Pray For The World

This is Chris Hughes with the Christian Perspective Podcast with Chris Hughes, where we encourage our listeners to engage the culture with Jesus Christ. Your chosen Truth Network Podcast is starting in just a few seconds, so enjoy it, share it. But most of all, thank you for listening to the Truth Podcast Network.

This is the Truth Network. Encouraging prayer. God offers an open invitation for his people to talk with him at any time about anything. On Encouraging Prayer, Dr. James Banks, author of the bestselling Prayers for Prodigals and many other books on prayer, provides weekly biblical insight to help you learn to love to pray. And now, here's James.

These are challenging days we are living in and the recent events in Afghanistan, the turmoil on our southern border, worries about inflation and employment, and of course, COVID-19 have many on edge. So today on Encouraging Prayer, we're going to take some time to pray toward the end of our broadcast. And we'd like to ask you to join us, you know, wherever you are. Right. And one of the most amazing things about God is that he exists outside of time. So even if you're listening to a prayer that was recorded beforehand, as you personally join in, it's like we're all praying together. And we need to do this not only for the excellent reasons that Robbie just explained, but also because of the difference it can make.

Oh, yeah. I mean, one of the challenges that we saw often faced with prayer can be wondering if it's making a difference. And when you're struggling with that, it doesn't mean that you're struggling with a lack of faith. I mean, we're also up against a number of other things, like realizing that God's best answers sometimes take time or understanding that God sometimes will allow circumstances that are very difficult and may even seem unthinkable to us. But James, before we went on the air, you mentioned the scripture passage that you found just really helpful with all this.

Yeah, Robbie, tucked away in the first chapter, Second Corinthians, Paul starts talking about some of the troubles he'd been through. And in verse eight, and following in the first chapter, he he writes, We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia, and that was the Roman province, we were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure. And we thought we would never live through it.

In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learn to rely on God who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger. And he will rescue us again, we have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.

And you are helping us by praying for us, then many people will give thanks because God has graciously answered so many prayers for our safety. So that's Second Corinthians one, eight through 11. What I really appreciate about this passage is Paul's honesty, he says he was crushed and overwhelmed.

Some translations say he despaired of life itself. And the outcome of that was not only this deeper reliance upon God, but a very practical understanding of how prayer works. He talks about God rescuing him from mortal danger, continuing to rescue him, and then he adds, and you are helping us by praying for us. So if you wonder if your prayers make a difference, there's a great example from God's Word about how much they really do matter.

Yeah, thanks, James. I appreciate that, especially when we're praying for those who are far away, like the people in Afghanistan, or those who seem unapproachable to us, like some who work in Congress or in the White House. But the truth is, we really can help others with our prayers. And we really need to, regardless of our questions or struggles. It's clear that God wants us to come to him with a simple childlike faith.

Right. I mean, faith isn't the absence of questions. You can have faith and still have them. And it helps to remember that our faith should be in God himself more than in the circumstances that we're praying about even. And it's interesting that, as you know, Paul writes about this, he says, you know, he did rescue us from mortal danger, he will rescue us again, we've placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us. So again, that emphasis is upon God, not upon the rescue, which is fascinating to me. But you know, of course, it flows into the rescue, it's important as you know, as Paul is praying.

But again, his faith is in God. So knowing God is good, knowing we can come to him, let's take a moment now to pray, especially for our country and for those in harm's way in Afghanistan. And as I pray again, please join me in praying. So let's let's pray together now, Father, we come to you on behalf of those in desperate need.

We think of those who who are just fleeing tyranny and terror. And Father, we pray that you would make a way we especially think of your church in that part of the world. And we think of how Christians can go through unthinkable things, they're being crucified, or were burned alive for their faith, Lord, you know, and we pray, Father, your mercy that you would send your angels to protect them and that you would send others who are able to walk into that situation and get them out. We pray for protection for our soldiers. We pray for for wisdom for those who are overseeing them. We pray, Father, for our president and for our leaders. And we ask, Lord, that they would have your wisdom, not their own wisdom, whether they know you or not, Father, that you would move through them. We pray, Father, for victory over evil in this dark, dark place.

Lord have mercy, we pray we come to you and just ask your help for what we're not able to do with our own hands. Oh, and Jesus, I thank you for your truth. And I pray for all those that are being deceived by the lies, whether that be the Taliban or our own people, however it works, Lord, you know what the truth is, and you know what really is. And so I pray that your truth would march ahead of what all's going on, that people would begin to tell the story of what really is going on, that you love them and that you want so much more for them than what they're currently facing. So I pray, even the perpetrators, that you would capture their attention and help them to see that this isn't what they were designed to do, help them to see the truth, help them to see you. And I pray for those who are under the persecution, Lord, that they too would feel your truth and sense what you would have them do with grace and truth in this circumstance, as well as those in our own government who are in roles of that they would hear with the ears that they hadn't before, that you would give them a sense of what is right and then give them the courage to follow through on that, to do what it is that you've asked them to do and be obedient. And I ask this in Jesus' name.

Yes, Father. And we pray for our country. We pray for revival in our country, awakening in our nation. Lord, we ask that you would help us to turn to you because so many of the issues we face are remedied as we turn to you in love because you are good and you are faithful.

And even when we don't deserve it, you so often have had mercy on us. So Lord, thank you for your kindness to us. Again, we just ask that you would move and bless every person who has prayed with us today.

You know the needs of their hearts and their concerns. Father, we ask for what you alone can do, and we thank you and we look to you with faith. In Jesus' name, Father. You can hear more from Pastor James by visiting his website, jamesbanks.org, or by visiting Peace Church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you as you pray.