. The missionary wasn't concerned with who they were, he was too busy counting how many men he saw. There were 26.

This story is an incredible example of how the Spirit of the Lord moves on behalf of those who love Him. If you ever hear such prodding, go along with it.  Nothing is ever hurt by prayer except the plans of the enemy.   Many people think angels are the guards of God, but truthfully, like those 26 men praying for the missionary, we are God’s Guards!  Ephesians 6:18 reads - “Praying at all times, in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end -  keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.“  

Intercession: used as "petition," in the New Testament. The English word is derived from Latin intercedo, "to come between," which strangely has the somewhat opposed meanings of "obstruct" and "to interpose on behalf of" a person.  
**Lord, please help me be more attentive to your urging. Help me to hear the Spirit and obey right away.  Forgive me for those time I dismissed the prayer alarm and believed satan’s lie that it wasn’t important. I want to be used by you. Teach me to pray without ceasing. Teach me to pray for my brothers. Teach me to pray.**


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